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Today's Opinions

  • Thinks Obama flutters on positions

    To the editor: Have you ever noticed a butterfly’s flight appears to be haphazard, unlike that of most birds who fly generally in straight lines? I’m no aeronautical engineer, so a butterfly’s anatomical design may require such erratic flight.

    However, I am more inclined to believe its flight pattern is a means of self-preservation. Some birds eat insects, including butterflies, but for a bird to match the flight pattern of a butterfly would be a daunting task. A butterfly’s Achilles heal may simply be exhaustion.

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  • Taser training a good learning experience for law enforcement officials

    Law enforcement officials are forced to make split-second life or death decisions every day.

    In the moments they have to make decisions to protect themselves and innocent bystanders, they must also figure out ways to effectively and safely subdue perpetrators. While experience gives officers valuable tools to deal with these uncertain situations, frequent, comprehensive training is a vital component in making sure good, safe decisions are made.

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  • A sudden jolt of electricity leaves me wondering how tough I am

    I learned this week I am not as cool as I once thought I was.

    I always thought of my self as tough—I’ve swum countless miles for countless hours, ran stadiums until my feet bled and tore my MCL after a mishap on a slippery pool deck.

    Year after year of swim practice, cross-country practice and just about every other sport’s practice, I assumed that made me tough.

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  • Sitting 'criss-cross applesauce' wishing for Oreos

    Last week the Beacon’s education reporter returned from covering one of her stories and was talking about some of students. She described them as sitting “criss-cross applesauce.”

    Say what?

    While I thought this must mean they were sitting in a criss-cross pattern in giants bowls of applesauce, she explained this was the new way to describe sitting “cross-legged” or what we used to call “Indian style.”

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  • True happiness is not found in materialism

    In today’s fast-paced world there is an over- emphasis on material possessions. A desire to keep up with Joneses is a national obsession for many men, women, boys and girls.

    Some people are convinced their neighbors and friends are blessed with an abundance of material possessions and they desire to possess the same level of materialism. They fail to realize some people are in debt and have no idea how they will maintain a pseudo delusion of wealth acquired by high interest credit cards.

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  • FBI motto: Fidelity, bravery and integrity, begin early

    As I trudged up the dirt driveway after school toward our little house, I spotted a strange car parked near the front door. What happened inside during the next hour set the stage for a dramatic change early in my 11-year-old life.

    It was 1949 in Arcadia, Calif., and Mom and Dad did not have much money to raise us three growing boys. Dad had trouble with arthritis in his right shoulder. That was a real hardship for a house painter.

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  • Suggestions for our TV listings

    Here at the Beacon, we’re constantly evaluating what we’re doing and how well we’re doing it.

    In the past year, we’ve made a number of content and design changes to better serve our customers. As we continue to grow and develop, we’re always looking for feedback from our readers.

    This week, I ask you to take a look at the two pages of television listings that appear on 5C and 6C. The pages feature a sampling of televisions channels offered by local cable companies, as well as broadcast channels.

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  • Reader thinks proposed energy plan is a joke

    To the editor: Sen. Barack Obama’s new energy plan is a farce and a cruel joke on the American people. In his divine wisdom, he is going to decide how much profit a company can make.

    With the oil companies, it does not matter the profit margin is low, i.e. Exxon 8 percent, Disney 14 percent, Google 27 percent and Microsoft 28 percent.

    What matters is you think Exxon makes too much money. Obama is going to take Exxon’s profits for five years and give a one-time payment of $1,000 per family to offset high heating bills in this winter.

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