Living in Macoupin County gives us the blessings of living a rural lifestyle. We know our neighbors, enjoy the country scenery and send our kids to schools where we know everyone from the superintendent to the lunch ladies. Our beloved rural lifestyle also means guns and the NRA. How do we justify gun ownership in …
Fifty-six years ago, John F. Kennedy issued a challenge to all Americans: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” We’ve come a long way from there, unfortunately in the wrong direction. Certainly, our governor seems more interested in promoting his own agenda rather than doing what’s …
I have been thinking a lot about Mother Jones lately. She chose Macoupin County as her final resting place. She may have been the most effective labor agitator in our history. Writer and poet, Upton Sinclair wrote “she was the walking wrath of God”. Even in her death in 1930 she made a statement. The …
If you’ve followed the ongoing budget crisis in Springfield over the last year or so, you’ve probably seen #DoYourJob affixed to countless social media posts, stories, and comments*. #DoYourJob has been a rallying cry for Democrats, service providers, students, teachers, and concerned citizens across Illinois who are calling on Governor Rauner to, well, do his job. Our state …
For most of you reading this, election night 2016 was not a good night. I remember watching returns, first in a state of denial, then rage, then fear, then plain old depression. How could this country elect a president known for impulsivity (among other things) who is the commander-in-chief of our armed forces? How could …
