Opinion

L&T Publisher Earl Watt

Donald Trump’s opening for his speech to the joint session of Congress may apply to anyone who does not support socialism.

“I look at the Democrats in front of me,” Trump said, “and I realize there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud, nothing I can do. I could find a cure to the most devastating disease, a disease that would wipe out entire nations, or announce the answers to the greatest economy in history or the stoppage of crime to the lowest levels ever recorded, and these people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand and certainly will not cheer for these astronomical achievements. They won’t do it no matter what.”

MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron

Last week's article listed seven characteristics of the teachings of Jesus the Messiah. Over the next couple of weeks, we'll review His use of teaching methods, including parables, metaphors, hyperbole, sayings, paradoxes, argument, repetition, contrast, and poetry.

Most people who've read the New Testament are familiar with parables, which were used most often when Jesus was speaking to the masses. His parables reflect on nature, or human experience, to communicate a spiritual lesson. Each parable can be understandable in itself, but its spiritual meaning is often veiled.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR, Reita Isaacs, Liberal

I usually receive the L&T the following morning because it is shared; otherwise this OPINION would have been voiced last night.

A few weeks ago I expressed a desire to be invited to a Democratic meeting. Lucky for everyone, it didn’t occur. How can there be such a discrepancy on the way “information” is interpreted when the facts are stated in black and white? Is it how we’re raised with certain core values?

How about the way a person reacts with strong emotions to situations that apply to someone else, but not you personally; giving you the moral outrage to encourage the first ones to actually commit the crimes that can/will have them thrown out of the America they so strongly desire to be welcomed to?

RYCKMAN RECAP, Ron Ryckman, 38th District Senator

Week 7 of the Legislature — especially when contrasted with the week before — truly epitomized the metaphor “running hot and cold.” That’s because just seven days after we had feverishly worked through 61 bills while the temperature was zero degrees outside we took final action on just three measures while it had warmed up externally to 70 degrees.

Ultimately, it’s all about deadlines and timing, I suppose, as this initial period after so-called “Turnaround” is almost like beginning a new session. It reminded me of a funny anecdote from a guest speaker at the Dole Institute in Lawrence years ago when he was asked how he made the transition from being a political speechwriter in our nation’s capital to becoming a producer of the hit TV series “The West Wing” in Hollywood. “Oh, it was very difficult,” he responded, “because in D.C. it was all ‘dog eat dog,’ but in L.A. it was just the opposite!”