Back by popular demand! Roots in Ripon: Push Back Against the Viciousness That Permeates Today’s Discourse

Roots in Ripon - Author Chuck Roots

          Many of you have contacted me over the past
three months to inquire about my weekly column, Roots in Ripon. In mid-April I decided to take a break from writing the articles since my brother, John, was coming out from Virginia for a visit and a lot of golf. This included a jaunt to Nampa, Idaho to connect with our cousin Jimmy. I wanted to enjoy the time with them without the ever-encroaching demand of another article.

          However, the primary reason for not writing my articles had to do with the newspaper that was carrying my column. For a not-yet-explained reason, despite my numerous inquiries, the paper made it plain to me that they wanted me gone. For 15 years I have written this column, first for the Ripon Record, which folded in 2015, and then with the Manteca Bulletin for two years. During those fifteen years I never once failed to submit an article. This included my two years being recalled for the Iraq War, flying over the Pacific, Atlantic and most major continents. I served at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton (California); Camp Commando, Kuwait; I MEF Headquarters, Babylon, Iraq; and Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Africa. 

          In the current environment of our nation, I’m led to believe that my conservative views politically, and my religious views as an Evangelical Christian, are no longer welcomed within the print media, or few other places for that matter. I am dismayed by this as it is clearly a sign of the times. Not so many years back, we could have healthy debates and dialogue, engaging in the give-and-take of differing points of view, yet coming away as friends despite our differences. Not so today! The attitude seems to be, “If you don’t agree with me, then you’re the enemy!” 

          Think about it! Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House Press Secretary, was having a quiet dinner a few weeks ago with her husband and extended family in a local restaurant. Because she works directly with and for President Trump, Sarah was told she was not welcome in the restaurant, The Red Hen. She and her husband left, driving home. The rest of the family adjourned to another restaurant across the street. They were followed by staff of the Red Hen and harassed there as well!

Purple Heart Homes Remembers Freedom

At Purple Heart Homes, freedom is at the forefront of our thoughts as we assist our Service Connected Disabled Veterans with their housing needs.

When we were soldiers, we served to ensure that freedom will always overcome oppression. Today, as veterans, we serve to ensure that our fellow veterans do not feel oppressed by hazardous and uncomfortable living environments.

The programs that Purple Heart Homes offers allows our Service Connected Disabled Veterans to continue living in their homes with dignity, safety, and comfort. We see a restored sense of freedom in each of the veterans we have served through our mission. Without you, we would not be able to continue our mission of restoring freedom inside disabled veterans' homes.

You can make a difference for deserving veterans and their families who need the support of a grateful nation. 

Visit www.phhdonate.com to give freedom back to the ones who protected yours. 

www.purplehearthomesusa.org

Purple Heart Homes, 1551 Salisbury Road, Statesville, NC 28677

Merriam-Webster Word of the Day: Sophistry

WORD OF THE DAY July 6, 2018

sophistry    noun | SAH-fuh-stree     Definition   1 : subtly deceptive reasoning or argumentation   2 : an argument apparently correct in form but actually invalid; especially : such an argument used to deceive   Scroll down for more about sophistry

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The original Sophists were ancient Greek teachers of rhetoric and philosophy prominent in the 5th century B.C.E. In their heyday, these philosophers were

Your Voice Ohio: What would it take to make your community a more vibrant place to live?

Over the last several months, we've seen how a diverse group of people can come together on a difficult issue, recognize their differences, yet figure out where they agree on a course of action on addiction. We sat with hundreds of people who shared their views, and within two hours, in 11 different locations, arrived at similar solutions. Now we’re laying another issue on the table to help Ohioans and journalists do a better job defining what the state needs from its next governor, lawmakers, and local leadership.  
Here’s the plan: envision a more vibrant Ohio. What would it look like? And most importantly, how do we get there? We want you to share your stories and ask us questions, which we’ll investigate with our media partners in every corner of the state. As the midterm elections approach, this is a chance to make your voice heard on these key issues. We will share your experiences with candidates, and ask them your questions directly.
We invite you to learn more, tell us your thoughts, and when we launch community meetings to discuss vibrancy, please join us.

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Senator Brown: A Better Farm Bill for All Ohioans

Photo from Politico

Editor's Note:  In this election year, Sen. Brown is going out of his way to present himself as a "moderate"; more than once, he states how he worked with Republicans on the farm bill and how it was a bi-partisan effort.  Make no mistake, Brown is no moderate; he's trying sway voters to assure his re-election.

The best ideas don’t come out of Washington – they come out of conversations with Ohioans.

That was on display last week as Republicans and Democrats came together to support provisions I worked with Ohio farmers and small business owners to include in the 2018 Farm Bill. We passed the bill out of the Senate Agriculture Committee on a broad bipartisan vote, and it could come to the full Senate floor as early as next week.

This bill is a big win for Ohio. It will provide certainty for Ohio farmers, protect Lake Erie, spur economic development in rural Ohio, and feed hungry children and their families.

As we worked on the Farm Bill, I held roundtables and talked with farmers and community leaders all across our state, including talking with Ohio Dairy farmers in Wooster about how the current dairy program wasn’t working for them. We already worked to improve the program in the bipartisan budget deal this spring, and we built on that work by improving the Agriculture Risk Program for Ohio farmers, so that it can better target support for small and medium-sized producers.

We also secured important provisions from my bipartisan water quality improvement bill, the Give Our Resources the Opportunity to Work – or the GROW Act. I worked with Republican Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley on this bill to improve water quality and better support Ohio farmers by refocusing federal investments, targeting sensitive land to prevent runoff into Lake Erie and protect water quality – all while expanding access to quality farmland. These provisions will help reduce harmful algal blooms, and improve soil health across Ohio.