THE TRUTH OF SELFGOVERNANCE BENEATH THE TOPSOIL OF THE MODERN TEXAS FRONTIER

While there is plenty of news in this week’s edition, the focus of what follows is the thread that stitches together history and future: America will celebrate its 250th birthday this week.

WHAT KIND OF GOVERNMENT ARE WE BUILDING?

Ronald Reagan once joked that the nine most terrifying words in the English language were, 'I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.'Conservatives laughed because we understood the principle behind the joke. Government has an important role, but it also has limits.

Faces & Places

“Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it.

THE GREAT DEBATERS OF WILEY COLLEGE

Dr, Larry Acker knows the story of the great debaters of Wiley College in Marshall.“Back in the 1930s Wiley College had a debate team that was beating every university they went up against. Of course they were mainly debating other black colleges. They were winning hands down in every competition.

TEXAS INDEPENDENCE ISN'T A PARTY

There is no Independent Party in Texas.That's worth saying up front because when some people hear the word 'independent,' they assume we're talking about a third party. We're not.

SEARCHING FOR DISCUSSION

As clearly noted on the front page of each of this publication’s editions, the DMC reports the news for Fisher and Stonewall counties, and while the fact that news from these two counties is reported, the news of what is reported could be a case study of the furthest opposites in nearest proximity.

MAX SHERMAN’S LATEST BOOK

As students at Baylor, Max Sherman lived next door to me at Kokernot Hall, the Freshman Dorm.We had many lively bull sessions about life, love and laughter in his room.

WHAT YOU SEE HERE

I have not written an opinion about the DMC’s investigative series we broke last month.

I HAVE A WILL – DO I ALSO NEED A TRUST?

Dear Savvy Senior, My wife and I were recently talking about updating our will and wondered if we should also set up a trust. How do we know if we need one? --Planning AheadDear Planning, That’s an excellent question.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO PLEDGE LOYALTY TO A BROKEN SYSTEM

The results out of Texas last week told us something most of us already knew but didn't want to say out loud: the two-party system is broken. The primary process that's supposed to give voters a choice has instead handed us a slate of candidates that even the most loyal voters I know can't stomach.