Political football As I have watched for years the way our immigration process has been in the USA, it has been a political football! Depending on who the president is and which party controlled Congress, it seems that the rules are flexible. My father came to this country in 1920 at the age of 15.
Offering a fuller picture I am the Program Director for Legal Studies and an Instructor for Criminal Justice and Legal Studies at Missouri Western State University. Since the semester has come to an end and I have some time to reflect, sit back, and reread the News Press article from August 21, 2025, discussing MoWest’s
Road to dictatorship A recent writer to excoriated the newly elected mayor of New York City, claiming that his campaign tactics mimic those used to gain power by Lenin, Stalin, Mao and Pol-Pot. He couldn’t be more mistaken. These dictators came to power the way ruthless men have always done it, including Hitler and Castro. And,
Please do your job There is a lot of angst about how it is the BOE’s obligation to cherish historic buildings in perpetuity, to stop advancing an idea or project if it fails at the ballot box, and to provide a K-12 educational experience that satisfies every parent’s expectation. Spoiler alert, that ain’t the job.
Proud of you for making the city better Last Sunday I attended the 25th Pastoral Anniversary Celebration for Pastor Robert Warren and KimberlyWarren. This seemingly minor event might be easy to overlook.Instead of listing all the accomplishments these two wonderful examples of humanity have achieved Iwould like to say “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Stuck-in-the-mud school system The School District’s 2019 demographic study clearly indicates that enrollment will continue to decline over the next decade. The analysis is impossible to misinterpret: public school enrollment is shrinking and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. A responsible school board would bite the bullet and begin right-sizing the mix
Love and joy permeate Grace House I continue to be amazed and impressed by what I call “the miracle on Lafayette street.” I’m referring to Grace House, the clothing mission operated at 2638 Lafayette street by Mrs. Ruth Costello and her dedicated volunteers. Grace House charges for nothing. “All free for a smile!” is the
Donald Trump leads his party toward disaster We need to accept the truth. The United States is in crisis both at home and abroad. Our legislators have passed laws that will deny health care and insurance protection to millions, particularly to those who need it most. The government, at the highest level, has saddled us
California, here I come — Not Why? How about a high-speed rail system years behind schedule and billions being tossed around, as they figure out how to complete this elephant in the room? Tossing money at this project does not seem to bother the politicians of the state. A continuous debt seems to be the
For our schools and our students As a college student in Missouri, I know that never questioning where my next meal came from played a huge role in my academic success. Just like books, computers, and reliable transportation, access to food is fundamental for students to reach their potential. But significant barriers still prevent kids
He should be making plans John Brennan is a criminal who has committed treason against the people, Constitution and Government of the United States! And, he knows that a trail of evidence leads right to him! He should be making plans to flee the country ahead of an arrest warrant! Pat McLearDearborn, Missouri The world
Farmers are being treated like sacrifices As a former resident of St. Joseph, I have a lot of respect for the area farmers. They deserve better treatment from our government. Farmers were treated as pawns in 2017 when the first tariff battle took place. China cut purchases, especially soy beans and never returned to previous
Our children’s health is not political All of us who have children or grandchildren mostly want three things for them: to be happy, to be healthy and to be self-supporting. The latter is somewhat mundane and targets parent financial relief for what I call children from age 0 to 18 as “spending units.” However, being
Come out and support the Walk to End Alzheimer’s September 20th is the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. It is a time to raise awareness for the need for more research for the cure and support for caregivers. This cause is personal for me as a caregiver for my husband who has Amyloid plaque on his
Gov. Kehoe doesn’t trust Missouri citizens Governor Mike Kehoe does not trust Missouri citizens to do the right thing. Kehoe has called a special session of the legislature and to make it nearly impossible for citizens to make state laws using the initiative petition process. The law he says will stop “out of state special
Dear Democrats Dear Democratic followers, please let go of your hatred of Donald Trump and quit trying to scare people.Over 63% of Buchanan County voters chose Trump to be president in 2024. No matter what your turnout is for this, the 3rd or 4th or 5th rally, the only people you are appealing to are
Gaslighting 101 We all know the term gaslighting: the manipulation of a person so they question their perception of reality. Gaslighting in politics has a broader agenda and a simpler definition. It’s called lying. If the lie is repeated often enough or long enough, it is eventually perceived as truth. We are now being gaslighted
Be alert Recently, I ran across the following information which brought to mind the old saying, “history repeats itself.” “Joseph Stalin was head of the Soviet Union from 1924 to 1953. He expected to be worshipped and had history books rewritten to flatter himself. The Soviet press lauded him as a great genius, but he
Calling for investigation I am asking the News-Press to investigate why the MWSU Board of Governors voted in Closed Session on February 27 to extend Elizabeth Kennedy’s contract as president for an additional three years, through June 30, 2030. Given that she was only in the eighth month of her current three-year contract, what was
Promises made: Mamdani or Marx? Is he denying everything that he once glibly thought was cutting-edge and cool? Did he really mean that violence against Jewish New Yorkers — the target of 44% of all hate crimes in the city? Has he discovered that their concussions and blood were all too real? As a good