SMITTY’S CORNER : Obama and friends

By Barry Smith

Senator Barak Obama gave a commencement address at Wesleyan University the other day calling the nation’s youth to community service. It was amusing to see a wealthy man who lives in a million dollar mansion criticize others for “fulfilling your immediate wants and needs (which) betrays a poverty of ambition” as he continues his two year quest for the presidency. No evidence of any ambition there, right? He went on to describe the myriad ways young men and women, of no ambition of course, could volunteer to serve their community or their country. The list was more notable for what he left out of it. Volunteering for military service was not something Obama listed as a worthwhile way to serve your country. This should come as no surprise as the left in general and the extreme left that Obama represents has always held a great dislike for the military and those who volunteer to serve. Things like “baby killer” and Kerry’s famous not-get-aneducation-and-get-stuck-in-Iraq come to mind. Obama and his friends do no - Thursday, July 17, 2008

DURHAM DISPATCH : My cold, dead hands

By Budd Saunders

The only time I have written about the Second Amendment was when I wrote about members of the Washington County Militia. I suggested they probably had the Second Amendment tattooed on their chests and slept with a copy of our beloved Constitution under their pillows. Their second in command, Wayne Fincher, believed that he could use the Second Amendment as a defense at his trial for having illegal weapons in his possession. He had built and fired a.30 cal. air cooled machine gun. Bless his heart. As best I remember, the judge would not allow him to present his defense in the presence of the jury. He listened to Wayne’s defense for two hours. That’s a short time for Fincher. He can talk all day about the Constitution and the Second Amendment. As I understand the judge’s ruling, he didn’t want to deal with constitutional issues in his courtroom. The only place you and I and all the other Wayne Finchers of this country can challenge laws we believe are unconstitutional is in court. Where else? Another aspect of - Thursday, July 17, 2008

Biopsy of the wallet

Nearly 50 million Americans are covered by health insurance. Many of the great number of the uninsured are children whose parents work jobs and can’t make ends meet month to month. Meanwhile, the three largest health insurance companies report record profits. The cold hard fact is the insurance industry, the medical field and the pharmaceuticals don’t want any change to the current system. They have their money and getting more all the time, while you and me have to suffer the indignities of not being able to pay, to live or buy gas to get to work so we won’t fall even farther into debt. When going for medical treatment you are encouraged to “shop around” for the best price for your dollars, which can be kind of tough when your heart has stopped or your arm needs to be reattached. You are asked to take “personal responsibility” in ensuring that you gather the fruits of the free market. If you were more responsible you wouldn’t have had that heart attack until you could sell your house to foot the bill. It’s y - Thursday, July 17, 2008