By Dale C. Flowers

The Civil Rights movement that took place in the 60’s was all about an even playing field. All Martin Luther King asked for was a level playing field. All a person entering into the working world wants is a fair chance. No color barriers, no glass ceilings; just an even playing field. But society and government will not give us one.

One glaring example is our education system. Up until recently it offered an even playing field. By the time students entered high school they had a general idea of what they wanted to do. The high schools offered them training. Schools had a path for them. They graduated well trained for their chosen field. Today the schools push college. School systems are graded on how many graduates attend college. Colleges receive funds based on how many complete four years.

People are not hired based on their skills. They are hired based on a piece of paper. The education playing field is not level. The job market field is not level. People are frustrated and angry that government regulations often make the job market biased.

By Herman Lawson, Hendersonville

Countries like Japan, Canada, Britain and France provide health coverage for all of their citizens, produce better health results than the U.S., spend far less than the U.S., and don’t leave their citizens one diagnosis away from financial ruin.

Life spans in these countries average 2-4 years longer than the U.S., and infant mortality rates are much lower.

The U.S. made a great stride in catching up with these and other industrialized nations with the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision upholding the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare.

By Brenda Payne, President and CEO of Hendersonville Chamber of Commerce

That is a phrase I have heard for many years and it is thrown around in so many contexts. This past week with temperatures rising into the triple digits and then into all time record highs, the prospect of finding a retreat from the heat seemed almost impossible. Even with moderating temperatures for the 4^th of July (can anyone really feel cool at 97?) the dog days of summer have arrived with a vengeance

The “heat” is more than temperature though and really reflects our ability to face the challenges of life and maintain our “cool”. I have noticed that as temperatures have risen, so has the speed with which a sharp look or remark has replaced the normal smile on faces around town. It is harder to respond with a cool demeanor when your body feels as if it might melt at any moment. Unfortunately, none of us has much chance to get out of this kitchen unless we take a trip to cooler climbs so we need to understand how best to stay in the kitchen and not get burned.

By Dale C. Flowers

Don’t you just love the political season? In it we learn what horrible beasts we have seeking political offices. We learn that the opposing candidates are all liars whose level of incompetence exceeds that of a thinkopotomus. The candidates are lacking in intelligence and morality. Some should be arrested for their criminal activities in the businesses they run. We have no honorable, honest, intelligent, moral candidates who are good husbands, wives, or parents. It makes a person wonder what garbage can in the stupidity dump these candidates crawled out of

How do we know all this to be facts? It’s all over TV and in the newspapers. Goodness knows the advertisements are pure gospel, right up there with the Ten Commandments and Beatitudes. I mean, if a political ad says it, there is no doubt to the truth. Makes a person wonder why the local law doesn’t’ bring them in with their hands cuffed behind their yellow streaked back.