By Jim Malone, VOA, Reprinted By The Raleigh Telegram WASHINGTON DC – The recent history of second term U.S. presidents indicates trouble will come at some point. You just don’t expect it to come three at a time with roots both foreign and domestic. But for the moment that is…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – Here are some important new books you will not learn about on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Bookwatch. Before I explain, let me tell you a little bit about the books. Popular novelist Clyde Edgerton’s “Papadaddy’s Book for New Fathers: Advice to Dads of…
Special To The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – In this letter to the editor, a reader says that keeping the renewable energy requirements in North Carolina will not only benefit the economy but will help spur technology growth, create jobs, and will attract companies to the state. The opinions expressed in…
GUEST EDITORIAL By Senator Thom Goolsby, Special To The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – As the debate rages over photo voter ID, it is fascinating to listen to the arguments against the proposed law. The opposition continues to repeat the same old lines used back in 2005 when Georgia passed a…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – What about North Carolina’s “iron lady”? The recent death of Margaret Thatcher, the steely, hard-working, and effective British prime minister, led to much discussion of her career, and we heard different opinions about her impact on the opening of opportunities for women…
By Gordon Mercer and Marcia Gaines Mercer, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – “Few Prime Ministers have been called upon to change so much. Few have been loathed as much for trying. Few have shown such courage.” — Michael Portillo, “The Guardian” Margaret Roberts Thatcher’s recent death has caused writers to…
By Gordon Mercer and Marcia Gaines Mercer, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – “A Bill of Rights is what the people are entitled to against every government, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inference.” Thomas Jefferson, U. S. President, 1801- 1809 As the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention recessed…
By The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – A Raleigh Telegram reader sent in a letter expressing their opinion on New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s recent efforts at running television commercials in North Carolina. The spots tell gun owners they should be in favor of universal gun registration. The reader also expresses…
By Gordon Mercer and Marcia Gaines Mercer, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – “Change is not merely necessary to life-it is life.” Alvin Toffler, Futurist As humans we are naturally curious. People who make predictions for the future enhance television talk show ratings and sell magazines and newspapers. The future is…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – Are you tired of the partisan divisiveness that is poisoning the political environment of our state and nation? Do you wish that the politicians from the two parties would work together more often on issues of common concern? Me too. Maybe we…
By Gordon Mercer and Marcia Gaines Mercer, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – Daylight Saving Time: “It impacts diverse and unexpected areas, including agricultural practices, street crime, the reporting of sports scores, energy conservation, television schedules, traffic accidents, voter turnout, and even the inheritance rights of twins.” David Prerau We were…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” So said Mark Twain after hearing that his obituary had been published in the New York Journal. And many of the more than 1,000 people who attended the Emerging Issues Forum this year are…
By Gordon And Marcia Mercer, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – “If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.” Will Rogers, Cherokee, Cowboy and American Humorist, 1879-1935. The great westward migration, the building of the railroad and a thriving nation’s demand for beef spawned…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – What should a public figure do when caught in a mistake or telling a lie? Any experienced political advisor will urge, “Stop lying, tell the truth, and get the whole story out in one fell swoop.” Further lying or delay in telling…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – What was the best Christmas present? For me, it would be something a family member made, like the pictures and the book my granddaughters made and gave to me last month. Or, maybe it would be the certificate for “free violin lessons”…
By Guest Editorial, Special To The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – The Raleigh Telegram publishes letters to the editor as long as they meet our criteria for publication. The Telegram recently received a letter from the Occupy Raleigh group which has criticized the City of Raleigh’s panhandling ordinances as being too…
By Gordon and Marcia Mercer, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – “The more you praise and celebrate….the more there is to celebrate.” — Oprah Winfrey Christmas has come and gone in the Raleigh area. New Year’s Day has come and gone. Even the fiscal cliff has come and gone, for the…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – They “disfranchised us, and now we intend to disfranchise them.” It sounds like what North Carolina Republicans might have said behind closed doors while they were gerrymandering legislative and congressional districts to assure their party’s continuing dominance. However, the words came from…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – How are the North Carolina Democratic Party and the National Republican Party alike? That is easy. Both lost elections this fall and do not know what to do about it. It is particularly humiliating for North Carolina Democrats. They have to face…
By Paul Chesser, National Legal and Policy Center, Reprinted By The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – The long, crony-capitalizing, rent-seeking reign of CEO James Rogers at Duke Energy looks like it will come to an end – in a year, but possibly sooner. The departure follows the saga that was the…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – All over North Carolina, people are still grieving the loss of UNC President Emeritus William Friday. At the same time they are enjoying sharing memories of how Friday touched them. I want to be a part of the storytelling by sharing a…
By Dr. Robert Moore, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – We are a divided and fractious electorate, but most of us share a common relief that the 2012 election is over. Nonetheless, the November 6th results are surprisingly illuminating and suggest we have much to understand about our country and ourselves.…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – Why did Romney win? Well, of course, he didn’t. But it was close. And if he had won, how would the experts be explaining it? Maybe like this: 1. First Debate. Romney’s surprising and convincing win over a lackluster Obama turned the…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – Don’t like my election answers? You can get different ones almost everywhere you turn. There are many different answers to the questions we are asking about last week’s elections. Why and how did Obama win? Was Romney’s team really surprised that they…
By The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – In this letter to the editor, the director of the North Carolina Voter Integrity Project (VIP) responds to statements made in a newspaper article by the North Carolina Board of Elections. The article was about the group’s assertions that the state had up to…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – “It is the greatest thing that could happen to the conservative cause in North Carolina.” Back in 1988, former state representative Ivan Mothershead, a Mecklenburg Republican, was commenting on my move from Charlotte to Chapel Hill. “Your move will make two communities…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – Close friendships and lifelong loyalty: these are good things, aren’t they? Don’t we admire the way some childhood friends look out for each other all their lives? And don’t the close bonds that develop among participants in sports, camping, and hunting activities…
By Dr. Robert Moore, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – In recent weeks my wife, Pat, and I have been working on personal and professional papers, which will be part of the Southern Historical Collection at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This material deals largely with how and…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – Are you are already tired of the presidential campaigns and the barrage of television ads, glad the conventions are over, and dreading the upcoming debates? Blame it on William Jennings Bryan. It used to be different. That was before radio, television, and…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – “Amazing,” I told my friend the other day. “Three of this year’s best North Carolina novels are set up in Madison County, just north of Asheville along the Tennessee line.” “Interesting,” my friend said, but his eyes were glazing over. He wanted…
By Gordon Mercer and Marcia Gaines Mercer, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – “I repeat my orders to you that you arrest all people male and female connected with those factories, no matter what the clamor and let them foot it, under guard to Marietta, whence I will send them by…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – What does North Carolina coastal historian Kevin Dufuss have in common with New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman? If you asked them, each might tell you he is a truth seeker about a man whose life is shrouded in myth. In his book,…
By Gordon Mercer and Marcia Mercer, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – We were discussing column options with Barbara McRae, editor of “The Franklin Press,” when Barbara remarked, “We are in a period of extreme news. “Could you clarify extreme news,” Gordon asked, knowing the term was not often used in…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – The summer is fast coming to an end. And I bet there is a stack of books by your bed or somewhere in your house, ones that you meant to read this summer. But there were just too many other things you…
By Gordon and Marcia Mercer, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – “Several Southeastern tribes have long said that their ancestors received immigrants from Mesoamerica and that these immigrants introduced many cultural changes. Far too few anthropologists were listening.” Richard Thornton As the Maya civilization began to collapse around 800 AD, Maya…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – Maybe you did not notice. Last week the governor signed House Bill 799 (HR 799), a bill that makes it easier for military spouses to get the certification they need to work in North Carolina if they have been licensed for their…
By Ted Landphair, VOA, Reprinted By The Raleigh Telegram NEW ORLEANS – If you’re a regular reader, you know a bit about New Orleans, the old, southern seaport where I once lived and that I still love. When my family dwelled in that historic, dreamy place for five years in…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – “Babies was snatched from their mothers’ breasts and sold to speculators. Children was separated from sisters and brothers and never saw each other again. Course they cry; you think they not cry when they was sold like cattle? I could tell you…
By Gordon and Marcia Mercer, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – “An actor who never looked like he was acting, a moral compass who saved as many souls as most preachers, and an entertainer who put more smiles on more faces than almost anyone; this was as successful a life as…
By D.G. Martin, The Raleigh Telegram RALEIGH – There is no way to read them all. No, and we cannot even know about all of the more than 1,000 books about our state or by authors with North Carolina connections. But every year there are a few books that, for…
