~a column by Colleen O’Brien Freedom of speech has suffered its bumps in the road in this country. For close to 50 years during the last century, a group, on their own authority and judgment, banned certain films whether imported or originating in Hollywood. During that particular period of dark ages (1933 to 1978), the Legion of Decency within the…
Read MoreCategory: Opinion
‘Peat and Repeat were sitting on the fence. Peat fell of and who was left…’
a column by Colleen O’Brien I remember my smallpox vaccination – a round mark on my upper left arm made by some medical tool that looked like a needle. My round mark looked like my sisters’ and all my friend’s round marks; we learned this by comparing them. The shot itself was not painful and we did not get sick…
Read MoreElection stories
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Although it’s way past Election Day and most of us are moving on, I have stories to tell from poll watching, something I’d never done. The stories are mostly uplifting in a way that is reassuring as we’re bombarded with an invisible enemy on top of political hubris. As a poll watcher for Common Cause,…
Read MoreThe times, they never are a’changin’
a column by Colleen O’Brien “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it…
Read MoreSometimes, struggle makes it easier to be thankful
Editor’s note: This column was first posted for Thanksgiving in 2013, in the first month of GreeneCountyNewsOnline’s existence. This year, as most of us find new ways to celebrate thankfulness, it seems a good time to reconsider what we count as our blessings. I was raised saying grace before every family meal, and just about every meal was a family…
Read MoreA salute to the veterans memorial in Churdan
To the editor, I was raised by a woman, Gertrude Jaeschke, who is buried at the Churdan Township Cemetery alongside her father, sister and her husband and a brother. As I entered the cemetery last Saturday, 14Nov20, I was immediately drawn to the Veteran’s Memorial. What a wonderful tribute to those who served and what a great way to tell a…
Read MoreThanksgiving lite
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Hopeful ideas for Thanksgiving get-togethers are fading. Invisible coronaviruses are running rampant across the country – total deaths as of last weekend? Two-hundred and fifty-one thousand, two-hundred and sixty-eight souls. A few governors are now clamping down, closing schools and bars, talking about mandatory masks and social distancing, even cancelling sports. So, even small clan…
Read MorePollyanna rides again
~a column by Colleen O’Brien I am most moved by this past election, more than I’ve ever been in my life. Because of my growing skepticism through the past four years, I am humbled by the outcome. The slight majority vote has shown the need that half of us in this country have for peace, decency, compromise, allowing everyone we…
Read MoreElections are safe and secure
To the editor,I have been honored to serve as one of the precinct election officials in Greene County for over 10 years. Jane Heun, county auditor, and her staff Billie Jo Hoskins and Pam Oelrich provide direction, including training and any assistance needed during the election with Michele Fields, computer help. The computer program we use in Greene County, Precinct…
Read More‘A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination’ ~Nelson Mandela
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Repeating Mandela’s words, I feel renewed hope for the end to this election where we might wind up with a good head and a good heart in our leader. This is still an election in which all the votes have not been counted, and even though someone is saying it is fraudulent to keep counting,…
Read MoreThe stats are awful and still, hope rises
a column by Colleen O’Brien The election is under way – Americans have been voting in some states for 45 days ahead of next week’s November 3 physical voting day. The 2020 general election is looking to be one of the high-voter turnouts of our history. This is because the country has been divided daily by rhetoric pronouncing us a…
Read MoreNew Supreme Court judge believes in ‘Originalism’ – Hoopskirts and side saddle, here we come
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Between September 26 and October 26, we have witnessed the birth of an uneven far-right High Court in our nation that will be allowed to undermine all of us for decades to come. In one swiftly moving month, the latest Supreme has been hand-picked, interviewed, introduced, questioned and sworn in. It is a week before…
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