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Trump and Putin

“I’m not happy with what Putin is doing. He’s killing a lot of people, and I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin,” said Donald Trump on Truth Social over the holiday weekend. “I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY! He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I’m not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever.” Trump is not the only president who has stressed the importance of personal ...

Life isn’t fair or easy, but forgiveness helps us go forward

Life is not always fair. I know people who are or have been in difficult situations. Often forgiveness and love help them in navigating life. That means self-forgiveness, too. I listened to a person share that they can forgive others much easier than they can forgive themselves. This reminds me of a picture of a boxing ring with only one person in it. The person is taking a pummeling, but they are beating themselves up. Not that each of us should not own our piece of a situation, but I find people can be hard on themselves.   When I was 31, I entered therapy for the first time. I was ...

Life isn’t fair or easy, but forgiveness helps us go forward

Hello from Barbour County. Congratulations to the Philip Barbour graduating class of 2025. May you accomplish all of your dreams! Today, May 31, Belington Public Library will be having a cake walk and pulled pork dinner at the Asbury United Methodist Church. The kitchen will open at 4 p.m. and the cake walk begins at 5 p.m. The last day of school for Barbour County students will be June 3. I hope everyone has a great and safe summer. Belington will be having their citywide yard sale on June 7 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Stop by the many sales and see what treasures you can ...

‘Poverty is not a crime’ in WV

In April Governor Morrisey cut funding for several childcare programs from the budget proposed by the WV Legislature. Now the Governor plans to revisit childcare issues, and he promises to bring “transparency and accountability” to the Foster Care Crisis. It may be too little too late, but these are problems that impact many children in West Virginians, and they will cause lasting harm. The whole idea that poor children should be taken away from parents in poverty is baffling to me. The fact is that many families are separated because parents cannot pay their bills or keep ...

No restraint in politics

“Paris is well worth a mass” is a remark allegedly made by Henry IV of France, who renounced his Protestant faith for Catholicism. Although his motives were entirely political, his instincts were sound. After years of Civil War, he reasoned in 1593 that peace was a bonus and the Crown was the prize. It symbolized pragmatism, blending the pursuit of power with amity, Maybe American politics could benefit from such cynicism tempered with wisdom. Both parties are stuck trying to force the other to submit to a particular future vision. Perhaps they can come to an understanding based on ...

Senate seat chase

Attention is already turning to the midterm elections next year, which will determine whether Republicans can continue to hold the majorities in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. In West Virginia, that means that U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., is up for reelection to a possible third six-year term after winning election to the seat held by former senator Jay Rockefeller in 2014. I say “possible,” because she is beginning to get challengers to her right and no elections are sure things. The latest person to throw their hat in the ring is freshman ...