CLASSIC CITY NEWS

If nothing else, Trump has brought out the true “American” in many Americans. Americans standing up for what they believe—to protest with the largest numbers possible—is what made us who we are.  Support for the cause is irrelevant. Support for the right is everything. Thomas Jefferson put it perfectly: “The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive.” When Trump and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr tried to shut do

By T.W. Burger The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. would be 97 this year if some pinhead hadn’t shot him. He would perhaps be gone frail and a little dotty. Thinking back on his arc as firebrand and martyr, which is frankly hard to imagine. Those of us who were around in his day remember him differently than younger folks do. While he was alive he was, depending on where you stood, a visionary, a man of God who held his country’s collective feet to the fire of its own founding do

By Eddie Whitlock Hobby ​Remember Jon Lovitz as “the Master Thespian” on Saturday Night Live? He was a fellow who was all ham. His catchphrase was to stop whatever nonsense he had devolved into doing and shout, “Acting!” ​I am no actor. I respect actors. When I was a kid, I thought the people on television were just making things up as they went along. Memorize a script? Are you kidding me? ​In fifth grade, we did a class play. I was cast as the King’s advisor. I had a few li

People discussing the SAVE Act are missing a very frightening possibility.  Eliminating the filibuster—an action  President Trump appears to support if necessary to pass the controversial SAVE Act. Criticism of the act centers on stricter requirements for voter registration and photo ID for voting.  The filibuster is a stopgap measure in the Senate to prevent a political party majority from forcing its agenda on Americans. It requires 60 votes and not a simple majority to pas

People discussing the SAVE Act are missing a very frightening possibility.  Eliminating the filibuster—an action  President Trump appears to support if necessary to pass the controversial SAVE Act. Criticism of the act centers on stricter requirements for voter registration and photo ID for voting.  The filibuster is a stopgap measure in the Senate to prevent a political party majority from forcing its agenda on Americans. It requires 60 votes and not a simple majority to pas

By Erik Hogan Trout lilies are blooming. A delicate yellow bloom rising from between mottled leathery green leaves catches my attention. The few I saw earlier on the shaded banks of the creek were downcast, petals demurely folded. Sunlight has become harsh now in the late morning, but this flower stands radiant. Scanning the surrounding forest, I am suddenly aware that the hillside is covered in them. Perhaps I can capture a stunning photo of the lily. If I take time here, I

If you asked most anyone if the right to vote is in the Constitution, they would most likely say “yes.” That would be half correct. The Constitution does not explicitly grant the right to vote. The Supreme Court unambiguously confirmed this in Bush v. Gore (2000). In that decision, the Court stated: The individual citizen has no federal constitutional right to vote for electors for the President of the United States unless and until the state legislature chooses a statewide e

By Erik Hogan Landscape and nature photography revolve around the skills of observation and noticing. At first glance, these may seem synonymous. However, there is a subtle distinction between the two. This may not adhere to strict dictionary definitions of the these terms, but perhaps suggests a useful way of conceptualizing the skills. Observation is looking in its broadest sense. It involves being fully present in the moment, completely aware of one’s surroundings. This in

AP photo By T.W. Burger In Texas, late in December of 1989, Thomas Everett Blasingame pulled his horse up short, dismounted, lay down in a field, crossed his hands over his chest and died. His coworkers at JA Cattle Co. of Goodnight, Texas found him that way. His horse stood nearby. Blasingame was 91. The Associated' Press story said he was the oldest working cowboy in Texas. He told the Wichita Falls Times the previous summer that he wanted to die just the way he did. Ever w

Concerning the "Interfaith vigil held in Athens for ICE mass detainees" - You have the freedom in our country to peacefully support or oppose any cause you like, but have you considered the fact that your vigil in support of those who are in our country illegally was held on the second anniversary of Lakin Riley's murder? I think an apology to her family is in order. Pastor Glenn Guest Danielsville

By Eddie Whitlock I am obsessed with time: I will admit that. I think I always have been. Lately, though, my focus is on how little time I have left. ​Men in my family die at 70. Sometimes, death comes a little sooner; rarely, a little later. ​If I were to die on my 70 th birthday, that would mean I have 134 Saturdays left. ​I remember sitting with my father when I was very young, waiting in the car while my mother visited someone in the hospital. The old man and I played a

In 1961, William Lederer published “A Nation of Sheep” in which he described average Americans; uninformed, lied to and misled by their own government, and disinterested in politics and foreign affairs if it did not concern them personally. He also mentioned our uninformed political leaders. Neither has changed since 1961. Few remember, for example, that just short of 60,000 American soldiers were killed in Vietnam in a war that our “leaders” knew we couldn’t win and were los

By Erik Hogan A week and a half ago it snowed. Temperatures did not rise above freezing for three days. Experts sang of potential disaster and schools were closed. Gangs of coyotes roamed the powerline cut behind my house, screaming in the austere moonlight. I looked at trees, seeing form and structure beneath settling soft white. Now the calendar slips into February. Daffodils are beginning to erupt from the dormant earth and afternoon temperatures flirt with 70 degrees. Bir

By Albert DeSimone I understand that “sycophantic” isn’t a commonly used word. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word means “praising people in authority in a way that is not sincere, usually in order to get some advantage from them.” In essence, Sycophantic AI creates a yes-person that “echoes your opinions, confirms your biases, and even validates factual errors just to stay in your good graces.” (Gemini AI, and, yes, I see the irony.) In simple words, it’s a suck-

No, Chicken Little, it really isn’t. There are plenty of avenues of criticism regarding Trump, but the economy isn’t one of them.  The current state of the U.S. economy, by the numbers.  Gross Domestic Product Q3 2024: 2.9% Q4 2025: 4.4% Comment: Remember when Trump was elected and started his tariff barrage and economists were predicting a recession? As you can see, it never happened.  Consumer Price Index 2024: 3.4% 2025: 2.7% Comment: CPI is considered the most accurate in

If you happened to see the January 16, 2026, New York Times Article and Video “Video Analysis of ICE Shooting Sheds Light on Contested Moments”, you now know what truly happened. To state the obvious, as Americans, we have the first amendment right to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and the right to petition. But there are so many life lessons demonstrated in the tragedy, article and video that we can apply to our everyday life. 1. Do not rush to judgement. 2. Sometime

Our government is immorally killing and kidnapping people; terrorizing and separating families; threatening communities, cities and targeting specific states. We are blowing up little boats in the Caribbean and firing missiles into Iran and Nigeria. We are taking over Venezuela while threatening to take over Columbia and Mexico and make Canada the 51st state. Our government is coddling Russia while neglecting Ukraine. By our lust to take over Greenland, we are further alienat

The phrase “threat to our democracy” has been a battle cry for so long that it has become as impactful as a morning greeting. It’s been relegated to a political slogan, a protest sign, a political identity marker. It’s The phrase “threat to our democracy” has been a battle cry for so long that it has become as impactful as a morning greeting. It’s been relegated to a political slogan, a protest sign, a political identity marker.  meaningless. So has the response, “America is

By Erik Hogan It was September and the year was 1683. Empires clashed and had been doing so for hundreds of years. The Ottoman Empire to the East had been growing in power and influence, expanding into Western Europe. The city of Vienna, Austria held them back. The Holy Roman Emperor Leopold fled the city, taking 60,000 with him. The Duke of Lorraine withdrew, taking 20,000. Count Ernst Rudiger von Starhemberg remained, but with only 11,000 troops and 312 cannons to defend th

By Eddie Whitlock Well, it’s not the FIFA Peace Prize, but it’s all I’ve got. ​Here are my awards for 2025. Let’s start with the world of politics. ​In general, it was a horrible year in politics. Donald Trump returned to the White House in much the same way an infestation of roaches will return if you don’t properly address the problem the first time it appears. ​The award for best appearance by a loser wanting to look tough: Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of the Department of