Opinion

As our nation mourns the death of 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, the national conversation has turned again to the need to make our schools more secure. In Arkansas, educators and legislators have long recognized the need for vigilance to keep our children safe.

By now, the story is familiar. Someone with a gun walks into a school and opens fire.

The number of school shootings in the United States is a problem that needs to be solved as soon as possible. Surely, reasonable people would agree with that statement, even if they agree on almost nothing else regarding the issue of guns in our country.

Editor’s Note: This column was originally published on May 30, 2017. It is one of my favorites, and its message is more important than ever.

2022 Seniors ... Well, here you are about to graduate. I’m sure you’re pinching yourself at the prospect of reaching your goal of the last 12 years. I think of you all as caterpillars. You’re about to leave your cocoons; your high school and homes, to emerge as butterflies and fly away to your futures.

Monday is Memorial Day, a day to remember those who served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice. It’s always had a special meaning for me, growing up in the grandfather’s house.

Bob Ballinger will tell you, if you’ll listen and not ask any pesky questions, that the focus on his candidacy for the District 28 seat in the Arkansas State Senate should be on his “record.” He’ll also tell you that he’s finally paid his debt for three years of advertising in the Ag Days program, and that he doesn’t owe any state taxes. The truth about the Ag Days bill depends on whether you’re asking Ballinger or someone who’s involved with Ag Days and would be in a position to know.

Small towns are a place where values are important, they are practiced, and the people are authentic. One only has to look at the popularity of Hallmark movies, the Andy Griffith Show, Sweet Magnolias, Bedford Falls and the Gilmore Girls’ town of Stars Hollow with themes around small town living to see that people embrace small towns and all they symbolize.

The graduation season is upon us, so today I am congratulating the members of the Class of 2022 who overcame the expected difficulties of high school and college and then surmounted the totally unexpected challenges of a worldwide pandemic.

There is no question that many families suffered financial setbacks as the coronavirus swept across the nation two years ago. Today I’d like to discuss my vision to stabilize housing and to assist Arkansans with opportunities to move up the economic ladder.