Thomas Antkow

End Of The Road - All Paths Considered (Op-Ed)
Opinion 

End Of The Road – All Paths Considered (Op-Ed)

TTC 1 Comment ,

Unexpected, Anticipated, Deliberate, Accidental, Inevitable, Or Planned. Whichever Way We Choose To Define The Key To Unlock Death’s Door The Result Is The Same. The End Of Life As We Know It. Whether By Choice, Design, Or Happenstance To Fight The Battle. Death Is Always The Victor.
How We Choose To Deal With It Is What Defines Us. For Many The Weight Of Death And The Grief Or Guilt That Follows Creates Extremely Heavy Burdens To Bear. For Some, Numbness And Sometimes Denial Appear Stronger Than The Pain.
As I Grow Older, And The Inevitability Of My Own Demise Draws Nearer To Reality, I Have Begun To Reconsider My Personal View On Living.

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Refusing To Apologize For The Color Of My Skin (Op-Ed)
Opinion 

Refusing To Apologize For The Color Of My Skin (Op-Ed)

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I Could Be Dead Wrong. But, According To The Philosophy Of The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King The “Content Of A Person’s Character” Is Supposed To Trump Color Of Skin.
Are We Now Experiencing A Culture That Folks With White Or Kind Of Pale Skin Need Not Apply? Is There A Scale To Measure Skin Color? Who Controls That Scale Anyway? What About Ability Or Qualifications?

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Op-Ed: Whatever Happened To Wrongs Versus Rights?
Opinion 

Op-Ed: Whatever Happened To Wrongs Versus Rights?

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Have We Again Crossed The Threshold In These United States, That Appears To Elevate The Rights Of Minority Groups And Their Personal Interpretation Of The Bill Of Rights, Over The Rights Of The Vast Majority? Should A Minority Group’s Right Of “Free Speech” Or Their Actions, Supersede The Wishes Of The Majority And Grant Special Treatment To That Group? Buckle Up Tennessee. Conservative Thinkers May Need To Wear Better Shoes To Handle This Slippery Slope To Prevent Them From Sliding Right Down To The Bottom Of This Hill.

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Latest Conservative Vs. Democrat Views
Opinion 

Latest Conservative Vs. Democrat Views (Op-Ed)

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The Eye Of The Beholder – Insights From Buzz Thomas Dissected –
According To The Famous Former Retired American Baptist Church Minister, Attorney, School Superintendent, Longtime Blount Tennessee Resident And Obviously Dirt-Poor Democrat Columnist For The Daily Times In Maryville, Buzz Thomas. “Since Most Rich People Are Republicans, I Grew Up Prejudiced Against Them”. Oh, And This Gem Of Wisdom. Because Of His Dads’ Unbiased “Hardscrabble” Existence, And His Upbringing Including A Vision Permanently Embedded In His Memory And Emblazoned Forever On His Psyche From “The Only Two Pictures Hanging On The Walls Of His Home”, That Good Old Democrat Savior FDR, Deserved An Equal Place Of Honor With Jesus. Wow! No Wonder I Grew Up A Republican. The Only Portrait I Recall In My “Hovel” Was Jesus And A Crucifix Hanging On The Wall Beside It.

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Medical Marijuana Pitfalls
Opinion 

Medical Marijuana Pitfalls (Op-Ed)

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I Am Not Opposed To Legal Pot. Individual Freedom Is In Our Heritage. However, I Vehemently Oppose The Down Sides. I Have Witnessed Many Post-Legalization Issues, Some Listed Here. Lack Of Concentration. Overdoses From Edibles. Distractibility While Driving. The “Spicoli Effect” On Teen Learning. Black Markets. Illegal Grow Operations. Gang Infestation. Influx Of Competing Drug Cartels And Crime. Juvenile Accessibility. Homelessness. Profiteering. Greed By Local “Leaders” Looking To Make A Buck. Gateway Implications For Folks With Low Impulse Control Or Addictive Personality Disorders. Vaping In Schools. Unfortunately, Like Legal Booze, The Downsides Outweigh The Benefits. Although, I Still Support Personal Choice If It Doesn’t Harm Or Endanger Others.

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How Agreeing To Disagree Is Hogwash
Opinion 

How Agreeing To Disagree Is Hogwash (Op-Ed)

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I Find The “Let’s Agree To Disagree” Approach Totally Distasteful As A United States Constitution Loving, Patriotic American Citizen. America Was Built Upon The Idea Of Winning. Defeating Tyranny, Fighting For Freedom For Those Oppressed By Slavery, Winning Over Communism And Vanquishing Discrimination.

I Firmly Believe In Prayer, Spiritual Guidance, Dedication To The Principals Of Our Founding Fathers And Educated Voting With Educated Voters. Let’s Start The New Year With A Bang. Not A Pitiful Tie.

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I’m Rubber, You’re Glue: Conservative Republicans Need To Stop Being So Darn Polite (Op-Ed)
Opinion 

I’m Rubber, You’re Glue: Conservative Republicans Need To Stop Being So Darn Polite (Op-Ed)

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Especially Popular With Progressives, The Term Nazi Has Been Used Quite Successfully For Years. Casually Tossed About To Disparage Republicans Voters And Their Supporters Today Became A Tactic Long Before The Obama And Biden Era.

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Adventures In Politics (Op-Ed)
Opinion 

Adventures In Politics (Op-Ed)

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Having Spent Several Years As A Local Radio Talk Show Host, And Filling In For Other On-Air Personalities, I Have Had The Opportunity To Interview Countless “Political Leaders” And “Politicians”. Also, Just Plain Folks On A Mission. The Average Folks Possessed Passion. They Had A Story To Tell. Several Politicians Just Wanted To Hear Themselves On The Airwaves.

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Op-Ed: Who's Ballot Is It Anyway?
Opinion 

Op-Ed: Who’s Ballot Is It Anyway?

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The First Instance Of Absentee Voting Came During The Civil War, When Union Soldiers Were Given The Opportunity To Vote In Home District Elections. Attitudes Towards Absentee Voting Have Certainly Changed. At First, Absentee Balloting Was Restricted To Individuals Doing Active Military Service. However, Last In Vermont (1896) And Kansas (1901 And 1911) Extended The Option To Anyone Who Had A Valid Reason For Being Away From His Home Precinct On Election Day. This Has Become Universal. The Trend Has Continued Towards A More Liberal Interpretation, Including Absence Due To Illness Or Infirmity. Oregon Voted In 1998 To Make Absentee Voting Moot By Eliminating All Physical Voting Places And Conducting All Elections By Mail. And So “It” Began. Could Someone Close The Door Please? I Feel A Chill In Here.

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To Vote Or Not - What's Your Excuse?
Opinion 

To Vote Or Not – What’s Your Excuse?

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Liberal Minded Residents Are Moving In And Eroding Blount County And East Tennessee’s Conservative Reputation And Stronghold. Some Transplanted Voters Are Certainly Sure To Be “Wolves In Sheep’s” Clothing. Democrats Proved That They Are Much More Masterful And Effective At Registering And Motivating People To Vote. Determined To Prevail At All Costs. Our Local Republican Party Is, As Many Across America Are, Sorely Lacking In Organizing, Registering, And Mobilizing New And Younger Voters.

If East Tennesseans Wish To Maintain Any Power, They Must Vote And Show Up At The Ballot Box! For Every Election, With The Same Zeal They Possess For Supporting The University Of Tennessee Vols And Local High School Football Teams.

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