No New Constitution?/Hard Times

We've mentioned the need for home rule and constitutional reform here before...not that we think it's going to happen in our lifetime. Mike Goens again brought up the subject of a new state constitution in his column last Sunday, but we didn't see scores of readers joining the bandwagon.

The last official word that we heard almost four years ago? The state legislature would be rewriting the constitution one article each year. They just failed to announce a start date. 2113, perhaps?

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Guns in schools? For every opinion, there's an equal and opposite opinion. We hope the incident at Hibbett Middle School was an isolated event and not the preview of the coming Wild West show. For those who have already sent e-mails asking, we haven't found any arrest record for the father with the gun hidden beneath his shirt.

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The first day of school for most local students was yesterday. Along with all the pleasantries, there seems to be a new phenomenon if we're to believe several who have contacted us and also posted on local forums.

Yes, in the 21st Century, it seems we get to kid our classmates about their summer arrests. Nice, huh? Our opinion? If you're old enough to be in Hard Times to start with, you're too old to complain about the fallout. What if it's the parents who have graced that wonderful publication? Then we suggest they get their act together or their kids will be featured in 10, 15, or 20 years.



Shoalanda

Hard Times v. The Quad-Cities Daily

While we don't consider our primary mission here at Shoalanda Speaks to save our readers money, we're certainly all about eradicating waste from personal as well as public budgets. Why pay for something you can get free?

Now we know you've all at least looked at Hard Times while you've waited to pay for your snacks/smokes/gas at the corner mini-mart. It's what most of us would call a guilty pleasure. Hard Times has detractors who say such publications feature those who have not been convicted. We agree with that, but we also want to know if the young man who does our yard work has been charged with burglarizing local homes. So, yes, many of us are going to read these type publications; the main question is should we pay for it?

One meager dollar a week doesn't sound so bad, but when you think in terms of fifty-two of them in a year's time, you're putting it in perspective. That brings us to The Quad-Cities Daily. This online publication is not only free, but offers the exact time of arrest, as well as the number of charges. In other words, was your housekeeper arrested for one bad check that was a total accident, or has she been hanging wallpaper all over the Shoals?

Here's the link, you decide: The Quad-Cities Daily

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While on the subject of saving money, Volumes I and II of Remembering Florence are now on sale. It's not too early to think about Christmas gifts.

Discover the Shoals

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Update on possible site of new RegionalCare hospital: Brandon School Dilemma

Shoalanda

Are You a Fit Parent?/Mug Shots?

Are You a Fit Parent?

A Guest Commentary By

Mark Davis

As a fit parent advocate, married or unmarried parents should watch the following 35 minute shocking documentary about how parental rights are being violated.

The video features three married families. One of the three true stories is about a Court that ordered fit parents limit their child's church attendance because the child didn't want to attend Church three times a week.

If anyone is of the opinion similar would never happen in Alabama, it goes on every day in the Alabama Judiciary. I have personal knowledge of this because I have fielded hundreds of emails and telephone calls from other Alabama parents in my efforts to reform Alabama family law.

In 2008, Madison County Circuit Court Judge Billy Bell determined one parent should not have custody of her child because she was "too religious". This judicial judgment made national media program "Inside Edition" but was not reported by main stream media in Alabama. See the story here: http://www.insideedition.com/news.aspx?storyID=1389


In 2006, Lauderdale County Circuit Court Judge Ned Suttle determined over my objection it was in my daughters best interests to attend daycare 35 hours each week rather than spend one-half of that time in my personal care, which she had been accustomed due to a Tennessee Court judgment implemented against the other parents wishes. At daycare our daughter was cooped up in a 12'x12' room watching videos with 15 other children most of the day.

In 2011, when the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals was asked to determine if the 2006 Alabama trial court's judgment was void because it violated my fundamental parenting rights, Justice Terry A. Moore in an written opinion said, "The simple fact that a court has erroneously applied the law does not render its judgment void."

This determination is on appeal in the Supreme Court of the United States. A decision whether that Court will accept the case is expected in March 2012.

Don't wait until the Court has shocked your conscience.

Be informed now.

Elections are forthcoming in 2012.

Watch the Free video "Overruled" violations to parental rights, the three minute trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykYzgfzhhRk

Alabama fit parents can find more information how to educate themselves in safeguarding their fundamental parental rights on the Alabama Family Rights Association website at www.ALFRA.org.

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Do you read Hard Times? Even if you don't, you've seen it at the mini-mart. Now The Quad-Cities Daily has started carrying these mug shots and arrest records online. There's currently some controversy on Facebook as to whether it's ethical to publish records of those arrested, but not convicted.

It's been some time since we've had a poll, and this seems like a fitting issue. The poll is unscientific at best, but only one vote will be counted per IP address.



Shoalanda

Comments welcome. No profanity. No vulgarity. No libelous statements. Get it? Got it! Good...

Two Weeks and Counting...

In two weeks and one day we'll go to the polls to finish what we started last June. One of the most important elections for the Shoals area is the District 1 Alabama House seat. Twice we have asked Florence attorney Greg Burdine for a vision statement, but have so far not heard from the Democratic candidate.

Besides an outdated constitution, Alabama has also suffered for many years from electing unqualified individuals to state offices. Many seem to have an inherent dislike for attorneys, but these oft time pariahs do have the ability to discern needed and passable legislation from the chaff. Too often new laws spring from Rep. Bubba Tidefort's cousin's next door neighbor's misguided animosity toward the Knit & Pearl Brigade of Bilgewater, Alabama, because K&P President Dorcas Poovie once stole his parking place.

Nevertheless, attorneys are not the only ones qualified to serve in our legislature. Many who have not just worked in the business world, but who have founded successful companies, are also qualified. Such a man is Quinton Hanson.

Since the beginning of the campaign, Mr. Hanson has grown in his understanding of what his constituency needs and has, perhaps more importantly, shown an eagerness to address the issues that confront this area and its citizens.

We believe a vote for Quinton Hanson is a vote for progress for this area. God knows we need it.

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Several readers have inquired concerning the status of Holland Elkins. Hollard is currently being held without bail at the Lauderdale Detention Center. If he should be released from Lauderdale for any reason, he will have to return to Colbert County where he still faces charges stemming from a home invasion two years ago.

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Sex offenders on Hard Times: You've seen the paper on the counter at the mini-mart; you may have even picked it up, you've possibly even purchased an issue or two. Now Hard Times is publishing not only the newest mug shots, but spotlighting one or two local sex offenders in each issue. A reader asks if this is legal?

None of us here is an attorney, but we imagine it would be open to debate. The official Alabama sex offender site is run by the Department of Corrections. Here's a snip from their website:


Is the publication of this information harassment? That would be the debatable question. Our guess is the answer is no. Just how the DOC feels about such info being used for monetary gain might be a different story. How do we personally feel? Refer to one of our previous blogs.

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Trick or Treat?





Shoalanda