Columns

By Sheriff Michael J. Brown
Bedford County Sheriff’s Office

    Yes, it’s hard to believe that the summer is winding down and the youngsters are headed back to school. Whether it’s their first year or their twelfth, school traffic and activities bring on a whole new level of excitement and anxiety for students as well as those driving in school zone areas. Please be aware that youngsters will be walking to school, riding bikes and loading and unloading from buses.

    I saw an interesting chart in The Economist earlier this month. It was in a section called “The World If” which speculated what would happen if certain things occurred. It contained some horrifying scenarios, such as a 400 meter in diameter asteroid hitting the earth or Hillary Clinton being elected president. Personally, if I had to choose between these scenarios, I would opt for the asteroid as the less destructive of the two.

It should be common sense. The more federal regulations that put the squeeze on small businesses and job creators, the greater the negative impact is on economies throughout the nation. Nevertheless, the regulations and red tape continue to stream down from the federal government.

    As members of Congress consider the merits of the nuclear deal reached with Iran and the top Western allies, including Russia and China, predictable and reactionary opposition to it from Republicans resounds.
    Hadn’t conservative Republicans made it clear – even while negotiations were under way – that, first, they didn’t believe in negotiation as a diplomatic strategy, and, secondly, they certainly wanted no deal with Iran?