hannibal.net http://www.hannibal.net/section/OPINION hannibal.net delivers up-to-the-minute news and information on the latest top stories, weather, entertainment, politics and more. Fri, 24 May 2013 12:23:08 +0000 Michael Gerson: Baseless fears of Common Core http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130524/NEWS/130529723/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Fri, 24 May 2013 1:23:00 +0000

By Michael Gerson, Washington Post

 http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130524/NEWS/130529723/1007/OPINION E.J. Dionne: Is democracy in trouble? http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130523/NEWS/130529724/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Thu, 23 May 2013 1:00:00 +0000

By E.J. Dionne, Washington Post

 http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130523/NEWS/130529724/1007/OPINION
Our circumstances certainly have their own particular disabilities: a radicalization of conservative politics, over-the-top mistrust of President Obama on the right, [...]]]> Esther Cepeda: Missing school -- for vacation http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130522/NEWS/130529725/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Wed, 22 May 2013 1:01:00 +0000

By Esther Cepeda, Washington Post

 http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130522/NEWS/130529725/1007/OPINION
It’s that time. If you’re a teacher in a school with a large concentration of Hispanic students, you’re doing end-of-year reviews and preparing for final exams -- and you have kids trickling up to you to let you know they won’t be around for them.

This also happens at the beginning of the school year and during the holidays as parents take their children out of classes for long family trips. But I can tell you from first-hand experience that there’s nothing worse than [...]]]> A Little Salt: A task I was qualified to perform http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130520/NEWS/130529951/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Tue, 21 May 2013 9:00:00 +0000 DANNY HENLEY danny.henley@courierpost.com http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130520/NEWS/130529951/1007/OPINION George Will: On immigration, ghosts of Christmas past http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130519/NEWS/130519190/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Sun, 19 May 2013 1:07:00 +0000

By George Will, Washington Post

 http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130519/NEWS/130519190/1007/OPINION


Last week, a disagreement between two conservative think tanks erupted when the Heritage Foundation excoriated the immigration reform [...]]]> Kathleen Parker: Benghazi redacted http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130518/NEWS/130519193/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Sat, 18 May 2013 1:03:00 +0000

By Kathleen Parker, Washington Post

 http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130518/NEWS/130519193/1007/OPINION


This, we are supposed to accept, is the conclusion to be drawn about the terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya, despite congressional testimony suggesting that significant efforts were made to camouflage those mistakes.



As Democrats and Republicans alike know all too well: It’s always the cover-up.



Yet in this case, where so clearly the State Department and others in the Obama administration took [...]]]> Dana Milbank: Asleep at the wheel http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130517/NEWS/130519195/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Fri, 17 May 2013 1:01:00 +0000

By Dana Milbank, Washington Post

 http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130517/NEWS/130519195/1007/OPINION


Late Monday came the breathtaking news of a full-frontal assault on the First Amendment by his administration: word that the Justice Department had gone on a fishing expedition through months of phone records of Associated Press reporters.



And yet President Obama reacted much as he did to the equally astonishing revelation on Friday that the IRS had targeted conservative [...]]]> Back in action http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130516/SPORTS/130519063/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Thu, 16 May 2013 23:47:42 JASON FARMER jason.farmer@courierpost.com http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130516/SPORTS/130519063/1007/OPINION
Thanks to a nice break in the rain, church league softball was able to resume action this week. While my team was happy to be back out on the field, the rain out last week definitely hurt our bats as Immanuel Baptist fell to 1st Presbyterian Thursday night 14-4.
Unlike our first game of the season, we actually held a lead this game. Immanuel Baptist opened up the first inning by sending 8 batters to the plate and scoring four times.
Then, in the bottom half of the [...]]]> Diamond Dirt: At a loss of words http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130516/NEWS/130519188/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Thu, 16 May 2013 11:31:54 DOMINIC GENETTI dominic.genetti@courierpost.com @DominicGenetti #DiamondDirt http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130516/NEWS/130519188/1007/OPINION Michael Gerson: The IRS needs an audit http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130516/NEWS/130519617/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Thu, 16 May 2013 1:35:00 +0000

By Michael Gerson, Washington Post

 http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130516/NEWS/130519617/1007/OPINION


The IRS has managed a similar confirmation. For years, tea party and patriot groups have breathlessly alleged that federal bureaucrats were [...]]]> E.J. Dionne: ‘Slow-motion mass murders’ http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130515/NEWS/130519618/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Wed, 15 May 2013 1:32:00 +0000

By E.J. Dionne, Washington Post

 http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130515/NEWS/130519618/1007/OPINION


Massacres and terrorist incidents cannot be ignored, but the day-to-day toll from gun violence is often swept aside. Politicians who tout themselves as advocates of law and order don’t want to be unmasked as caring even more about their ratings from gun lobbyists.



And opponents of the most moderate gun reforms engage in a shameless game of bait-and-switch. Because [...]]]> A Little Salt: Names to consider and ignore http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130513/NEWS/130519634/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Tue, 14 May 2013 9:00:00 +0000 DANNY HENLEY danny.henley@courierpost.com http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130513/NEWS/130519634/1007/OPINION Esther Cepeda: Iron Man’s healthy conversion http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130514/NEWS/130519621/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Tue, 14 May 2013 1:01:00 +0000

By Esther Cepeda, Washington Post

 http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130514/NEWS/130519621/1007/OPINION


In the third “Iron Man” -- a series that spent its first two installments glorifying the reckless life of a spoiled, rich genius -- Stark, the man inside the metallic exoskeleton, seems to have finally taken a turn toward wellness.



No spoiler alerts are needed for me to point out that, though subtle, Stark set beautiful examples of healthful eating throughout this latest episode. [...]]]> Charles Krauthammer: Pink line over Damascus http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130513/NEWS/130519996/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Mon, 13 May 2013 1:55:00 +0000

By Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post

 http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130513/NEWS/130519996/1007/OPINION


The next day Jay Carney said precisely the opposite: “Red line” was intended and deliberate. [...]]]> Michael Gerson: The fog on Benghazi http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130512/NEWS/130519997/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Sun, 12 May 2013 1:51:00 +0000

By Michael Gerson, Washington Post

 http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130512/NEWS/130519997/1007/OPINION


Recent congressional testimony by Gregory Hicks, Stevens’ deputy in Libya, established one point beyond doubt: Those closest to the attacks were not confused about their nature. They were responding to a coordinated [...]]]> Dana Milbank: Red-card this term http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130511/NEWS/130519998/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Sat, 11 May 2013 1:41:00 +0000

By Dana Milbank, Washington Post

 http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130511/NEWS/130519998/1007/OPINION


The president had played this game many times before. “I have made clear that the use of chemical weapons is a game-changer,” he said in March, in one of his administration’s many repetitions of the term.



But what game does Obama propose to change? “By game-changer,” ABC News’ [...]]]> Teri Nolan letter: Bear Creek Basin invaded by ATV http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130511/OPINION/130519823/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Sat, 11 May 2013 0:01:00 +0000 http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130511/OPINION/130519823/1007/OPINION
Residents in and around Bear Creek Basin would like to share some serious concerns about the invasion of ATV use south of the train tracks and west of Ely Road.
An extensive area of land, which includes the old limestone quarry, has become a crisscross of trails created by unauthorized all-terrain vehicles. These riders have already severely scarred the land. As many as 20 to 25 riders at a time can be seen there days and sometimes very late at night.
The roar and [...]]]> Roy H. Goodhart letter: The line http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130511/OPINION/130519825/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Sat, 11 May 2013 0:01:00 +0000 http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130511/OPINION/130519825/1007/OPINION The line
In today’s political area, we see so many subjects.  Sequester, immigration, tax hikes, tax cuts, programs cut or expanded, gun control, and many others.
I know that my vision is probably overly simplistic, but really the answers to our problems are very simple.  Do the things that we should, when we should, according to our laws.
The first and largest problem is the government – all governments – local, state, and federal- have to [...]]]> Kathleen Parker: Prude or prudent? http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130510/NEWS/130519999/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Fri, 10 May 2013 1:01:00 +0000

By Kathleen Parker, Washington Post

 http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130510/NEWS/130519999/1007/OPINION


As so often happens with contemporary debate, arguments being proffered in support of allowing teenagers as young as 15 (and possibly younger) to buy the “morning-after pill” without adult supervision are false on their premise.



Here’s an experiment to demonstrate.



Question 1: Do you think that women should have access to Plan B, also known as the morning- [...]]]> Hernandez thinks he is bigger than the game http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130509/SPORTS/130508668/1007/OPINION?rssfeed=true Thu, 9 May 2013 20:03:37 JASON FARMER jason.farmer@courierpost.com http://www.hannibal.net/article/20130509/SPORTS/130508668/1007/OPINION Who is Angel Hernandez?
Well, for starters, if you know his name and have heard of him, that’s not a good sign. No doubt he caused the baseball team you cheer for more heart ache and anguish than anyone else.
But, for those of you who don’t know him, he is an umpire for Major League Baseball – and he is one of the worst all time at his job – so judged by the players.
In 1999, the Major League Baseball Players Association ranked the 36 National [...]]]>