Speak Out

The Alabama Legislature has provided taxpayers a classic example of double-dipping.

During its regular session, it was paid to pass two budgets. It did not pass the Education Budget as is mandated by the Alabama Constitution.

During the special session it was again paid to pass this budget, which it did. In addition to double dipping, this is a frivolous use of taxpayer money.

The cadre of senators responsible for creating this situation owes taxpayers a cogent explanation of the motivation for their behavior.

Edward M. Kantor
Troy

Honoring the flag

The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter No. 502, along with V.F.W. Post No. 924, will retire unserviceable American Flags again this year. This ceremony is performed each year on Flag Day to destroy unserviceable flags with honor.

At 1 p.m. next Friday, June 13, bring your unserviceable flags to the parking lot of the V.F.W at the intersection of Alabama 21 and Highway 431. We will respectfully retire the flag for you.

If you see a ragged or tattered flag in the area, it is OK to remind the person or business of the condition of the flag. Most will appreciate your attention.

Ken Rollins
Oxford

High gas prices

Paying nearly $4 per gallon for gas hurts! But I did some simple math and was surprised at the result.

When I started driving 54 years ago, the price of gas was 29.9 cents per gallon. I believe most people would agree that 5 percent inflation per year isn't exorbitant. In other words, if something cost $1 this year, a price of $1.05 next year would seem normal. So I used 5 percent times 29.9 times 54 years and arrived at a price of $3.96 per gallon. What has upset everybody is that instead of a slight increase each and every year, Big Oil seems to be trying to catch up in 2008 and is raising the price two to three times a week.

A second thought: Cars averaged about 10 miles per gallon 54 years ago, and now most cars average between 20 and 30 miles per gallon, and some even higher. So, as bad as I hate to, I'll pay the $4 for a gallon of gas and pray it doesn't get higher.

Larry Reaves
Anniston

Marriage rights

Some people think that extending marital rights to same-sex couples will change the meaning of marriage. More so than extending the right to vote to women changed the meaning of democracy? Or extending the right to vote to non-property holding men changed its meaning?

These acts were good, and virtually no one today wishes that only property-holding men had the right to vote in our country. Democracy was a good thing and not just for a few. If a court had ruled in 1880 that women have a fundamental right to vote, which they do, no person today would call this a case of judicial activism.

There are those who might disagree with a court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage, but the principle exists that courts exist in part to guarantee to the minority the rights that the majority will deny them. That is why we have a Bill of Rights, to protect the individual from the power of government directly and indirectly, the bare majority.

Tradition is good simply when it is good. It is not good for the sake of tradition. It was good to expand democracy, and it is good to expand the same-sex marriage right.

The idea that you protect something by limiting it to just a few is a rather strange notion.

Colleen Kronquist
Anniston