Speak Out

As mayor of Bridgeport, I want to tell the people of Oxford how much Mayor Leon Smith is respected all over Alabama. He is a former president of the Alabama League of Municipalities, a position only awarded to mayors who have served for a long period of time, and has been progressive in his capacity as mayor.

I have known Mayor Smith for almost 20 years. He is a visionary and a wonderful leader. His visions are exemplified by his accomplishments in Oxford's growth. Many of us who serve as mayors across Alabama have learned much from Mayor Smith.

It would be wonderful if other mayors could be cloned from Mayor Smith. This would be the most progressive state in America. You would have mayors who could accomplish their goals and make their visions become reality.

The people of Oxford are so fortunate to have such a great leader. In order to make people's dreams become a reality, you must know who to contact and who to talk to. Mayor Smith has connections in Montgomery, as well as in our nation's capital, that it would take someone else decades to make.

I hope the people of Oxford realize what Mayor Smith has accomplished, and how he has worked to make Oxford a better place to live and raise a family. It would be a great tragedy for Oxford to lose Mayor Leon Smith. I hope the people of Oxford will re-elect him as their mayor.

Mayor John Lewis
Bridgeport

A course of decay

When 13 British colonies in America had enough of rule by tyranny, they opted for change in governance for cogent reasons that led to the Declaration of Independence.

In a current publication, "Real change from the world that fails to the world that works," Newt Gingrich challenges Republicans and Democrats to reform or suffer the consequences. He asserts that our system of government is on a course of decay, decline and disaster that requires strong systematic leadership to survive. He concludes that "an ignorant society is on its way to becoming an extinct society."

Shortly, we'll be voting for the what and why of change in national leadership as ideologies clash again.

The GOP front-runner is older than I was when put on the shelf as an educator and civil servant because of age. The Democratic neophyte who's clamoring for change is about half my age today.

As an independent by political persuasion, how can I vote intelligently for conservative moderation in November? I can't unless proven statesmanship miraculously emerges.

John A. Vanderford
Jacksonville

Worth remembering

Although I knew he had health problems, I was greatly shocked and saddened to read of the death of my friend Clarke Stallworth, a longtime editor at The Birmingham News/Post-Herald, a widely respected newsman, teacher and authority of Alabama history, of which he wrote so eloquently in his books.

I had known of his works for many years but only came to a personal relationship after I contacted him for permission to use his name and quote from something he had written. He said, "When I was editor of The Birmingham News, I felt it was my job to look for things wrong and try to right them, but in retrospect, I think I should have looked for things right and tried to improve on them."

While I do not believe in suppressing news and would not find "head in the sand" reporting attractive, it seems to me news folks, print and electronic, local and national, spend a lot more time "looking for the wrong" than they do "looking for the right."

We will miss the likes of Clarke Stallworth.

Bill Hagler
Anniston