All in a Day's News- July 2nd Edition

So, I have not blogged recently about the news. There is a lot going on, so here it goes:

The Fourth of July Weekend is upon us. Enjoy the weekend and be careful as you travel. As we enjoy our time off work, let us not forget the men and women that have made the ultimate sacrifice and continue to fight for our freedom. We are the land of the free because of the brave. God bless our troops, and God bless America.

Most specifically, thank you and God bless two of my favorite men in uniform:
Jamie Orr, United State Marine Corps
(Jamie is home for the weekend! He is stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and will be deploying in September.)
Chris Friedrich, United States Navy
(Chris recently returned from the Middle East!)

BP Oil Spill
Earlier in the week, I wrote a heartfelt letter on here to BP. That pretty much explains my exact feelings concerning this issue. I could not write a news blog without mentioning this environmental disaster; after all, it is dominating headlines everywhere. The officials overseeing the Deepwater Horizon oil spill have epically failed, that may be an understatement. I understand that BP employees are diligently working to get the oil off the beach, but by then, it is too late- the damage has already been done. This holiday weekend, it is especially hard to stomach what the future may hold. Families and individuals that have made their living based on Gulf Coast tourism may never have a thriving customer base again.

Electronic Bingo in Alabama
Honestly, I could write a book on the issue of electronic bingo in the state of Alabama. Bob Riley's term as governor brought new industry and economic growth to our state; however, his administration has now become a mockery, and he will forever be remembered as "Bingo Bob." This rampage to stop "illegal gaming" in our state began several months ago, and it is not over yet. Apparently, it is illegal to play electronic bingo in Alabama. This law seems a little ridiculous considering we are bordered by states where gambling is legal. Our citizens frequently cross the state line and purchase lottery tickets and travel to casinos in Mississippi, Florida, and Georgia. While our state struggles to find money to pay our teachers and pave our roads, our citizens are helping to provide education funding for three other states.
Wouldn't it make sense to make electronic bingo legal in Alabama and start taxing it? Yes, it would make sense, but why would we do something like that here in Alabama. This is the Bible Belt, it would not be very Christian-like to make gambling legal. I guess it's Christian-like to deprive entire counties of their livelihood in this tyrant to end electronic bingo. As a voting, concerned citizen of this state, I believe it would be more resourceful to allocate our state's financial resources and personnel somewhere other than a gaming center you are trying to close. Hundreds of teachers could have been paid with the money Gov. Riley and his goons, John Tyson and the anti-gambling task force, have spent on law enforcement, moving vans, and advertisements.
Some people on this campus are actually advocating the need to end electronic bingo in Alabama. Did they attend public school in Alabama? If the answer is no, they should have no say so in this matter. Until you have seen the need firsthand, you do not understand the immense importance of the money places such as Victoryland generate. Victoryland, owned by Milton McGregor, accounts for nearly half of the employment in Macon County- one of the poorest counties in this state and in the country. Right now, all of the controversy surrounds Greenetrack casino. Local government officials in Greene county have been fighting in court with John Tyson and the anti-gambling task force. The Supreme Court intervened and allowed Tyson to continue his campaign and remove all of the electronic bingo machines from the facility. Do law enforcement and judicial officials in Alabama not have more important issues they should be concerned about? I guess John Tyson and Bob Riley found quicker success in Greene County than Macon County. If only Gov. Riley had been nearly as concerned about paying our teachers and helping to further higher education as he has been about fighting electronic bingo, then our state would be in much better shape right now.

Drug War and Immigration
I am still not nearly knowledgeable enough about the immigration fight going in America; however, I am quite aware that there is a nasty drug war going on in Mexico. All I have to say about that, I think I will be staying north of the border for a long while. They should post signs as you cross the border that read "Enter At Your Own Risk."

Tiger Woods' Divorce
I would love to be Eilen Nordegren's divorce attorney right now. Rumors have circulated that she will receive anywhere from $100-$750 million dollars in the divorce settlement, not including child support. Her divorce settlement also includes a clause stating that Tiger may not bring girlfriends or unwed female friend around the children... considering some of his "mistresses" that is probably a fantastic idea. Tiger may wow on the golf course, but I can not say the same for morals (or lack there of).

Michael Vick
Does it surprise anyone that Michael Vick is now the center of more legal trouble? Vick celebrated his birthday at a restaurant in Virgina Beach. That same night, a man was shot. According to the Vick camp, this was long after Vick left the establishment; yet, after viewing the surveillance footage, police stated that Vick left three minutes prior to the shooting. Quanis Phillips, the man shot, was a high school teammate of Vick's and a co-defendant in the dog fighting case. Although Michael Vick may not have been involved with this incident, this only serves to further one of my beliefs. Pick your friends very, very carefully. Vick was extremely successful, obviously running with this old friends has caused more than a little bit of trouble for him. It is sad to say, but I think that when a young man leaves his neighborhood and hometown to make something of himself in the athletic arena, it is sometimes best for him to leave behind old friends and stay away as much as possible. The best will always have haters and people looking to bring them down.

The World Cup
I am pretty sure it is still going on. But, since the USA lost, I have not heard nearly as much about it. How unfortunate, NOT!

Oh yes, and on a great sports note, COLLEGE FOOTBALL BEGINS IN SIXTY FOUR DAYS!

Have a great weekend!