Opinion

MY PARENTS DID a cross-country drive from Texas to visit my sister in Michigan and me in Ohio. They entertained grandbabies, celebrated birthdays, lavished us with love, and then went on their way back to God’s country. They were “this close” to being home when a quick overnight at my godmother’s house was extended when everything went haywire; my mom ended up having her gallbladder removed, and my dad had some other health issues.

ONCE UPON A TIME, there was an emperor so fond of new clothes that he spent vast amounts of money on them. He only went out when he had the chance to show off his new clothes. Other emperors could be found sitting in council. However, it was said of this Emperor that “He is sitting in his wardrobe.”

A group of four student composers from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music visited Canadian last week as part of a project to create six musical compositions that will become a part of The Citadelle Art Foundation’s permanent collection (see Rotary Report on page 16).

EDITOR’S NOTE: Michael Wood lost his bid in a special election held May 1 to replace the late U.S. Rep. Ron Wright, R-Arlington, in Texas 6th Congressional District. Many of you may not have heard his name before, and certainly, many of you did not have the opportunity to vote for him. We are publishing the statement he made following his loss because—after reading his words—we hope we, and you, will someday have the chance to vote for Wood, and for other men and women who care as deeply as he does, and we do, about the failures of Republicans in the weeks following the January 6, 2021 insurrection in Washington, D.C., and the stain it has left on the party of Abraham Lincoln. — LEB

TEXAS IS SUFFERING a health crisis. And no, we’re not just talking about the pandemic. Texans are more likely to be uninsured than residents in any other state. It’s a problem that affects Texans of all backgrounds and every corner of the state—the vast majority of uninsured Texans are U.S. citizens.

I WOULD LIKE to remind you and your readers that May 15 is Peace Officers Memorial Day. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. This year, National Police Week is May 9-15.

THERE’S A HUGE OAK TREE in the middle of a quiet rural intersection just a mile or so outside of downtown Columbus, Texas. Its branches reach over the roads on all sides. At its base, a state historical marker notes the centennial founding of Colorado County.