— ...about schools

The Aug. 12 Parade article by Barry Yeoman says “40 percent of America’s public schools are in bad to poor condition.” The 21st Century School Fund “calculates that it will take $271 billion to bring all of these buildings up to a decent standard.” The article says that the average U.S. public school is more than 40 years old. Last year, I went by the wood house that I lived in as a young boy and it looked like new. It’s only 110 years old. Perhaps we citizens should be asking why our school buildings are not being properly maintained and updated as needed. Our school tax money must not be allocated properly. What do you think?



...about romance

Mental Floss magazine says “Alaska rules when it comes to romance.” Must be those long nights! What do you think?



...about IQ tests

Mental Floss asks “Why is the NFL so completely obsessed with IQ tests?” I took the Wonderlic IQ test when I applied to get in the World War II Aviation Cadet pilot training program. Perhaps they want to see if the players are smart enough to go for the big money or dumb enough to get beat up playing pro football. What do you think?



...about Voter ID

In my home state of Pennsylvania, the voter ID law was upheld as reported in the Aug. 16 Star-Telegram. Judge Robert E. Simpson said the plaintiffs did not establish that “disenfranchisement was immediate or inevitable.” At last a judge with common sense! The voter ID laws need to be passed everywhere. We need more judges like Judge Simpson. What do you think?



...about Fort Hood killings

Maj. Nidal Hasan is again playing with our legal system. The Muslim major disobeyed the trial judge’s order to remove his beard as per the Army grooming regulation. Hasan has asked for a “formal exemption to Army grooming rules based on his Muslim faith.” He is obviously guilty and should have been executed years ago. What do you think?



...about the Tea Party

Don’t knock it if you have not attended a meeting. The members want what is best for all Americans. They also want to preserve the great American Constitution, which has given all of us citizens the freedoms no others in the world have. Nothing is perfect but the Tea Party, in my humble opinion, is 85 percent on track. What do you think? Do not answer if you have not been to a meeting.



...about lighting

Tri-County Electric advises us that as of July 14, no fluorescent lamps or ballasts will be manufactured in the U.S., in order to comply with a federal government regulation. Five hundred million T12 fluorescent lamp fixtures are installed nationwide and will need to be replaced when they burn out. Replacements will save up to 75 percent in energy costs and will reduce the heat given off. This saving will offset some of the replacement costs and the new lamps will give off better light. This is a government mandate, so what do you think?



...about America’s age

All facts from Imprimis — Egypt is 5,000 years old, China is 3,000 years old, France and England are 1,000 years old and America is only 495 years old. That American age is from the founding of the Jamestown colony to 2012. Just think, in the last 236 years, after the American revolution, we have the most free people, the best economic system and have become the most powerful country in the world. We have also had the most religious freedom. Now some of our freedoms are in question. Will they all be there for our future generations? What do you think?

...about World War II bombers

More than 4,000 B-20 bombers were built — remember Enola Gay — and only one by the name of FIFI remains in flying condition 80 years later. I think the Air Force should keep in semi-retirement a number of all famous war planes. What do you think?



...about government health care costs

The IRS expects to take in billions of dollars in taxes and penalties from the wealthy, the medical supply business, from health savings accounts, investment income and other sources. You do not have to be a genius to figure out we are going to pay most of those billions in the form of higher consumer prices. I think the government should stay out of health care insurance because it is not a function of the government. If they want to do something good for health care recipients they could do a good investigation as to why hospitals are charging such outrageous fees. What do you think?



Have a wonderful and safe Labor Day weekend.



Guest columnist William J. Kelly is a Parker County resident and served as 2nd Lt. in World War II in the Eighth Air Force of the US Army/Air Corp.