The Smith family is pleased to announce an exciting new chapter for the Ashley OUTLET in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Effective immediately, Dane Terrell and his trusted Ivan Smith team will assume responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the store.

Dane brings with him a proven ability to connect with people and lead with integrity—a combination that aligns perfectly with the values our family business was built on. We have a high degree of confidence in the future of our Ashley OUTLET under his leadership.

With this change, customers can expect an even more seamless shopping experience across both of our Natchitoches locations. Shoppers will now be able to work with their favorite salespeople at either store, continuing the relationships they’ve built over the years.

In addition, we are proud to continue offering the in-store financing options that our community has trusted and relied on for generations—now available at the Ashley OUTLET as well.

We are deeply thankful for the continued support of the Natchitoches community. Your loyalty has allowed us to grow and serve in new ways, and we look forward to this exciting next step together

---

The first facility in Louisiana to receive this honor.

(Shreveport, LA – August 11, 2025) Garden Park Nursing & Rehabilitation Center has been recognized by the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) as a 2025 Gold – Excellence in Quality Award recipient. The distinction is the highest of three progressive award levels in the National Quality Award Program, which recognizes providers across the country that have demonstrated exceptional quality outcomes for residents and staff through rigorous review, continual improvement and innovation in their processes and systems. Garden Park Nursing & Rehabilitation Center is the first facility in Louisiana to earn the Gold level award.

“Our top priority has always been providing exceptional care to our residents,” said Jennifer Peters, administrator of Garden Park Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. “To be one of only three facilities nationwide to earn the 2025 Gold award is an incredible honor and a testament to our team’s unwavering commitment to quality, safety and service. This is a victory for all Louisiana nursing facilities that tirelessly pursue quality improvement.”

Implemented by AHCA/NCAL in 1996, the National Quality Award Program is centered on the core values and criteria of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, which is the foundation of the metric-based AHCA/NCAL Quality Initiative.

“The hardworking staff at Garden Park Nursing & Rehabilitation Center have achieved one of the most prestigious honors in our profession,” said Louisiana Nursing Home Association Executive Director Mark Berger. “Earning the Gold – Excellence in Quality Award is an extraordinary achievement that recognizes exceptional caregiving and tireless dedication to continuous quality improvement. This year, only three facilities in the nation received this award, placing Garden Park Nursing & Rehabilitation Center among the best in the country. Louisiana has secured its place among the nation’s top achievers in quality awards with 74 bronze, 37 silver and one gold since 2018.”

Award recipients will be honored during AHCA/NCAL’s Annual Convention and Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 21, 2025.

About Garden Park Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
Garden Park Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Shreveport, a Central Management facility, is a 160-bed skilled nursing facility providing exceptional quality healthcare services for residents needing short-term care with rehabilitation therapy or long-term care in a nurturing, comfortable environment. Garden Park Nursing & Rehabilitation Center’s qualified team of healthcare professionals is committed to providing person-centered quality care to each resident with the utmost dignity and respect. Central Management owns and operates 22 skilled nursing facilities in Louisiana. Garden Park Nursing & Rehabilitation Center is a proud Louisiana Nursing Home Association member. To learn more about Garden Park Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, visit www.gardenparknursingandrehab.com.

About Louisiana Nursing Home Association
The Louisiana Nursing Home Association (LNHA) is a nonprofit organization representing nearly 250 member nursing facilities and assisted living facilities that care for more than 20,000 of Louisiana’s elderly and disabled individuals each day. Learn more at www.lnha.org.

---

The Winn Parish Police Jury addressed road work updates, 4-H achievements, community projects and financial matters during its regular August meeting last Monday.

Road Supt. Perry Holmes reported that ditching, grading and bridge inspections are underway, with herbicide spraying scheduled to improve brush control. He said FEMA has extended deadlines for several large projects, due Sept. 30, Oct. 31 and Feb. 3, 2026. Holmes also noted that the Henry Sanders project is nearly finished and work has begun on Carrier Crossing. He read a letter from Superintendent Al Simmons thanking the jury for its help with drainage and driveway work at Winnfield Middle School.

Asst. Road Supt. Paul Hodnett said equipment repairs are nearing completion, including a drag bush hog and side boom, and crews are preparing to move into the Calvin area.

Donny Moon, parish 4-H agent, highlighted a strong year of student achievements, with 26 blue ribbons at the state contest, top finishes in forestry, ATV safety and consumer decision-making, and teams advancing to national competitions. More than 600 students, about 41 percent of school enrollment, participate in Winn Parish 4-H. Activities ranged from shooting sports and livestock shows to forestry and health awareness programs.

Community Nutrition Agent Shannon Chevallier discussed school and community garden-to-table projects, collaborations with the LSU Ag Center and a local beautification effort known as “The Stump.” She also pointed out a new mural welcoming motorists into Winnfield.

Members also committed $13,509.25 in matching funds for a White Road capital project and voted to join several opioid litigation settlements involving Sandoz, Purdue/Sackler and multiple pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Carlos “Mike” Carpenter was reappointed to the Sparta Groundwater Conservation District Board for another three-year term.

Secretary/Treasurer Karen Tyler noted the inclusion of library and communications district minutes and details of the Region VIII Police Jury Association meeting set for Sept. 16 in Leesville. Jurors also discussed courthouse grounds maintenance, the Joyce Sewer System and upcoming presentations on solar energy. Juror Author Robinson reported the Industrial Board will meet soon and urged jurors to attend. Tyler and Assistant Secretary Michelle Lonadier also shared takeaways from a recent parish administration conference and thanked the jury for its support before adjournment.

---

Winn Parish Families in Need of Services (FINS) officer Aleta Hoffman was the guest speaker at the Winnfield Rotary Club’s Aug. 13 meeting, where she outlined the program’s role in addressing youth behavior issues and raised concerns about truancy in parish schools.

Hoffman, well known in the community through her years operating The Youth Shop with her mother and her service as a deputy sheriff under former Sheriff Cranford Jordan, was recruited for the FINS position by Judge Anastasia Wiley following the retirement of long-time officer Kathy Turner.

FINS is a community-based program designed to intervene in cases involving children who are truant, run away from home or exhibit ungovernable behavior. The process involves family conferences and informal service plans intended to resolve issues without formal juvenile court proceedings.

The FINS officer works with parish schools, the Winn Parish School Board, Judge Wiley, the District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Children and Family Services, the Office of Juvenile Justice and the Sheriff’s Office. A case is opened after a referral from the community or school regarding behavior that poses a risk to the child, family or community. The officer then meets with the family, develops a plan, enters into a contract and monitors progress.

Hoffman said local families are often referred to programs such as Strengthening Families parent and child training, behavioral specialists, Winn Community Health Center’s mental health clinic and Eckerd Connects, which provides in-home counseling and therapy.

In her first year, Hoffman reported 63 complaints, 58 of which involved truancy — defined as more than four unexcused absences under Louisiana’s compulsory school attendance law. Most referrals came from local schools after their own interventions failed.

She emphasized truancy is a statewide problem, with the Louisiana Department of Education and the Louisiana Supreme Court now working together to enforce attendance laws. Winn Parish currently has a truancy rate of 50 percent, meaning half of enrolled students have more than four unexcused absences.

“Schools can’t teach children who don’t attend,” Hoffman said, adding that the issue has far-reaching consequences for the parish. She noted that communities rely on their younger generations to be educated and engaged citizens for long-term stability and growth. 

---

Bria Williams, program manager for the Justice Bus, spoke to the Winnfield Kiwanis Club on Tuesday, Aug. 26, about the services the mobile legal unit provides to rural communities.

Williams, originally from Charlottesville, VA., came to Alexandria by way of Houston. A graduate of a college that required 20 hours of community service for graduation, she said the experience cemented her belief in public service. After earning a degree in education, she taught first grade in 2019–20, the year the COVID-19 pandemic forced classrooms online. Following that year, she transitioned into community and public service.

The Justice Bus is operated through a partnership among Lagniappe Law Lab, the Louisiana Bar Foundation and the Louisiana Civil Navigation Foundation. For the past 2½ years, the mobile office has served underserved, rural communities in Winn, Rapides, Grant, Vernon and LaSalle parishes.

The bus is fully equipped with computers, printers, Wi-Fi and air conditioning. It provides educational materials, court-approved forms and planning worksheets, while also connecting residents to legal resources. Williams noted that while she is not an attorney, her colleagues on the program’s New Orleans-based team are. Together, they offer information and assistance to help residents navigate civil legal issues.

The Justice Bus also takes part in community events, health coalitions and networking activities. In Winn Parish, the bus is stationed at the Winn Parish Library parking lot on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 1 to 3 p.m. Residents can access self-help tools, court forms, and information about more than 100 civil legal issues, as well as free or reduced-cost legal aid programs.

More information is available at LouisianaLegalNavigator.org.

---

Paid Editorial Feature – The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the Journal.

Last month, OnPath Federal Credit Union agreed to buy Heritage Bank of St. Tammany in Covington, Louisiana, a century-old institution with deep local roots. The deal was hailed by OnPath CEO Jared Freeman, who praised Heritage’s “unwavering commitment to the local community.” But what Freeman failed to mention is that the acquisition will rob that community of a critical source of revenue.

Because OnPath is a credit union and thus tax-exempt, the deal means that St. Tammany Parish will lose a reliable stream of tax payments. Those dollars help fund schools, pay essential public servants like police officers and firefighters, and support other vital public services across the parish. Once the acquisition is finalized, that revenue will disappear, and the burden of making up the difference will fall squarely on the shoulders of local taxpayers.

The example of OnPath in Louisiana illustrates a much bigger problem across the country: credit unions are no longer the small, member-focused institutions they were established to be. Many have grown into large financial operations, similar to banks, all while enjoying tax-exempt status. Lawmakers must investigate whether credit unions’ tax-exempt status is still necessary in light of their significant growth, which is ultimately leaching revenue from state and local governments and setting the stage for higher taxes on local communities.

The situation in Louisiana is not the first. Texas Dow Employees Credit Union (TDECU) had planned to acquire Sabine Bank and Trust, which is based in Many, Louisiana. Although TDECU ultimately backed away from the acquisition, it underscores the fact that credit unions have strayed far from the original mission Congress envisioned when it exempted them from most federal, state, and local taxes under the Federal Credit Union Act. It’s time for Congress to revisit whether the tax breaks are still justified.

Credit unions like TDECU have grown into large financial institutions by leveraging taxpayer subsidies. Far from its founding mission to serve the residents of Lake Jackson, Texas, TDECU now serves over 380,000 members across the state. Ending 2024 with $4.8 billion in total assets, TDECU’s services have widened to include wealth management investment products through its partnership with LPL Financial, which they even acknowledge as being a conflict of interest. The growth doesn’t stop there. Credit unions are buying community banks at a time when bank consolidation and burdensome regulations are putting extreme pressure on banks’ bottom lines. The current regulatory environment and credit union acquisitions are exacerbating bank consolidation. In fact, data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) shows that the number of community banks dropped by 46% over the last two decades, falling from 7,620 in 2003 to 4,129 in 2023. Credit unions are thriving, and skirting taxes while community banks are getting squeezed.

One negative outcome of tax-exempt credit unions acquiring community banks is that local and state governments lose revenue. This essential tax revenue helps fund local schools, projects, and infrastructure. The state of Louisiana has a bank shares tax that funds local communities, but when a credit union acquires a bank, it eliminates that source of revenue and results in less funding for local services. The shortfall in revenue could compel a parish to raise taxes on households to maintain a balanced budget. According to the Tax Foundation, “since 2011, more than 100 credit union–bank acquisition deals have been announced across the country.” Credit unions get to grow and avoid paying taxes, while American households across the country are getting forced to foot the bill at the end of the day.

Americans expect transparency, safeguards, and a level playing field from banks. These same principles should apply to credit unions. This is not about eliminating credit unions; it is about accountability and ensuring the law matches credit unions’ behavior. In an era where credit unions operate more like large financial institutions and less like community-oriented lenders, Congress should conduct oversight hearings and reexamine whether their tax-exempt status still aligns with their actions today. Louisiana taxpayers, in towns like Many and Covington, and in parishes around the state, should not have to pay more taxes because the law, as currently written, allows credit unions to exploit their tax loophole.

Ken Hale is the President & Chief Executive Officer of BOM Bank

---

Madison Foster, a senior at Winnfield Senior High School, spent six weeks this summer conducting paid research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, as part of a selective internship program.

Foster, the only Louisiana scholar chosen this year, worked under Dr. Peck and the Peck Lab to study the effects of psoriasis on the neurological and musculoskeletal systems of mice. She said her favorite experiences included dissection days, learning how to use lab instruments and exploring Nashville.

The internship, now in its 16th year, has selected only two Louisiana students since its creation. At the conclusion of the program, participants presented their findings through poster and oral presentations before faculty members, peers and families.

Foster has been invited to return to Vanderbilt next summer to continue her research. In the meantime, she is bringing her experience home through her “Mad Lab” Afterschool Science Series, where she shares hands-on science lessons with local elementary students.

This school year, she will expand the program to reach three afterschool sites: the Winnfield Enrichment Tutoring Program, FUMC’s The Learning Tree and the K-3 Learning Center in Bossier City.

---

HOSA (Health Occupations Students of Healthcare) is an international organization that helps shape the next generation of healthcare workers. Each year, high school students explore dozens of medical careers and put their skills to the test through competitions that begin with a written exam and culminate at the HOSA State Leadership Conference in Baton Rouge. Events include dental terminology, nursing assistance, phlebotomy, occupational therapy and family medicine.

Dodson High School became the first school in Winn Parish to offer HOSA last year. For senior Madelyn Cotton, the program has provided a pathway to turn her passion for healthcare into real-world progress toward a nursing career.

“I have always had a passion for the healthcare field, but resources at school to explore the field were scarce,” Cotton said. “When I learned about HOSA through my science teacher, Ms. Casey Thomas, I was excited to dive deeper into my future.”

That opportunity helped Cotton set her sights on becoming a registered nurse. The summer before her senior year, she completed a certified nursing assistant course at a local nursing home, earning her CNA at 17. She now works as a CNA while balancing a full high school schedule.

The certification allowed her to bypass a semester of technical community college toward an associate degree in practical nursing. She also participates in dual enrollment through Northwestern State University, which has given her nearly another semester’s head start.

When she begins college in fall 2026, Cotton will need only about three semesters of trade school to qualify as a licensed practical nurse, with plans to continue bridging into a registered nursing program.

“If it wasn’t for HOSA helping me take the first steps, I wouldn’t be where I am right now,” she said. “I’m excited to see how much I can accomplish this year at the HOSA State Leadership Conference.”

---

The Winnfield Police Department was awarded a grant by the LHSC that resulted in 100 hours of overtime hours for officers to provide saturated patrols for enforcement of traffic laws and seat belt violations. The “Click It Or Ticket” campaign, sponsored and funded by the National Highway Safety Administration and administered by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission started May 20 and ended at midnight on June 2.  During this time period, the total number of violations cited was 218, of which 199 were seat belt violations.  

This grant has also provided monies to participate in next national campaign, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” centered around the Labor Day weekend.  This is a High-Visibility Traffic Safety Enforcement program that begins August 16 and runs through September 3.  

Alcohol is a substance that reduces the function of the brain, impairing thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination. All these abilities are essential to operating a vehicle safely.

As alcohol levels rise in a person’s system, the negative effects on the central nervous system increase. Alcohol is absorbed directly through the walls of the stomach and small intestine. Then it passes into the bloodstream where it accumulates until it is metabolized by the liver. A person’s alcohol level is measured by the weight of the alcohol in a certain volume of blood. This is called Blood Alcohol Concentration, or BAC. At a BAC of .08 grams of alcohol per deciliter (g/dL) of blood, crash risk increases exponentially. Because of this risk, it’s illegal in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher, except in Utah where the BAC limit is .05. 

However, even a small amount of alcohol can affect driving ability. In 2023, there were 2,117 people killed in alcohol-related crashes where a driver had a BAC of .01 to .07 g/dL.

If suspected of Driving Under the Influence, an officer will administer a roadside Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST) to test for impairment. BAC is measured with a breathalyzer, a device that measures the amount of alcohol in a driver’s breath, or by a blood test. Refusing a breathalyzer test results in suspension of your driver’s license for 2 years.  You can refuse a blood test, but a warrant will be applied for with a judge to obtain your blood sample.

Officers are also trained to determine if a person is impaired by substances, whether prescribed, over-the-counter, or illegal. Usually an Advanced Roadside Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) will administer additional tests to the SFST to determine drug use and category of that drug.  A blood sample will be obtained for crime lab submission.

Under Project #2025-35-58, -The Winnfield Police Department has been awarded $5000 for overtime hours and will participate in saturated patrols from August 16th to September 2 with an emphasis on Labor Day weekend.

BEING A RESPONSIBLE DRIVER IS SIMPLE: IF YOU ARE DRINKING, DO NOT DRIVE.

1. Plan your safe ride home before you start the party, choose a non-drinking friend as a designated driver.

2. If someone you know has been drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. Take their keys and help them arrange a sober ride home.

3. If you drink, do not drive for any reason. Call a taxi, a ride-hailing service, or a sober friend.

4. If you’re hosting a party where alcohol will be served, make sure all guests leave with a sober driver.

5. Always wear your seat belt — it’s your best defense against impaired drivers.

If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact local law enforcement. Your actions could help save someone’s life.  “See Something, Say Something.”

 

---

The Winnfield Fire Department is partnering with the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office and the American Red Cross to provide free smoke detectors to area residents.

The program is aimed at increasing fire safety in local homes by ensuring every residence has a working detector. Officials said detectors are available for those without one, as well as for households with units that have low batteries or are no longer functioning properly.

Residents can pick up free smoke detectors at the Winnfield Fire Department or request them by calling 318-628-3923. Supplies are limited, and community members are encouraged to take advantage of the program as soon as possible.

---

Laurel Heights Baptist Church will host a free basketball camp for boys and girls ages 7 to 13 on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.

The camp will run from 8 a.m. to noon at the church, located at 1001 San Pedro St. in Winnfield. Lunch will be provided at noon, after which campers will be dismissed.

Organizers encourage local youth to take part in the free event, which will include basketball instruction and activities.

For more information, call 318-413-2423.

---

The 2025 Winn Parish Fair is here, a celebration of youth, agriculture, creativity, and community. From livestock to exhibits, food to fun, this catalog is your guide to all the ways we can be ‘Stronger Together.’”

---

This past week I became a member of an exclusive club, one that takes years, possibly decades, to become eligible. There is no elaborate membership fee, per se. But, trust me, you pay for it in small increments over time.

I am officially an empty nester. Well, almost. Not sure if I am supposed to count my questionable Jack Russell Terrier and temperamental Ragdoll cat.

Since the departure of my last child, I quickly realized that I needed to stay busy at work and around the house as the silence can be deafening. I created a list of projects that had long been filed away in the recesses of my mind. The projects weren’t major in scope, but not fun at all, nonetheless. I truly don’t believe that anyone wakes up in the morning ready to clean out an overstuffed closet of kid’s clothing, old sporting goods and elderly stuffed animals.

When I began the process of removing all of the contents of the closet, I became somewhat nostalgic. My eyes started to leak. There lied her middle school cheerleading bag with her name adorably monogrammed on it. I remember the day she received it, she was over the moon with excitement. As I held it in my hands I could not make sense of why it was so heavy. As I unzipped the relic, my face began to turn a heated shade of red. Not from embarrassment or sadness but from anger. There were water bottles and empty snack bags that began to grow things that should be examined in a lab. As I was shaking my head in disgust I noticed some free range cash in the bag.

Free range cash is a label that I use to describe the cash and coins that I find while doing the laundry or cleaning out drawers and closets. If I find it in the scope of my cleaning, it then immediately becomes mine and there is no search for the rightful owner.

Not only did I find cash and spare change, I also found an unused gift card to the local movie theater. It was at this moment that I was thrown back to my own childhood. When I was in middle school the cost of a movie matinee was two dollars. This sounds like chump change in today’s terms; but I vividly remember my mother and I checking our couch cushions and the bottom of her purse to scrape up enough money for me to go to the movies with friends. My anger quickly turned to sadness. In my younger years I would have been ever so grateful for a gift card and loose cash that I didn’t need. As I kept cleaning the closet, I uncovered more monetary treasures that were left behind. Many dollar bills and loose change.

I just didn’t understand how this kid was loaded with dollars and not much sense, she didn’t even care enough to keep an eye on where it was going or at least keep it all in one place. Was I raising an ungrateful child? I truly thought that I had shared many stories of my struggles in childhood that would make her appreciate the little bit of extras that she was afforded. Instead of focusing on what I perceived as ungratefulness I began to thank the Lord for all of the goodness and mercy that he has shown me and my daughters over the years.

I began praying and asking God to forgive me if I didn’t do such a great job parenting and explaining the importance of dollars and cents. I also started sharing my long list of things to grateful for. I thanked him for my new found cash, movie gift card (wink wink) our health, a roof over our heads, food in the cabinets, transportation, friends, family, jobs we love, and above all… I thanked him for giving us his son.

What are you grateful for? Do you tell the Lord about it often enough? Do you share it with other people? My prayer is that you will always share the goodness of our savior with whoever will listen, even when it does not make sense.

“Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the people! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works.”
1 Chronicles 16:8-9

Reba Phelps jreba.phelps@gmail.com

---

I suspect many of us have become so accustomed to President Trump either casting aside or completely breaking the mold of past presidents that we are no longer surprised.  We have routinely seen him do things in such a politically unconventional—but successful—way that I think we may not accept anything else from future American elected officials. 

Trump is unorthodox but that’s an incomplete description of his governing style.  He is simply a different animal.  As the leader of the free world, he is generally unrestrained by tradition and precedent because he often considers them simply unnecessary or an obstruction.  While he is highly pragmatic, he utterly rejects the typical lethargy and inertia of government and government leaders.   He has a goal in mind and whether he needs to flatter or bulldoze to achieve it, he does.  

What do I mean?

Numerous European world leaders, as well as Ukrainian President, Zelensky, spent time with Trump this past week immediately after his summit in Alaska with Russian President, Vladimir Putin.  And, while I do not mean to mock those world leaders, when I saw photos of them sitting around Trump’s desk in the Oval Office to strategize ending the Russia-Ukraine War, I immediately thought that Trump looked like a schoolteacher lecturing his students.  The visual symbolism was powerful enough but if it needed to be underscored it was by the praise of those same world leaders, every one of whom credited President Trump with the progress that has been made.  

Finnish President, Alexander Stubb, (whose country shares a border with Russia and who, therefore, acutely depends upon a strong American president for his nation’s continued existence) stated that “I think in the past two weeks we’ve probably had more progress in ending this war than we have had in the past 3 1/2 years.”  NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, also stated that “without President Trump this deadlock with Putin would not have been broken.  He is the only one who could do this.”  Putin, himself, has said that the Russia-Ukraine War would never have started in the first place if Trump had been president.  

Let’s put this in perspective and review history:  under President George W. Bush, Russia invaded Georgia; under President Barack Obama, Russia took Crimea; under President Joe Biden, Russia invaded Ukraine.  However, Russia took no aggressive acti0n in President Trump’s first term. 

And, of course, none of this takes into account the historic Abraham Accords in the first Trump term, or, that Trump was the president (after numerous other U.S. presidents promised to do so) who formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and directed the U.S. embassy to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, or, the 7 global conflicts Trump has ended in the last 7 months.  

But for the dishonesty of much of the so-called national media, Trump would be praised to high heaven—as any Democrat President would be.  He should also receive any number of Nobel Peace prizes for his peace efforts worldwide.  However, fortunately, the American people see through the dishonesty.  This is why most Americans have simply lost trust in the national media.

This is what leadership looks like. 

The world is a hard place and the brutal dictators who rule much of it do respect President Trump, even if that respect is based upon military or economic fear.  We saw George W. Bush tragically fumble on the Iraq War; we saw President Obama declare that if Syrian dictator, Bashar Assad, used the poison gas sarin on his own people he would have “crossed a red line,” then did nothing when that occurred.  And President Biden, when he was even coherent, projected weakness and indecision including his inexplicable and humiliating debacle in Afghanistan. (Even worse, during a press conference before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, all the world saw Biden encourage the Russian invasion by indicating that ‘a small incursion’ into Ukraine would be acceptable.)

Again, Trump is what leadership looks like.  The closest I have seen to Trump leadership in my lifetime is the original “peace through strength” president, President Reagan, who broke the Soviet Union in the Cold War and brought communism to its knees.  In the same way, Trump has and is returning calm and peace to the world because he is fearless and decisive. Trump’s America First, ‘fight, fight, fight’ approach promotes world stability.  We should continue to pray for his health and safety.

Royal Alexander

---