Today's Opinions

No doubt you have had the experience of standing outside an elevator and had someone ask you, “Going up?” or conversely, “Going down?” The point of the question, obviously, is to give you an opportunity to get on that particular elevator if it is going the direction in which you wish to go.

It is always important to know which way an elevator is going (and which way you want to go on it), but an even more important question to consider is this: As a society, are we going up or going down?

In the eight awful days since God summoned angel Andy Griffith to the top of Mount Pilot and told him his baritone was needed among the heavenly hosts, I have read perhaps 10,000 words, watched about six hours of episodes, introduced a neophyte to What It Was Was Football and immersed in countless Internet comments about how this sole and soulful if sadly unacclaimed actor possibly could have risen to be an icon for two generations.

We have sung the praises of the late George Cottrell and his contributions to his family and community, but we can’t let his latest gift pass without using it as an encouragement to others.
You likely read the story last week about how Mr. Cottrell’s family, beneficiary of a large-hearted community that purchased a handicapped-equipped van to carry Mr. Cottrell’s wheelchair during his final months of life, reached out.