Columns

Pope Leo and condemnation of socialism

There has been much speculation as to why the new Pope chose the name Leo.

Numerous reasons to honor our veterans

More than 43 million Americans have served or are currently serving their country — and more than 1.3 million gave the ultimate sacrifice. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are approximately 15.8 million U.S. veterans living today — about 6.1 percent of the adult population.

Francophone advocate brought first poppies

The sale of red poppies on Memorial Day began almost immediately after the end of World War I, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields” by Lt. Col. John McCrae, a surgeon in the Canadian army. The poem was a reminder of the valor of the men and women who died in France in the “war to end all wars.

Ever dream of becoming a cartoonist?

I’m glad most people have abandoned chirping, “See ya in the funny papers.” Because that quaint farewell would reopen old wounds, since folks will definitely NOT be seeing me in the funny papers. You see, 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of my ill-fated attempt to become a professional cartoonist.

More should get expedited processing like the South Africans

I am writing this column on an Amtrak train to Newark. My destination is immigration court, where I will try and obtain asylum for an abused woman from Central America. So you can imagine that I have more than a little interest in the topic of refugees.

How to tame the Ayatollahs

When Ayatollah Khomeini took power in 1979, many believed the Islamic Republic was a short-term glitch in Iran’s history — a theocratic typo soon to be corrected.

St. Landry Parish marriage licenses

The following people obtained marriage license from the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court Office. Wednesday, May 7 Rogers Lee Jones and Debra Faye Hard, both of Opelousas. Wesley Ty Brown and Alli Alizabeth Sittig, both of Eunice.

If TikTok existed in 1980, my prom would’ve gone viral

Social media has transformed the American prom. Today’s teens have grown up with smartphones and TikTok, where the real event isn’t the prom itself — it’s the content they edit and post afterward. My prom experience surely would have gone viral had TikTok been around in 1980.

Ship sailed from Sabine Pass, and vanished

Many people know that the Union Sulphur Company made a huge fortune from a rich deposit in Calcasieu Parish in the early 1900s and became the leading producer in the world.

What is your opinion of second honeymoons?

“Maybe it’s time we got back to the basics of love…of tourism.” (Apologies to Waylon Jennings.