MT 8-29-24

Opinion The Marion Tribune August 29, 2024 5A Reproduction of all matter herein is prohibited without the expressed written consent of the publisher. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ALL letters must be signed and a street address and telephone number provided. The address and telephone number will not be published, but used to verify the authorship of the letter. Deadline for consideration for publication in the following edition is noon on Mondays. Letters will run in a first-come basis, persons wishing to be published may contact the editor for more information on guidelines and requirements. Email Letters to: llimadasilva@mariontribune.com ADVERTISING POLICIES In the event of a typographical error, advertising goods at less than the proper price, The Marion Tribune will furnish a letter to the advertiser stating the correct price to be posted in the place of business. 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CIRCULATION MANAGER ADVERTISING DIRECTOR EDITOR GENERAL MANAGER Amanda Mitchell Joe Martin Lacie Silva Allison Richards Vol. 2 - No. 1 1 Section - XX Pages www.mariontribune.com CONTACT US (423) 590-6397 100 Betsy Pack Dr. Suite 204 Jasper, 37347 MarionTribune , Copyright © 2023 by The Tullahoma News is published Weekly by The Tullahoma News, 505 Lake Way Place,Tullahoma,TN 37388. USPS 25765 published weekly at 505 Lakeway Place, Tullahoma, TN 37388. Periodicals postage paid at Jasper and additional offices. Postmaster send address changes to Marion Tribune, 100 Betsy Pack Dr Suite 204, Jasper, TN 37347-3523 The Marion Tribune l. – . 5 ti – 12 The Daily Talking Points A s this dreadful p r e s i d e n t i a l campaign nears the end of its fourth year, do you ever get the feeling you’re watching a rerun you’ve seen many times before? You know, like the episode of “I Love Lucy” where Lucy is in some silly disguise in an e ff ort to get into show business? Or maybe when the “Three’s Company” landlord misunderstands an overheard conversation, resulting in chaos? Or that time the castaways almost got rescued until Gilligan fouled up the plan? You’ve probably seen those episodes because the shows had the same plot every week. The leaders of our political parties must have watched those sitcoms, because they’re using the same tactics today. And we’re still falling for it. Many of us loyally tune in to our favorite “anger- tainment” channels for the Daily Talking Points. Various political types start their day by memorizing these talking points, sent via email. The list of recipients includes top elected o ffi cials and the talking-head “experts” and “contributors” who appear on the cable shows. They’re good at shouting above other people, and they just happen to have a book to promote. There’s a good chance you can pay to see them speak at a venue near you. Their promotional material describes them as “frequently seen on” Fox, or MSNBC, or whichever network needs someone to agree with the hosts. On a particular day, the Daily Talking Points can be seen on various channels and platforms. During the Trump felony trial in New York earlier this year, the terms “two-tiered system of justice,” “weaponization of the FBI,” and “third-world banana republic” were repeated constantly. You may agree or disagree, but my point is very few “expert” observers o ff ered any original thoughts. They were merely repeating what they had been told to say. From the Speaker of the House, to U.S. Senators, and your local member of Congress on his or her Twitter (X) page, they loyally echoed each other. It happens every day, and representatives from both major parties do it. Some folks are tiring of these rubber-stamp rituals. It may be why Sen. John Fetterman (D- PA) is getting super-sized attention to match his towering stature. When every other prominent Democrat, fromRep. Nancy Pelosi to actor George Clooney was suggesting that President Biden “pass the torch” (yes, an often repeated talking point) and step down from the race, Fetterman probably printed the e-mail, crushed the paper, and sent it sailing into the nearest trash can. Fetterman had a di ff ering opinion and was not shy about airing it. He didn’t win this particular battle, but I admired him for not falling in line. Apparently he is an independent thinker, which many fi nd refreshing. But don’t look for “Fetterman’s disease” to spread. It’s much easier and likely more pro fi table to just parrot the Daily Talking Points. You can make the best of these remaining weeks by playing the Daily Talking Points game. Watch the morning shout-fests, and you can easily identify the words and phrases you’ll hear for the rest of the day. In recent weeks, the word “weird” was pushed by Democrats to describe Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, the term “stolen valor” was the preferred insult for Republicans to use to attack Tim Walz, and the nickname “Comrade Kamala” was aimed at Vice President Harris after she unveiled her economic plans. When the morning e-mails are opened, within minutes senators like Lindsey Graham and Chuck Schumer are in search of the nearest TV studio so they can amplify their party’s talking points. Of course, name calling and exaggerated claims are nothing new in politics. In the 1800s newspaper cartoons, hand-written signs, and campaign songs predated the cable opinion shows of today. At least our ancestors had to use their own creative talents. This is a very e ff ective practice. Shortly after the talking points are passed along on “Fox and Friends” or “Meet the Press,” you will overhear them at the Hardee’s breakfast table, and see them on your cousin’s Facebook post. Maybe the campaign masterminds of 2024 should just send the Daily Talking Points to all of us, so the camera-hogging senators and representatives could go to work and do their jobs. David Carroll is a Chattanooga news anchor, and his new book “I Won’t Be Your Escape Goat” is available on his website, ChattanoogaRadioTV.com. You may contact him at 900 Whitehall Road, Chattanooga, TN 37405, or at RadioTV2020@yahoo.com Creative Corner Dear Lord Dear Lord, let me die And be reborn in you. Please banish thoughts of “I” And give me a celestial view. Fill me with hope That I might follow you closely. Let service to you be my duty Rather than concerns for my earthly body. Enable me to forgive what others do So that I may meditate on only you. Let me be kind to others Giving freely to my sisters and brothers. Lead me to a place of courage Seeing only you without feeling discouraged. Lord, fi nd kindness in me That dissolves my weakness of greed. Let me not interfere with your plan Or criticize the great “I Am.” Endow me with a patient soul To protect me against anger’s vicious hold. Help me to give to others in need And seek to be your shadow as you lead. Please give me faith To vanquish fear as I grow in your grace. And Lord, unload my weight of hate and thus Empty my heart so you can fi ll it with your love. This I pray throughout each day So I may die to myself and walk your way. By David Carroll John Christof Simple Home Safety Solutions for Aging-in-Place Dear Savvy Senior, Falls and fi res are the two things I worry most about for my elderly father who lives alone. Do you have any suggestions on what we can do to help keep him safe, and keep an eye on him from afar? Concerned Daughter Dear Concerned, Of course! There are a number of small adjustments and modi fi cations you can make to your dad’s home to help protect him from falls and fi res, both of which cause thousands of injuries and deaths each year. Here are some tips to get you started. Eliminate tripping hazards: Since falls are the leading cause of home injury among seniors, a good place to start is to pack away your dad’s throw rugs which are common tripping hazards or use carpet tacks or double-sided tape to secure them. You may also need to adjust your dad’s furniture so there are clear pathways to walk through and position any electrical or phone cords along walls and out of the way. For hardwood steps, consider attaching a nonslip tread to each one to provide traction and help him see the edge. And for added protection in the bathroom buy some nonskid rugs for the fl oors and use adhesive nonslip treads or a mat with rubber suction inside his tub or shower stall. Improve his lighting: Good lighting is essential for safe aging-in- place, so check the wattage ratings on your dad’s lamps and light fi xtures, and install the brightest bulbs allowed, and add supplementary lighting if necessary. You should also purchase some dusk to dawn nightlights for the bathroom and in the hallways that light up when the sun goes down. And mount some motion sensor lights outside the front and back doors and in the driveway that automatically come on when he comes and goes after dark. Get grab bars: These can signi fi cantly reduce his risk of bathroom falls. Install them where he enters the shower or tub and on a wall inside the stall, but don’t use grab bars that attach with suction. Instead, have wall-mounted bars put in by someone who can a ffi x them to the wall studs. It’s also best to choose bars whose surfaces are slightly textured and easier to grip. Ensure railings are stable: Wherever he has steps – stairways, entryways or basements – he needs sturdy railings. Ideally, they should be on both sides of the steps. Prevent cooking fi res: There are several a ff ordable products you can purchase to help your dad prevent home cooking fi res like BurnerAlert discs that attach to a stove’s knob and will continuously blink or beep after the stove has been in use for a preset amount of time, and Ome smart knobs that can control a stove’s heating settings from an app. Or you can invest in a more expensive iGuardStove sensor that shuts the stove o ff when it doesn’t detect motion for fi ve minutes. Install smoke alarms: Install a smart smoke alarm in your dad’s house (buy one for each fl oor) that will alert him when smoke or carbon monoxide is detected. These smart devices will also send alerts to your phone to let you know when a problem is detected. Google Nest and First Alert both smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Add fi re extinguishers: Get portable multipurpose fi re extinguishers for each level of your dad’s house and in the garage. Consider a medical alert: To ensure your dad’s safety and provide you some peace of mind, consider getting him a medical alert device that comes with a wearable SOS button that would allow him to call for help if he were to fall or need assistance. For more tips, get a copy of AARP’s “HomeFit Guide” (see AARP.org/ HomeFit ), which has more than 100 aging-in-place suggestions that can help make your dad’s home safer and easier to live in. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.