Publisher’s Positions
Immigration Should be Very Selective
The idea that everyone who wants to come to the United States to live should be welcomed with open arms without a second thought is as simplistic as it is wrong. And it is terrible public policy, as time has proved over and over again.
U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services is updating its guidelines to prevent anti-American foreigners from changing their status in our country in order to remain here. That is very good news. There is nothing wrong with the idea that someone should be considered worthy to be allowed to remain in the U.S. Becoming a citizen of the United States requires an applicant to swear allegiance to our country. And, no, not everyone who wants to come here should be allowed to get into the country or be welcome. Not everybody has good intentions. Do you suppose the Leftists who are squalling about this change leave the porch light on with a sign reading: “The Door Is Unlocked, Come On In and Make Yourself At Home?” My guess is no; they do not. In fact, many of those same Leftists who try to shame us into doing as they please and adopting utterly nonsensical and harmful policies do so from the safety of their gated communities and buildings filled with security. How many of these empty-headed Leftists open their own doors to people they don’t know, some of whom are carrying machetes, guns or knives? Probably not that many. I wonder how many Leftists have security alarms in their homes or security cameras? Why would they need them if everyone is welcome? Probably because the only illegals they know are cleaning their houses for a pittance, pruning their shrubbery or, like that congresswoman from Vermont said, wiping their behinds.
Many of these terrorist organizations, like Hamas, seek the literal eradication of Western civilization and everything the Left holds dear. How many LGBTQ+ organizations do you suppose thrive in Gaza or anywhere outside of Israel in the Middle East? Quite likely, almost as many as there are feminist organizations. The Left doesn’t think criminals should even be prosecuted, yet some of those they support literally cut off the hands of thieves. Nor is China a very tolerant society so far as the Left is concerned. Theirs is a very different kind of Communism.
Kincannon Should Be More Open, Transparent And Inclusive
It may be a sign of the Apocalypse, but it sure does look like the Knoxville City Council just stood up for itself. That hasn’t happened since sometime before Victor Ashe was mayor of Knoxville. Her Highness, Indya, Lord Mayoress of Knoxville, was in a mighty big hurry to sell off the old Midway portion of Chilhowee Park, known to many Knoxvillians as the fairgrounds, to the Emerald Youth Foundation. Indya, not known for her speed in getting things done, moved with the alacrity of a goat on steroids when someone rattles a bag of Cheetos.
Gwen McKenzie, the councilwoman for East Knoxville, had the shocking experience of actually seeing people who lived in her district as they filled the auditorium in the Main Assembly Room of the City-County Building last week. That could affect the family business, which is holding public office and collecting a check. That motivated Gwen to do something she rarely does: take the side of the people. Lynne Fugate, councilwoman at-large who used to advocate for taking a “Leap of faith” when she was shilling for former superintendent Jim McIntyre, wasn’t as ready to jump for Indya. Things had gone south for Her Highness, the Lord Mayoress, indeed.
God forbid that the council come out of its coma, much less start growing a spine. Next thing you know, some rascal will second one of Amelia Parker’s motions!
Bill Williams, A True Gentleman
It is with great sadness that The Knoxville Focus family acknowledges the passing of a true gentleman. Bill Williams was for decades one of the most widely recognized figures in our community, arriving in Knoxville at a time when the local TV news still meant something and enjoyed a large viewership. Knoxville has seen the passing of an inordinate number of local former television personalities this year: Edye Ellis, Margie Ison, Ken Schwall and now Bill Williams.
Bill Williams was the anchor of the nightly WBIR-TV newscast for almost thirty years in Knoxville and East Tennessee. Even then, it was highly unusual for a TV anchor to remain in place for that long. Bill Williams delivered the news impartially, and I never knew what his politics were, which is the way the news was supposed to be broadcast in a less hyper-partisan time.
In person, Bill Williams was kind, considerate and always a gentleman. It was neither a public face nor an act. He knew happiness and heartache. Williams lost his wife to cancer and watched helplessly as he lost two of his sons.
One got a sense of the man’s character in watching him, especially when he started “Monday’s Child,” a weekly feature on the evening news spotlighting a special needs child in the hope of finding that little girl or boy a forever family. It was a segment that could make a person laugh or cry, and oftentimes both. “Monday’s Child” was not something dreamed up by WBIR to sell commercials; it was a project close to the heart of Bill Williams, and viewers got a glimpse of his heart during those broadcasts. WBIR promoted its slogan of “Straight From the Heart,” and while Bill Williams was on the air, it was true. Bill Williams was the heart of WBIR-TV and much of East Tennessee. The passing of Bill Williams truly is the end of an era.
