On Our Soil

Could the people of the United States survive a military conflict on US soil? Do we know how to be alert and cautious? How would the citizens of Atlanta, Georgia or Orlando, Florida or Dallas, Texas respond to an attack on these highly populated cities?

I think of the bombing and fighting in the many cities of the Middle East and Asia and wonder if the American people would pull together and support each other if we were in the same situation. The people of our country can be so passionately divided on many issues, yet if needed, would those differences interfere with the support and compassion needed in a military conflict.

Just thinking.

Belle

Going Out of Business

It is so sad and disheartening to see so many businesses closing their doors. Some of these are owner operated, but others employ hundreds of people. What is upsetting is the chains that are choosing to close business because they do not meet expectations. I am not saying it is not a smart thing to do for the owners - it is just sad that so many will be losing their jobs at years end or sooner.

It is extremely hard in a small town to make a go of any specialty business. With rent and utilities taking the first thousand plus dollars of your sales there is nothing left for inventory replacement much less earning a salary. The business providing the "must haves" - food, gas, groceries, medicine - are hardly surviving, so you know a specialty shop is really taking a hit.

Our area is flooded with restaurants, drug stores and gas station/convenience stores, but most of the specialty stores have gone to the wayside.

Without a sustaining industry coming to our area, it will not be long til our little town will be a memory of what was.