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Regardless of which candidate you supported in the presidential election, it’s time for the country to come together and try to tackle some of our lingering problems. Unemployment, a sluggish economic recovery, high energy prices, the mounting deficit, and a flawed health-care plan all need immediate attention, in addition to the routine demands of the most important job in the country. Either candidate would have had a difficult time addressing these challenges, and for President Barack Obama, the difficulty is increased by higher expectations in his second term.
So far, Obama has fared well in his popularity and ability to handle crises, but the second term is the term most presidents are remembered for. Obama’s legacy will be determined in the next four years, as will the future direction of America.
Will the country become economically healthier? Will immigrants and minorities find a more welcoming atmosphere in the political arena? Or will partisan debates over current issues continue to be divisive enough to prevent the country from finding cures for its many ills.
Obama’s inauguration on Monday will be a celebration for the United States — a celebration of democracy and hope.
It doesn’t matter what party you identify with. The election is over. It’s time now for all sides to come together and form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.
These principles are as essential today as they were when penned in 1787. President Obama, members of Congress, and the American people have the duty to support and promote these principles to keep our country and our democracy healthy.
What We Think
What We Think: A more perfect union
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Historic day celebrated
On January 1, 1863, Pres. Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, announcing that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious areas are and henceforth shall be free.
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How this garden grew
A special-needs couple wanted a garden. A teacher not only wanted to teach gardening skills but she also wanted to instill a sense of community purpose within her young students.
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Happy Father’s Day
He beamed with pride on our birth. He understood worry upon our birth. He is the giant by which we would judge all men. He protected us. He provided for us. He often sacrificed time with us to provide for us. He spent time with us.
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Thumbs up
THUMBS UP: To Stevie Young of Valdosta. The owner of Artistic Taxidermy, Young won Best in the World, Turkey, in the 2013 World Taxidermy Championship. His eastern wild turkey display dominated the competition, earning him the distinction of best in the world. Another title for TitleTown!
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Canning preserves food, way of life
When the going gets tough, the tough getting canning. Valdosta-Lowndes County residents have this opportunity.
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PSST!: Round Two!
With tonight’s opening of “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” Peach State Summer Theatre presents its second show of the 2013 season.
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A responsible fix for pets
The photo and story in Sunday’s paper about the dog whose owners had left him tied up with an electrical cord elicited a tremendous response from readers, outraged at the dog’s treatment.
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A band-aid in a crisis?
The announcement Monday by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities that a crisis stabilization center will be built in Lowndes County is good news for some, not so great for others.
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Slowing down for summer
Twenty-some years ago, it seemed Valdosta and South Georgia slowed down for the summer. School was out. Controversies seemed to dwindle. People seemed to work shorter hours despite the longer days.
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Storms: Of preparation and prayer
If you haven’t already, maybe this morning in church would be a good time to say a prayer of thanks that Tropical Storm Andrea blessed us with some much-needed rain while sparing us the overwhelming catastrophe that weather has wreaked upon the Midwest in recent weeks.
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Historic day celebrated
