Opinion

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Okay, maybe I’m approaching this from a position of privilege.

One of my earliest memories is of tagging along to my mother’s former grammar school when she voted. Social Studies was one of my favorite elementary school classes. Mr. Lowry’s junior high Civics class taught us about polling, current events and debate skills. I made straight A’s when I minored in Political Science in college.

So I’m a wee bit prejudiced when I applaud the arrival of the book “Restoring the City on a Hill: U.S. History & Civics in America’s Schools.”

The authors recommend a rebooted K-12 emphasis on the documents, historical figures, Supreme Court cases, core principles and sacred duties that used to bring us together as Americans.

(To their credit, the authors avoid divisiveness by relegating the easily misinterpreted phrase “dumb as a sack of wet rocks” to the appendix of a future edition.)

At least 9 out of 10 applicants for legal immigration routinely pass a rigorous citizenship test, but an alarmingly high percentage of native-born Americans experience difficulty listing the three branches of government (“Lather, rinse, repeat?”) or remembering the name of their state legislator. (“My letter to Mr. Free Beans and Barbecue got returned by the United States Postal Service, which I believe was founded as part of the space shuttle program!”)

We were more knowledgeable back in my day, but even then, civic awareness was on a downhill slide. It was a matter of priorities; many of my peers would’ve loved reading The Federalist Papers, but first they had to score some Zig-Zag papers.

Many school districts don’t really offer old-fashioned Civics instruction anymore, unless you count endless school-spirit “dress-up” days where students poke around in their parents’ closet and ask what happened to the powdered wigs they wore in school.

If we’re to find solutions to our apathy and ignorance, we have to ask ourselves if we’re part of the problem.

If you think that “the right to assemble” was put into the Bill of Rights because of bribes from IKEA…

If you think that “bicameral” has something to do with the spectrum of confections…

If you think the Electoral College should let its athletes profit from merchandising…

If you think the inscription beneath the Statue of Liberty says, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses…we’ll leave a light on for you…”

If you think that “civic engagement” is a step toward marrying your Honda…

…you just might need to get a refresher course.

If our graduates are going to maximize their performance in the Real World and serve as an inspiration for newly minted citizens, they need at least a working knowledge of eminent domain, filibusters, jury duty, petitions, referendums, trade deficits and the causes of inflation.

But let’s strive for neutrality. Some schools that do provide Civics courses encourage the teachers to use them as training grounds for misguided activism. (“Today we’re going to protest the inequity of the summer solstice. Everyone glue your hands to the sun. Ouch! Owie!”)

Yes, some educators yearn to indoctrinate their students into dissing our traditions and institutions. On the plus side, at least this uncovers other inadequacies.

“I’m not standing for the National Anthem. I’m taking a …bendy thing between the upper part of your leg and the lower part of your leg.”

*Sigh* Maybe it’s time to reevaluate biology as well.

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By Tony Farkas
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We’ve made it to 2024, so you know what that means?

It’s time to make those pesky New Year’s resolutions. You know, when you promise to lose weight, or stop eating gravy fries, or to exercise, or to learn how to make origami cranes or ninjas.

I found the whole practice to be a head-scratcher, since about 12 ½ seconds after making a resolution, it’s broken (cause there’s no force on this earth that will make me stop loving and eating gravy fries).

Yes, I realize that I should stop, and should take up regular, but moderate, exercise, like walking and such, but who am I kidding? I’m currently at the age and girth where that will be akin to torture, and the Geneva Convention prohibits that, so pass the gravy, please.

While poking holes in my ambition is fun, there is one resolution I have kept for years, and one I will bequeath to you in hopes you will also take up and keep.

This year also is significant in that it’s another election year, one I feel is more significant than most in the past.

For many years, our nation has been rampaging toward a brand of socialism that will leave the republic in rubble. Elected officials have ceased to represent, and instead have decided voters what them to be leaders, part of an elite cadre of folks that are part Santa Claus, part Judge Roy Bean, with a smidge of your parents mixed in.

Bit by bit, degree by degree, our liberties have been eroded in the name of safety, while our elected overlords enjoy the fruits of our labors. In order to keep that power, laws and regulations have been enacted that curb our abilities to call them to the carpet.

They can pass laws that protect them from us while breaking laws themselves, meddle in areas that any government should not meddle (health care, science, energy, etc.), and all the while ignoring the tenets of their positions. They fail to represent their constituency, ignore their oaths to protect the country (look to the Texas border), and throw money at countries while their own people are suffering.

We are monitored in our daily lives almost completely: bank transactions, internet searches and messages, telephone conversations. Our purchases are tracked, our travel is subject to scrutiny or will be allowed only with the blessing of the government.

From birth to death, we are surrounded by control.

Here’s my resolution for you: resolve to hold your elected officials to account.

There is a gentleman of my acquaintance who shows up to every meeting of a county commission, and every meeting asks them to answer his questions about their spending or their reasons for their voting positions. While it hasn’t resulted in wholesale changes, the commission has paid more attention to its voting, and makes sure the residents are given information.

Call them. Write them. Email them. Do it more than once; do it as many times as it takes to not only get a response.

Also, vote. Vote every election, no matter how small. The only vote that doesn’t matter is the one that’s not cast.

Tony Farkas is publisher of the San Jacinto News-Times and the Trinity County News-Standard. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication.

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Special to the News-Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In October, Rep. Morgan Luttrell introduced the Review Every Veterans Claim Act and the Veteran Appeals Decision Clarity Act.

HR 5890 would prohibit the VA from denying a claim based on the sole reason that a veteran failed to appear for a VA examination that VA scheduled in conjunction with a claim for VA benefits, and HR 5891 would allow veterans to make an informed decision on whether to file a supplemental claim after receiving an unfavorable VA Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) decision on their claim for VA benefits, thus ensuring that this step of the appeals process is an effective means of ending the appeals process hamster wheel.

Both pieces of legislation were passed through full committee markup in December and now await final passage in the House.

“Our veterans deserve the highest quality of care, making it critical to address the various claims issues within the VA,” Luttrell said. “The two bipartisan bills I introduced will prevent the VA from denying claims for trivial reasons and provide additional options for veterans filing supplemental claims.”

This month, Luttrell introduced the Mark Our Place Act. The legislation would amend current law to allow family members, Veterans Service Organizations, or cemetery administrators to request the VA provide a headstone for Medal of Honor recipients, regardless of their date of death. Currently, this is only available to Medal of Honor recipients that served after 1917.

“We should not put a limited time frame on recognizing Medal of Honor recipients,” Luttrell said. “The Mark Our Place Act will remove unnecessary red tape prohibiting the VA from providing headstones with Medal of Honor markers to veterans buried in private cemeteries. These veterans have risked everything to protect our freedoms, and honoring their service and sacrifice should be timeless.”

Following a VA employee posting an antisemitic video online, Luttrell led his colleagues in a letter to VA Secretary Dennis McDonough requesting an immediate update on the investigation and any disciplinary actions taken.

National Security and Defense

America faces unprecedented threats from China and ongoing threats from Russia, Iran, North Korea, and terrorist organizations. All of the country’s adversaries are aligned in their desire to end American dominance. Threats from these adversaries are constantly evolving. To stay ahead of these threats, DoD comes to Congress each year requesting critical new authorities and changes to existing law, known as the National Defense Authorization Act.

Luttrell was named as a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee representative conferee to the NDAA Conference Committee. As part of the Conference Committee, made up of senators and representatives, Luttrell worked to resolve the bicameral differences in the NDAA for FY24 and ensure a robust legislative package makes certain our nation is ready to fight.

The FY24 NDAA includes a 5.2 percent pay raise for service members; prohibits funding for critical race theory in the military; continues the prohibition on adverse action on any service member that refuses or refused the COVID vaccine while beginning a path back to service; and overall boosts defense spending to provide much-needed funding for our military and national security, as our nation faces unprecedented threats from around the globe.

Luttrell also had several provisions included in the House-passed legislation, including support for PTSD treatments, improvements on cybersecurity infrastructure and AI based cyber threat detection, and support for funding Texas’ military installations.

“I know how important a well-equipped military force is to protect our country,” he said. “As a member of the House Armed Services Committee and an NDAA conferee, I am proud of the work we did with the 2024 NDAA to boost defense spending to provide much-needed funding for our military and national security, as our nation faces unprecedented threats from around the globe.”

Addressing the Border Crisis

Luttrell cosponsored legislation to prohibit a remain-in-Texas policy for illegal aliens who cross the border. The Biden administration is reportedly seeking to implement policies that would force migrants to remain in Texas while awaiting asylum screening. This bill would prohibit Secretary Mayorkas from implementing or enforcing this policy.

Luttrell also sent a letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbot and Attorney General Ken Paxton addressing major concerns about Colony Ridge in Liberty County.

Luttrell signed onto a letter to the Biden Administration requesting information regarding the decision to restart border barrier construction — but only in Starr County — calling into question the real motives behind the Administration’s decision.

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By Tony Farkas

There’s so many opportunities to wax philosophic on the world of today, that I have had enough, at least for this week.

I will return to my regularly scheduled rants directly since developments recently have again had me scratching my head (like certain court rulings or papal decrees).

For instance, I recently found a version of a computer game online that used to play “back in the day,” meaning back when the Tandy TRS-80 was top-of-the-line. It’s a roguelike game, mostly text and ASCII characters, but was the precursor to all of the games of today, like Elder Scrolls.

Larn only requires a keyboard, a little imagination and a whole lot of patience. It’s at larn.org, if you want to relive old-school gaming.

(I really is beginning to border on an obsession.)

This happened recently: I was loading my family up to take them to enjoy a Christmas dinner with the mother-in-law in the senior living center. As we were making room for the crew, a woman passing by the house told me just how much she liked my yard decorations.

(I have a large, wooden Santa and sleigh, complete with reindeer, that I piece together each year, as well as a display of angels trumpeting the birth of Christ. Plus an entire herd of lighted deer, which the regular deer enjoy and see as kindred spirits.)

Last Wednesday, I took one of two trips to Lone Star Lights, a 17-acre Christmas Extravaganza near Riverside, which is part of the Carolina Creek Camps.

I wrote about the park a few weeks ago, but I can tell you more now: I felt like a kid again.

I was with the family the second time, and was there not for work but for fun, and fun, or at least what can be considered fun for a 60-plus-year-old fluffy guy, was had.

There was a poignant moment as well, when sitting in the “Reason for the Season” section, when I actually felt at peace, which is rare as hen’s teeth.

The most exciting and wonderful moment, however, was watching my children, now 18 and 16, react to the place and actually be happy, enjoy the offerings like snowball fights, petting a variety of critters and even decorating cookies.

(The laughter of children, especially your children, is a priceless gift. Cherish it)

These are some of the few moments in a year full of turmoil that show me just how blessed I am, and that despite a world full of idjits, malcontents and political nightmares, there’s good people and times out there for everyone.

Or, to paraphrase one of my favorite authors, I won’t worry, because there is also love in the world.

Tony Farkas is editor of the San Jacinto News-Times and the Trinity County News-Standard and wishes everyone a healthy and happy holiday season. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..