That old quote came to mind last week when 17 people were gunned down at a Florida high school. This young man who had been expelled from the school a year earlier mowed his former faculty and fellow students down. The images that came out of the massacre have the [...]]]>

Publisher Jeff Roland

That old quote came to mind last week when 17 people were gunned down at a Florida high school. This young man who had been expelled from the school a year earlier mowed his former faculty and fellow students down. The images that came out of the massacre have the whole country in mourning. A week has almost passed and if you’re like me, still grieved for the families and students.

I can remember in the 80’s the pain and grief we felt as students at Sheffield High School when we lost two of our student body to accidents. My friends Todd Mussard, who died in a motorcycle crash, and Sharon Pace, who died in an automobile accident, were taken from us and the community as a whole. Let me tell you it hurt. So I cannot imagine the dread times 17 that must have befallen this school in Florida and that entire community.  These 17 deaths were not accidents. It was cold-blooded murder. This week, the young gunman’s lawyers are trying to avoid the death penalty with a guilty plea. Will one more death help anything?

We seem to forget these people as statistics. We hear 17 die in a School shooting, the mainstream media seems to treat it like a plane crash or something. But these were 17 daughters, sons, fathers, people with hopes, dreams, plans, and loved ones. Many had been accepted to various colleges and universities. They all had qualities that made them special like my friend Todd’s wit and sense of humor or my friend Sharon’s infectious smile that would light up an entire room.

I’m not saying take guns away.  I’m saying let’s prevent this from happening again and have a conversation on the system that allowed this kid to buy an AR-15. Kids should not have to think about surviving high school.

There seems to be a disconnect with these school shooters. They have no regard for human life. I also have a hard time believing a video game or a movie could ignite this type of behavior. But I do believe when you take God and prayer and discipline out of school the price might be more than we can bear.

Jeff Roland

If you’re like me you were shocked at the events that unfolded this past weekend at a high school football game in Ames, Iowa.

As the national anthem was played thirteen members of the marching band linked arms and walked off the field and the remainder refused to play their [...]]]>

Publisher Jeff Roland

If you’re like me you were shocked at the events that unfolded this past weekend at a high school football game in Ames, Iowa.

As the national anthem was played thirteen members of the marching band linked arms and walked off the field and the remainder refused to play their instruments.

The national news media reported on the incident as students protesting, “social injustice, homophobia, inequality” just to name a few.

Call me old-fashioned but I was just sickened by the whole display.  I couldn’t help but think what my Sheffield High School principal Mr. Howard Jaggers would have done had we tried to pull a stunt like these misguided kids did.

We were blessed to have a principal like Mr. Jaggers.  As the administrator, during the 80’s, he believed in order and discipline. In fact, Mr. Jaggers once told me, “Students learn a lot more when provided an environment conducive to learning,”  In other words, people following the rules, like keeping your mouth shut when the teacher is talking, etc. In fact, things I had difficulty with at times. I loved talking during class.

At the beginning of every school year, Mr. Jaggers would hold an assembly of 350-400 students in the auditorium. It was a show of force and by design let us all know who was boss. We were all cutting up back and forth fresh from summer vacation. He would pace across the stage like a panther demanding order.  Every year he would make an example of the one brave soul who continued to talk or laugh while he was talking. My friend Brack Whitfield, a defensive lineman weighing 288 and six foot four inches tall, made the cut one year. Mr. Jaggers, a black belt in Judo, jumped off the five-foot stage with true cat-like reflexes, ran out into the audience and grabbed Brack up by the shirt. Saying, ” I’ll show you,” You could have heard a pin drop.

No one was hurt but maybe our pride at not being able to do what we wanted to do when we wanted.

Well in actuality Mr. Jaggers showed us all that day how the school would run from day to day. Brack may have got detention hall for the unauthorized talking, I don’t remember but we all made a mental note that it would not be peaches and cream if you were sent to that office.

Every time I see Mr. Jaggers around town, I try to thank him for running that school with decency and order.

The principal at Ames, Iowa, reportedly told the kids to walk off the field and was clearly instrumental in the whole debacle that has cast a long shadow on that school for years to come.

It’s amazing the impact one person can make in the lives of others.

See you next week,

Jeff Roland’s column appears weekly on ShoalsInsider.com. If you have any comments or suggestions, please email us at news@shoalsinsider.com.

I love the old seventies song by Marvin Gay entitled What’s Going On. That’s the question I have been asking myself since the Colin Kaepernick-NFL- National Anthem debacle began.

This week we hear that Kaepernick will stand for the Anthem “If given the chance,” Hint..Hint..Surely some NFL team [...]]]>

Publisher and Columnist Jeff Roland

I love the old seventies song by Marvin Gay entitled What’s Going On. That’s the question I have been asking myself since the Colin Kaepernick-NFL- National Anthem debacle began.

This week we hear that Kaepernick will stand for the Anthem “If given the chance,” Hint..Hint..Surely some NFL team will allow Kaepernick the human hot potato to come play ball. Had he focused on that and not holding people captive with his display of “free speech” by taking a knee during the National Anthem to protest what? It seemed to change from time to time.

I heard it through the Grapevine that Kaepernick only did it to appease his girlfriend. Whatever the reason he has awakened a sleeping giant and a huge knee-jerk reaction from conservatives.  I suspect Kaepernick will be in another line of work next season as he will probably not be signed again. But who knows? Lightning might strike.

Just when you think it’s over, ESPN suspended this week for the second time Sports Center co-host Jemile Hill for her tweet that fans should boycott Jerry Jone’s Dallas Cowboy’s advertisers for his stance on the Kaepernick/Anthem issue.

Trump supporters are saying Ain’t No Mountain High Enough as they are standing steadfast in a proposed NFL boycott. Every Trump supporter I talk with claims they will never watch another NFL game. I can’t help but believe them as they speak with such conviction and gravity on the issue.

Vice-President Pence walked out of a game on Sunday due to the players taking a knee. It seems the more the players protest the more popular Trump becomes.

There just seems to be a lot of confusion on this issue. It all depends on who you ask. Some say Kaepernick and the players are in the right and some say it’s patriotic blasphemy.

At the end of the day, I wonder what kind of example these players that take a knee are setting for the youth of the country.

See You Next Week

Jeff Roland is the Publisher of ShoalsInsider.com. For questions or comments email news@shoalsinsider.com

By: Jeff Roland

There’s plenty to do this weekend in the Shoals Area.

You don’t want to miss “A Day with Rey” It runs Friday and Saturday, Sept. 28-Sept 30, at 7:30 pm and on Sunday, Oct 1, at 2 pm.

The original production “A Day with Rey,” written by Jesse Sockwell and [...]]]>

By: Jeff Roland

There’s plenty to do this weekend in the Shoals Area.

You don’t want to miss  “A Day with Rey” It runs Friday and Saturday, Sept. 28-Sept 30, at 7:30 pm and on Sunday, Oct 1, at 2 pm.

The original production “A Day with Rey,” written by Jesse Sockwell and directed by Brandon Willcutt.

It stars Jesse Sockwell, Harmony Malone, Joy Ragland, Melanie Dickens and Gabriel Goodloe.

Tickets are $12 and available online at www.historiczodiacplayhouse.com or at the door.

The play brings real issues that people in life go through today and puts them on the stage in a realistic setting.

The Zodiac Playhouse is located at 416 North Court Street in Florence.

Also, this Saturday at McFarland Park is the Shoals Dragon Boat Festival. I posted a video below for those who want to see what it’s like.

It’s neat to watch all the work that goes into the annual effort.  All proceeds go to Kilby Laboratory School. It kicks off at 9:00 am Saturday.

On a more serious note, the 2nd Annual Blue Light Vigil is Saturday night from 7:00 until 11:00.  The event honors our fallen heroes in Blue.

The event will be at the Cowboy Church of Colbert County located at 3440 Highway 157, Leighton.

There will be a ringing of the toll. Guest speakers such as Colbert County Sheriff Frank Williamson, Lawrence County Sheriff Gene Mitchell, Tuscumbia Chief Tony Logan and more are scheduled to speak.

Retired Officer Bobby V. Inman is also scheduled to speak.

At dark, the Officers will turn on their blue lights during the calling of the fallen Heros.

Hats off to the event organizer Amanda Skipworth for her work putting the vigil and speakers together.

The Velcro Pygmies will play at the FloBama, 311 N. Court Street, in Florence Friday night at 9:oo until midnight.

I can’t wait to see these guys jam out. These old boys really know how to put on a show. If you haven’t seen them perform, here’s your chance.

Have a Fun and Safe Weekend!

ShoalsInsider.com-Keeping You Informed

If you’re like me, you’re getting tired of seeing and hearing these millionaire NFL players whine and disrespect the country by not standing for the national anthem. I probably wouldn’t have called them a “Son of a bitch,” like President Trump did. But I see a pattern developing [...]]]>

Publisher and Columnist Jeff Roland

If you’re like me, you’re getting tired of seeing and hearing these millionaire NFL players whine and disrespect the country by not standing for the national anthem. I probably wouldn’t have called them a “Son of a bitch,” like President Trump did. But I see a pattern developing among these naysayers.

I stood at a Sheffield Highschool football game recently for the anthem and the lowering of the colors. Sheffield won that night, by the way, but, I respect the flag and what it stands for regardless of who occupies the White House. Several professional athletes are saying the President is misusing his position as leader of the free world for calling them out when in reality, they are doing the very same thing.  We have all heard the saying it’s like the pot calling the kettle black. This saying rings true during all of these recent verbal attacks.

Colin Kaepernick, the millionaire 49ers player that started this whole thing, is still unemployed.  I do not agree with him on his notion that the American flag and the National Anthem is a sign or symbol of oppression.  Far from it my friends. That flag has and is still an inspiration for billions of people around planet Earth. People have and still do risk their lives fighting for that flag and the ideals that it stands for. Many paid the ultimate price to ensure our freedoms and rights.

A recent poll asked NFL fans if their favorite team hired Kaepernick would they stop supporting the team. 70 percent said yes they would stop supporting their favorite NFL team if they hired Kaepernick.

Is the National Football League so patriotic that this man taking a knee at the anthem should be kept without a job? Absolutely not. NFL teams are businesses and they are there to make money and teams can’t make money if there are no fans to buy tickets and licensed products.

Kaepernick has become a political and business hot potato and would quickly be the kiss of death for any NFL team that signed him on board and they know it.

I always remember the old slogan  All gave some, Some gave all. It is normally used to honor those that served and those that paid the ultimate price in battle for the freedom and rights we enjoy.

It seems Kaepernick in his arrogance or in his miscalculations has become an unemployable martyr.

What can we learn from the Kaepernick fiasco? Sometimes you have to put your money where your mouth is and sometimes it’s just best to keep your mouth shut.

See You Next Week

Jeff Roland

Jeff Roland is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of ShoalsInsider.com. His column appears weekly.

 If you have any questions or comments, please email them to news@shoalsinsider.com