Lest people paint all Republican Women’s Clubs as gaggles of silver-haired martini sippers, consider the activities of the Bossier Republican Women’s Club.

In the few years that I’ve been a member of the BRWC, I’ve seen the BRWC tackle such projects as providing school supplies and uniforms for needy children, spearheading book drives for schools and for the new Bossier Veteran’s Home, sending care packages to deployed troops, sponsoring candidate education meetings, and conducting voter registration drives for ALL citizens, regardless of party affiliation - just to name a few.

With little fanfare and even less publicity, the BRWC has maintained ongoing projects which focus on community service and helping those less fortunate, again, without regard to party affiliation.

I’m extraordinarily selective as to where I spend my time, and equally selective when it comes to aligning myself with particular causes or groups. I won’t be part of something that amounts to little more than a social club, be it a secular group or even a church group. Thanks to its leadership, the BRWC is most assuredly not a social club.

There is hardly a month that goes by that the BRWC isn’t promoting another special community service project. That is a direct reflection of BRWC membership, its leadership, and its President, Trish Firth.

These are not isolated feel good projects. Nor or they “easy” projects. All of these projects require the leadership a strong woman who sees the “impossible”, finds a solution, and has the skill to take a diverse group of women, energizing them and imparting to them the vision of the “possible”.

No, you won’t read a word in the print media about all of the wonderful things the BRWC has done for this community. After all, it’s a Republican (that dirty “R” word) group, and worse than that, it’s a conservative group.

And worse than that, the current BRWC President, Trisha Firth, an announced candidate for Bossier Parish Clerk of Court, has a double-whammy label, both Republican AND conservative.

Media coverage or not, I have no doubt that Tricia Firth will continue to lead the BRWC with the same steady vision that keeps me renewing my membership year after year.

{The Bossier Republican Women’s Club meets the fourth Tuesday of each month, at 6:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn on Old Minden Road.}

The much anticipated 2007 Louisiana Legislature Scorecard from the web site of Dr. Jeffrey Sadow has been published HERE.
In the top five scores (100, 95, 90, 85, 80) the only area legislators who appear are:

Mike Powell (Republican) Bossier City/Shreveport…scored an 80
Wayne Waddell (Republican) Shreveport…scored an 80

I’m thinking about trading in my Cuisinart blender for a Blendtec blender. While I’m not a fan of wanton destruction, Blendtech’s demonstrations of the power and efficiency of its products are absolutely amazing. You have to see it to believe it.

But beware, they blend everything from a baseball to an I-Phone. And yes, it is all real.

Dear Senator Vitter:

On more than one occasion, I have sung your praises as a true friend of conservatism. I have even equated your often heroic efforts to those of Superman as you have stood on the floor of the United States Senate providing a conservative voice on bills too numerous to count.

I want to tell you that although my heart breaks for you and Wendy in light of your public admission of infidelity, my exalted opinion of you remains unchanged, and has not been deflated in the least.

I am especially thankful that you have handled the situation from a Biblical perspective. You have not tried to justify your actions, nor have you tried to diminish their effects.

Instead, you have called your actions what God calls them - sin. You have sought forgiveness first from God, then from your wife, then from others. Allow neither your adversaries nor those from within the Christian community to deny you the truth of I John 1:9 - “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

As you will soon discover, far too often, it is the “religious” who are quick to condemn, and it is likely those “religious” from whom you will receive the harshest criticism. Yet, there are multitudes of people who sit in our church pews every Sunday who are not only involved in moral sin, but are even addicted to pornography. No one, not even a conservative Christian U.S. Senator is immune. That is why the Bible tells us, “Be careful how you stand, lest you fall.”

My prayer is that through your example, scores of men and women trapped in moral sin, will realize that God will not throw them under the bus because of their failure. Just like you, if they are willing to admit their sin before a Holy God, they too can receive His forgiveness and mercy - and move on with their lives.

And for those who are haunted by sins of the past, my prayer is that these men and women can once and for all realize that they have have the power to tell the ghosts of past failures that because they are forgiven, they will be haunted no longer.

Yes, your private sin has been made public, and you cannot change that fact. My prayer for you and your family is that God would use this to not only strengthen your marriage, but to cause people from all walks of life to examine their own lives - and with God’s help - make things right.

In Hebrew, your name means, “Beloved”. Trust me, God still loves you.

And I still respect you, and am proud to call you my Senator.

Sincerely,

Evodna Springer

Matt Bellamy of the European rock band Muse illustrated the hypocrisy of this weekend’s global “Live Earth” concerts, referring to the event as “private jets for climate change”.

It’s nice to see someone recognizing hypocrisy and calling it out, even at the risk of alienating those within his own industry.

I wonder if Bellamy might consider becoming a U.S. citizen and resident of Louisiana, and then running for the state legislature. Like a breath of crisp clear air, having a representative or senator who doesn’t talk one way then vote another - that would be a refreshing change. Besides, I’d take an honest rocker over a double-talker any day. {Sigh}

{My music commentary: In the rock/alternative rock genre, Muse produces one of the most innovative sounds to be heard in decades. With easily flowing lyrics, and music that moves within individual songs in unpredictable but purposed directions, Muse is in a class by itself. You can listen to a great deal of their music on YouTube HERE.}