Steve Huppert
Columnist
Hupps440 @aol.com
The editor of the News Messenger asked me to write a monthly column on people and activities in the New River Valley (NRV). I thought that might be interesting, as I am an old man (80), retired schoolteacher and widower, with few friends. Television has just so much appeal, particularly out of the football season (Go Hokies!). So, I think I will try and write a monthly column.
Hopefully, I will write something that readers are interested in, with a little humor, might be a little off the wall at times, but that is half the fun.
If you know someone who has a topic for a column that will create some interest, have them e-mail me. The beauty of email I can use if I want or discard it. That would include comments about me. Hopefully, on occasion something nice will come out. Good or bad, I might put it in my column. So, you could get some press with just writing a couple sentences.
You might have seen some of my stuff in one of the papers. I was on the Christiansburg Town Council for 16 years, so this is not the first time I have had something to say. I have been writing letters to the editor for many of the fifty years I have lived in Christiansburg. I graduated from Virginia Tech (MSEd), so I am New River Valley through and through.
I don’t know if anyone has read any of my comments in the past, but it makes me feel better putting something on paper.
The two big topics I have been writing about recently are gun control and direct or indirect comments concerning Mr. Trump.
A lot of people think that I want to take guns from everyone. That is not true; but I want to keep guns that belong in the military with the military. That is what I’m talking about. I do worry about the excessive use of firearms. I recently read gun suicides hit a record high in the U.S. in 2023 and homicide were 17,927, just off the annual record.
Because of my feelings on guns my brothers are always telling me to lock my doors at night so no one can shoot me. I look at it the other way, if I lock my doors, the rescue squad can’t get in the house if I have a stroke, heart attack or break a leg. So, I will take my chances.
The thing about Trump topics are never ending. One day you feel copy is getting low and the next day he produces a new batch of material. Some of it makes sense, but most doesn’t.
In the past I have not considered myself a Democrat and or a Republican. I don’t consider Trump is a member of either party. Trump is for Trump that is all he cares about.
In any case I don’t plan to use that much space talking about politics and politicians, good or bad. I am looking into talking about people and things in the community. In the long run it is more interesting and fun.
See you next month.
