Ott Observations

Our daily news cycle constantly features district court, appeals court and Supreme Court decisions about actions taken by our executive branch of government. We are a government fighting amongst ourselves. …

In 1956, then-Senator John F. Kennedy wrote a book titled “Profiles in Courage.” It consisted of a series of short biographies describing acts of political bravery and integrity by eight…

Some people think Mother’s Day is a holiday contrived by greeting card companies and florists to sell more of their products.  Certainly the crass commercialization of religious or historical events…

Depending on the day of the week, we have heard many different reasons for President Trump’s proposed and real tariffs.  Many of Trump’s supporters believe he is trying to restore…

This opinion column started with a Letter to the Editor I wrote in November 2020 immediately after the election.  My Republican friends and neighbors were aghast at the pending destruction…

Throughout the first Trump presidency and after, there was constant media banter about the “guardrails of democracy.”  Trump’s use of executive power was unprecedented in our history and raised many…

I think you would be hard-pressed to find an American who doesn’t think our federal government is too big and inefficient.  Accordingly, there should be 100 percent consensus supporting what…

Stewart was one of the last surviving combat pilots of the famed fighter group known as the Tuskegee Airmen. They were the nation’s first Black military pilots. Their “Tuskegee” name…

I once worked for an automotive industry supplier.  We made the metal tongue that snaps into your seat belt buckle.   We were a second tier supplier, selling the tongues to…

This past Jan. 20 was an unusually noteworthy day for all Americans. It was the day we inaugurated a new president, once again transferring power peacefully in a rite of…