OPINION: My Thoughts
FILE PHOTO - Bart Moss is a freelance writer and photographer for the Franklin County Times and principal of Phil Campbell High School.
Bart Moss, He Says, My Thoughts, Opinion, Z - Top, Z - TOP HOME
Bart Moss For the FCT
 By Bart Moss For the FCT  
Published 6:06 pm Tuesday, March 4, 2025

OPINION: My Thoughts

He Says

What a week it was! Where do we start? Geopolitical? State? Local? Let’s get the easy stuff out of the way first …

Cheerleader tryouts have been going on across the county for the past couple of weeks. This is an argument my mom (who was a cheer coach for 40 years) and my sisters (both cheerleaders and cheer coaches) have had for a long time. Cheer coaches should choose who they want to be cheerleaders at their schools, or at least have a majority of the say …

Why we allow outsiders to have an oversized say in who is, or is not, on our cheer teams is absurd to me. If you told a football, basketball, baseball or volleyball coach they would have to hire an outside consultant to choose their team they would laugh at you and resign. And don’t tell me it is different. It is not. If someone doesn’t have the ability, right attitude, can’t be at practice or games, can’t be a team player, etc., you cut them. And the best person to know the answer to those questions is? The cheer coach … Never mind the easy stuff …

Auburn dismantled Kentucky on the road at Rupp Arena to claim a share of the regular season SEC championship. A few hours later, the Tigers, with much thanks to their rival, claimed the outright title. How Alabama let that game at Tennessee get away from them is crazy! With just a few seconds to go in the game there is fourpoint play by Tennessee to tie the game, a jump ball, a five-second violation on an inbounds pass by Alabama, and inexplicably, Alabama lets Tennessee dribble the length of the court and take a clean look at a gamewinning three pointer for the win. March Madness is upon us …

The Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) held its state championships in Birmingham’s Legacy Arena this week. The official attendance count was 58,759 for the 42-game tournament that spanned six days. Saturday was the most attended day, which was the finals of the Class 6A and Class 7A games — 13,027 people showed up to watch those games …

According to the Wall Street Journal, school districts around the country are spending tens of millions of dollars to expand and revamp high-school shop classes for the 21st century. They are betting on the future of manual skills, offering vocationaleducation classes that will give students more career prospects with or without college …

In geopolitical news, if ever the genius of George Washington and Alexander Hamilton was on display, it waslastweek.TheFounders warned America of foreign entanglements. Russian President Vladamir Putin is a bad, bad man. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is worse. He is arrogant and ignorant — a dangerous combination, especially when fighting a nuclear power like Russia. The reality of the whole situation is Russia could end this war with the drop of one or two bombs like the U.S. did in Japan. Trump is right. Zelenskyy holds no cards. Time to end the war!

This war is one of the main reasons we’ve had runaway inflation. Remember back when Joe Biden told us we would just have to sacrifice. I think we’ve sacrificed enough! And for those who have knee-jerk reactions to anything Trump, I didn’t say I like Putin. I don’t. I just know Zelenskyy is operating on what amounts to liquid courage. He is drunk on power and uses other people’s money and weapons.

Have a great week!

Bart Moss is a freelance writer and photographer for the Franklin County Times and principal of Phil Campbell High School.

Read LAST WEEK’s column HERE.

Also on Franklin County Times
Baker unseats Murray for Franklin Co. District 1 seat
Franklin County, News, Z - News Main
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
June 17, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — District 1 residents in Franklin County will have a new commissioner in November after Curtis Baker defeated incumbent Grayson Murray i...
Attempted murder is added to shooting charges
Main, News, Russellville, ...
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
June 17, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — A Tuscumbia man now faces an attempted murder charge in addition to the 23 other criminal charges he faces after admitting to shooting ...
County receives $5K for 250th events
Main, News, Russellville
By Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
June 17, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Franklin County will receive $5,000 in funding for events related to celebrating America’s 250th birthday. The Alabama USA Semiquincent...
New sign honors Keeton’s community service
Main, News, Red Bay, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
June 17, 2026
RED BAY — The quarter- mile Hoyt Keeton Walking Trail now has a new sign. Keeton family members, city officials and community supporters recently gath...
Franklin had 13% of advocacy center cases
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
June 17, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Andrea’s Arbor in Franklin County accounted for 13% of cases recorded in 2025 by Cramer Children’s Advocacy Center. Andrea’s Arbor is a...
UNA ups tuition $300 for undergrads
News
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
June 17, 2026
FLORENCE — The University of North Alabama Board of Trustees is considering a tuition and fee schedule Friday that will increase undergraduate costs b...
EAST FRANKLIN ATHLETIC EVENT
High School Sports, Sports
June 17, 2026
ALL PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED/EAST FRANKLIN JUNIOR HIGH 10 For 10 Club Boys A-Team basketball awards Boys B-Team basketball awards Cheerleader awards Girls b...
Main Street hosts ‘Summer on Jackson’
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
June 17, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — People gathered downtown Saturday evening for “Summer on Jackson,” a Main Street event featuring food, shopping and family activities. ...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *