Louis Roney: Words from the wise

•As a U.S. Naval officer who served four years in World War II, under Admirals Nimitz and Halsey, and Generals Marshall and Eisenhower, my disappointment at the way President Obama is leading us in this present undeclared war of terrorism is horrific to witness. Presidents are the leaders of all our generals and admirals but very few presidents have military “smarts.”

This President hasn’t even led a Boy Scout troop. Our main goal at this time should be to bring our enormous firepower both on the ground and in the air to the task of decimating the enemy, inflicting maximum casualties on his troops. If we are not in this fight to win it, we shouldn’t be in it at all.

• Aphorism: A concise, usually witty remark, which contains a general truth.

“If God wanted us to vote, he would have given us good candidates.” Jay Leno “The problem with the worst political jokes is they get elected!” Henry Cate “We hang the petty thieves, and elect the really great thieves to public office.” Aesop “When I was a boy I was told that anybody could grow up to be President. Now, I believe it!” Clarence Darrow “I have come to the conclusion that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.” Charles de Gaulle “Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be wiser to change the locks.” Doug Larson • Many logical truths are self evident, and need no elaborate propping-up. A good example might be that a man can choose his mate, but cannot his siblings. That fact is perhaps why a mate seems to have rights under the law that are not so easily claimed by the sibling.

Clearly “inheritance” applies to those of a specific legal status, which makes it so often a subject of contentious squabbling and dramatic courtroom noise.

• Orlando Life Magazine reports that its 2014 Readers Choice Silver Spoon Award for favorite Chinese restaurant is Jum-Bo on Aloma Avenue.

• Days in the 80s, day after day, nights cool and balmy. We are so lucky to live in Florida while so much of the rest of the country has its winter. My b.w., who is an Ohioan by birth, is by now completely in love with Florida, and thinks it was brilliant that we bought a house in Winter Park on our honeymoon. I, who was raised in Winter Park and graduated from WPHS, was delighted that b.w. didn’t need to be sold on life in Florida. Even when it’s cool — it’s better. Rollins’ President Hamilton Holt used to tell us kids not to brag about Winter Park if we visited relatives up north, because if we did everyone would flock to WP and our little secret haven would be a secret no more. So I didn’t come back to WP for 40 years, singing opera and concerts all over the U.S. and Europe. Somewhere in the back of my mind I nurtured the idea of a return to WP. On our honeymoon, when b.w. wanted to see “the little town where I grew up,” I was surprised, but delighted. Sometimes things just work out!

• Hillary is a figure whom I do not trust, and never have. She arouses my feelings of deep dislike as a person and a politician and I would be happy to see her out of sight. The fact that as Secretary of State, she bungled Bengazi, and four Americans died. We still don’t know what happened. Until the truth “ouches,” ta, ta Hillary....

• In 1776 John Adams (not yet President) wrote: “The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue. And if this cannot be inspired into our people in a great measure than they have it now, they may change their rulers, and their forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty.”

How come those old guys were so smart?