This book is a compilation of opinions that Ray Martinez has published in various newspapers that addresses a wide variety of topics and themes from local issues to state and national subject matters.  Just Another Opinion complements Ray's book, Saturday's Opinion.  Writing these stories is challenging and yet a great learning experience.  Undoubtedly, some of these stories/opinions strike a community nerve.  Still others are quite critical of a position or value that Ray expresses.  These stories will cause the reader to pause or stimulate a discussion while looking for solutions.

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The fall of Saigon was the beginning of Mai Tran's adventure as one of the thousands of boat people who escaped from Vietnam.  This is Tran's resilient journey from darkness to light, from hiding in a secluded jungle area, to floating on a small vessel, and eventually embarking onto the Skyluck ship, packed with thousands of refugees for six months and ultimately finding freedom in the USA.
The Mai Tran journey of passion was told to me in Mai's own words: "Growing up in a community of a tightly-woven family that had political ties with South Vietnam, I found myself in a quandary: I would have to leave my country and family, maybe forever.  It was clear that if my family and our cultural heritage were to survive, I must escape and try to find a new life for my whole family--a new beginning. I never once dreamed of being one of the boat people."

"The story is very touching, and it has brought tears to my eyes.  It was well written, and original.  Mai indeed has a great memory about our escape."
Thu-Hong Tran (Mai Tran's sister who escaped with him as young teenagers)

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Spiritual growth is a daily process and, as followers of Christ, we should be striving to learn something new about him and his Word every day. Ray Martinez invites you on a forty day journey of daily inspiration as he captures nuggets of wisdom through life experiences. Follow along as Ray discovers:

• When we're in awkward positions in life or feel abandoned, the best remedy is to retreat back to our origin - the very person who designed and created us to find out the solution.
  
  
• To be inspired requires us to transpire what we have experienced in order to encourage and stir the hearts of others.
  
  
• Mini-prayers are many prayers that have far reaching tentacles into many lives.
  
  
• If we have an ear to hear the heart, then we shall see what God sees for us; his direction.
  

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In 1997 I had recently retired after 25 years in law enforcement and narrowly lost an election bid for a City Council position. Having published a book entitled "A Matter of Survival: Tools, Techniques and Materials to Fight Burglary and Crime" I began writing a weekly column for a community daily newspaper.

My columns addressed a wide variety of topics and themes that I thought would be of interest to community readers. Some topics addressed current political issues that elected officials and citizens were wrestling with in the City and the region. Some columns were intended to educate readers about such things as the origin of local cultural practices or to offer a perspective about some of the social problems that we experience in our community and in our society . Some columns were expressions of some of my heartfelt feelings and experiences that symbolize many of my values and beliefs.

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Baby Boy-R

A real life story about a boy with dreams that come true. He finds his biological mother through a mystery of miracles.

Preface

I put investigative skills acquired from years of working in law enforcement to the test and coupled them with dogged persistence. The journey to finding my missing heritage made me travel to small towns in Colorado, created new relationships that continue today, and revealed new perspectives to me about my life.

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