Opinion

OPINION: More Transparency from JPD Needed

It has been more than two weeks since two Jackson Police Department officers extra-judicially killed beloved daughter, mother and Jackson State University student Crystaline Barnes. The community waits in suspense for some facts on what happened on Jan. 27, 2018.

EDITORIAL: Time to Implement Criminal Justice Reforms

Four years ago, the Legislature patted itself on the back for reforming Mississippi's criminal-justice system with sweeping legislation that was arguably one of the most impactful pieces of public policy passed in recent years.

OPINION: Not a Heritage to Celebrate

The "Anglo-American law enforcement heritage" is one of violence, racism and exploitation. This is a heritage to be scorned, a dark mark to be expunged. This is not, contrary to what Attorney General Sessions thinks, a heritage to be celebrated.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: The Solution Isn’t Rocket Science; It’s Community

The more hands-off we are, the more we can find other people to blame for society's ills; the more we make selfishness a virtue, the less we actually act in our self-interest by being engaged civically and using our collective talents, intelligence and hard work to solve problems.

OPINION: Mississippi Lawmakers, Take Down the State Flag

My grandmother, who lived her entire life in Mississippi, made sure I understood what the Confederate symbol stands for, and I know that many of you were told the same stories as I.

OPINION: Anti-Gang Act Would Be a Disaster for Mississippi

The Mississippi Anti-Gang Act flies in the face of recent legislative efforts to reduce our unsustainable prison population—which is currently the fourth highest per capita in the country.

OPINION: Marriage: Not Just About the Vows

Marriage is a never-ending compromise. People like to think that as long as you love each other, it is a breeze. Lies! In fact, at the end of the day, love is only a tool that can be used to get you through rough times.

EDITORIAL: Legislators, Kill the Flawed Voucher Bill

The notion of "school choice" is deeply embedded in the Capitol this session. Senate Education Chairman Gray Tollison, R-Oxford, wants to expand the state's voucher program drastically, allowing any child in public school to use a voucher next year.

OPINION: Medical Marijuana: Solution to Opioid Crisis?

Given the current crisis associated with widespread opioid abuse, dependence and deaths, Mississippi's leaders must find an effective and safer alternative to prescribing narcotics.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Show Love for the Local

Each year, on the week of Feb. 14, we party like it's every couple's wedding or dating anniversary on the exact same day. Before February even rolled around, I started getting emails from Amazon and all other manner of online market touting sales on a special something for my special someone.

EDITORIAL: City Contracting Is a Mess, Must Be Repaired

It didn't take two women who can't get payment for hauling nasty sludge from a wastewater-treatment plant to convince the Jackson Free Press that the City's contracting system is a mess, and ripe for abuse and corruption.

OPINION: The Battle for Clear Water and Control in Jackson

Recently, the Jackson City Council dropped its appeal to block the West Rankin Utility Authority from building its own wastewater facility in lieu of using Jackson's Savanna Street treatment plant. Public Works Director Bob Miller made this recommendation as a "good faith" appeal to show Jackson will be a better service provider.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Fresh Eyes on the Capital City

When dancers in the USA International Ballet Competition refer to the competition in Jackson (which, by the way, is the only one of its kind in the U.S.), they simply refer to it as "Jackson."

OPINION: Jackson is the ‘Sole’ of Mississippi

Jackson is the only city in Mississippi referred to as the "capital," the only one with a star or some symbol that indicates its presence on a map, the largest city in our state, and the city that hosts the Mississippi Capitol. Jackson is special. As much as some would like to throw out the whole shoe, Jackson's sole is built strong and solid.

OPINION: Reform for a Broken System

The Salas family is one of many in Mississippi and the U.S. caught in the madness of the immigration debate and politicians' failure to pass real and meaningful reform to a broken system.

OPINION: Time to Work Across Aisle on Ed Funding

After lawmakers went home in April 2017, there were no public meetings, hearings or presentations to offer clues as to whether the Republican supermajority planned to use all, part, some or none of EdBuild's suggested changes to the state's education funding formula.

OPINION: Be an Urban Warrior in and for Jackson

Regardless of how you feel about politics at a national level, we all love seeing Jackson grow and improve. The one thing many people don't realize is that we can all be urban warriors for our city.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Celebrating Local Urban Warriors for 16 Years Now

In the first-ever full issue of the Jackson Free Press in October 2002, we had a Best of Jackson ballot, with plans to reveal the winners the following January—just as we do to this day, 16 Best of Jackson ballots and celebrations in.

OPINION: A Student of Life

Truth is the truth whether you sugarcoat it or not. It doesn't change the facts if you write it down on a notepad with hearts and smiles, won't change the meaning if you sing the words or speak slowly.

EDITORIAL: Tell the Truth Now, Politic Later

Ever since Gov. Phil Bryant gave his "State of the State" address, and "Mississippi Today" chose to factcheck it but not the Democratic respondent, the media circuit around the capitol as well as some state lawmakers have been busy debating whether it is possible to be both nonpartisan and unbiased.

OPINION: Project EJECT: A War On Jackson

Project EJECT is not original, and it is not a novel way to combat violence. It is the failed "war on drugs"; it is New York's unconstitutional "Stop and Frisk" program and all other "tough on crime" crusades. Like all of them, it will result in collateral damage to society's most vulnerable.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Reps. John Lewis, Bennie Thompson to Attend Grand Celebration of Mississippi Civil Rights Museum

U.S. Reps. John Lewis and Bennie Thompson are attending the Grand Celebration and Gala at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum on Feb. 23 and 24. Both will receive awards.

OPINION: Support Other Women

“What I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have.” —Oprah Winfrey, Golden Globes 2018

OPINION: Why The Silence on Project EJECT?

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. understood that at a certain point, silence becomes betrayal. Nearly 50 years later, too many individuals are still unwilling to break away from the shackles of political expediency, personal allegiances and popular opinion.

EDITORIAL: Water Successes, Public Information Losses

The new year ushered in a freezing cold front that put our pipes and infrastructure to the test. Seeing that we're in the second week of the year and also week two of a system-wide boil-water notice, Jackson didn't quite pass.

EDITOR'S NOTE: #TIMESUP for Sexual Harassment

The women who wore black at the Golden Globes and called men out are right. It's time we stopped being OK with gender inequality and sexual harassment, and those micro-aggressions toward women.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Fighting Like a Woman in 2018

Like many women, I grew up in a world where our careers were already subject to the approval of the men who tend to run and fund stuff, and if I was too loud, too outspoken, too sassy, the powers-that-decide would move along to a woman, or probably a man, who wasn't.

Ellington