Stop Endangering Lives with ‘Hot’ Police Pursuits
Here in Jackson, the police department has caught up with modern criminal-justice best practices based on the reality that high-speed police pursuits must be limited to situations where the risk of not pursuing is higher than the risk of a pursuit.
Free-the-Land Man (For Chokwe Lumumba)
Poet and fiction writer C. Liegh McInnis, the editor of Black Magnolias, read this poem at Mayor Lumumba's Celebration of Life on March 8.
Irish Wisdom, Irish Pride
While Ireland and Mississippi might be miles apart, geographically and culturally, the two have more in common than you might believe.
Does He Love Me?
Just as mental illness is a serious disease, so is alcoholism. The National Institutes of Health says most people who seek treatment are able to fight alcoholism.
Brother Lumumba, A True Leader
Leaders don't stop leading when the election is over. Leaders don't pop up only during election year. Leaders lead even when there is nothing to win except the people's prize.
Take a Breath, Jackson
Still, it is completely irresponsible for both elected officials and supposedly "real" media outlets to spread the rumor that Lumumba was murdered.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Murdered'
Stokes' remarks represent not only an ugly distraction as Jackson continues to grieve Lumumba's loss and wonder what the future holds for their city government, but a painful distraction for Lumumba's family.
A Quantum Leap
Johnny McPhail and Lana Turner have something in common. The six-feet-four-inch, 215-pound, longhaired, mustachioed north Mississippi farm boy-turned-actor and the Hollywood sex siren of yesteryear both got discovered in a cafe.
State Worker Pay Raise Could Jumpstart Economy
Last month, in a story that didn't receive a huge amount of media coverage, state economist Darrin Webb told a legislative panel that the state of Mississippi is—not projected to be, is—the No. 1 employer in the state.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Backward'
The administration's mouthpiece should tone the sanctimonious rhetoric a bit.
Long and Winding Road
"Our last artist on the mic is the Unknown Satirical Poet who will address class tensions in America by sharing his altered version Paul McCartney's 'Long and Winding Road.'"
Is Thug the New N-Word?
Thug is not just being thrown around in a few instances, it is the new politically correct code word whites use to n*ggerize blacks, or put them in their place.
Yes, We Need To Continue Talking About ‘It’
People who go through structured discussions that focus on race and culture in America frequently report that it can dramatically change their lives.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Save'
Rep. Gipson, who is a lawyer and a minister, has a warped perception of salvation and the law.
Playing Politics with Abortion
Our lawmakers are choosing to focus on abortion because it is low-hanging fruit to get political points with their base.
The Joshua Generation
Like everyone who has young people in their lives they love, it is terrifying to me that someone might gun down my baby brother for participating in a senior-year prank or for mouthing off to some cranky guy at a gas station.
Kicking the Hornet’s Nest
Yesterday, I saw a Facebook photo of Kansas state lawmaker Allan Rothlisberg, R-Junction City, with the following attached quote: "If I was a woman over 50, I wouldn't need gynecological services."
Felons Deserve Voting Rights Back
Eric Holder, the U.S. Attorney General, wants states to roll back laws that prevent people who have been convicted of a felony from voting.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Hear'
During his time as a Republican, Jeff Smith, who chairs the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which oversee taxation, has walked the Republican Party line.
Everybody Plays the Fool
Miss Doodle Mae: "Jojo, our fearless leader, sensed his discount dollar-store staff feeling hopeless and depressed. So he gave a very straightforward and passionate message during the morning staff meeting."
Embrace All Forms of Downtown Housing
The building at 300 W. Capitol St. is the nicest public housing in the state. Or so its last two occupants—currently, Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, and his predecessor, Haley Barbour—like to quip about the domicile, better known as the Mississippi Governor's Mansion.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Survive'
In several states, heartbeat bills have met legal fights from reproductive-rights advocates who say the bills are designed to trample on women's legal rights to obtain abortions.
Gov. Phil Bryant’s Welfare-Queen Rhetoric
There are no simple fixes for poverty in our state. Yet, instead of coming up with a multifaceted comprehensive plan to help, Phil Bryant is feeding us bumper-sticker slogans and welfare-queen rhetoric.
Absence and Fondness
In a long-distance relationship, it's important to see each other as often as possible, even if we're not physically seeing each other.
Labor Rights, Civil Rights
A group of workers, preachers and activists traveled from Mississippi to Detroit recently to proclaim what should be a core issue of 2014. "Labor rights are civil rights," Open Door Mennonite Church pastor Horace McMillon of Jackson told folks at the North American International Auto Show.
Drilling, One Lake Need Real Public Airing-Out
We oppose the state's plan to lease parcels in Mississippi's magnificently pristine sound to exploration and oil and gas drilling.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Lady Mayor'
While gender (or race or class) certainly has a place in some political and policy discussions, whether Zimmer is a lady or a man has absolutely nothing to do with the controversies surrounding the administration of Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.