Opinion

Chamber, Work With the Mayor

The Jackson Free Press has often agreed with Sen. John Horhn over the years, and we're finding that new Ward 1 City Councilman Quentin Whitwell can be a breath of fresh air out of north Jackson on many issues.

[Stiggers] Post-Judgment Refund

"Remember: In the ghetto everything is everything, and everything at Jojo's is still a dollar."

[Kamikaze] Trash Talking

Let's put some accurate information onto the turnpike, shall we? Crime in Jackson is down. Dropping. Heading south. It's a slow decline, yes, but a decline, nonetheless. For those of you who liken Jackson to the streets of Medellin, Colombia, during the Pablo Escobar era, I'm sorry to inform you that overall crime has dropped 5 percent since this time last year.

[Halkias] Love Lost and Gained

On a recent drive home, I started crying, in part because of an argument I had with my mom. I also had a mix of emotions after a weekend trip to New Orleans to visit a close friend and to see Arcade Fire perform at Jazz Fest.

Strenuous Liberty

I saw an earth-shattering tweet yesterday. The Fairview Inn in Belhaven was tweeting the link to their blog post heralding the Freedom Riders' anniversary. So what, you might respond. It's just a nice hotel doing good marketing.

A Newspaper Is Born

Never in the history of journalism, as we know it in the State of Mississippi, has any newspaper from its inception had such bold aims and purity of purpose as the MISSISSIPPI FREE PRESS.

[Stiggers] My Dog Bites Booty

"The Crime Watch Report News Brief is your source for information on suspicious individuals and activities in desirable suburban communities. Here's your Crime Watch News Brief reporter, I. M. Scared."

[Dickerson] Civil Rights Ain't Just History

Gov. Haley Barbour did the right thing by lobbying for a civil-rights museum.

[Balko] How Bin Laden Won

In "The Looming Tower," the Pulitzer Prize-winning history of al-Qaeda and the road to Sept. 11, author Lawrence Wright lays out how Osama bin Laden's motivation for the attacks that he planned in the 1990s, and then the Sept. 11 attacks, was to draw the United States and the West into a prolonged war--an actual war in Afghanistan, and a broader global war with Islam.

Thanks for Brooklyn

It seemed everyone knew one another, and always, always someone was looking out and watching over the kids.

Divisiveness Hurts Kids and Families

Cue the ominous voice: "Imagine for a moment this road is our county line. This side represents one of the most violent cities in the nation. Over here, on our side, one of the most desirable communities in America to raise a family." Thank you, Madison County sheriff candidate Mark Sandridge, for one of the most offensive campaign ads we've seen in recent memory.

[Stiggers] Cootie Creek County Sheriff

In the ghetto criminal justice system, the people are represented by members of the Ghetto Science Team: police officer and part-time security guard at the Funky Ghetto Mall; Dudley 'Do-Right' McBride, renegade documentary filmmaker; Kunta 'Rasheed X' Toby; and attorney Cootie McBride of the law firm McBride, Myself and I. This is their story.

[Kamikaze] Freedom and Responsibility

Ah, the First Amendment: freedom of speech—that little inalienable right that we all have and that we all have invoked. Clearly some of us don't really understand what it means. Nor do we understand the responsibility that comes with it.

[Moore] One Year Later

We understand that Jackson has its problems. Aren't there problems everywhere? Utopia doesn't exist.

[Balko] The ‘War on Cops' That Isn't

Despite what you may have read, it's safer to be a police officer today than it has been in 35 years.

Ode to a Mother's Love

These days, everything reminds me of my mom. I was in a department store about two weeks ago and saw an adult daughter and her mom shopping for an Easter dress and thought of mom. My mom and I loved to shop together. We would spend endless hours walking around the mall; going from yard sale to yard sale. We'd talk the whole time about everything and nothing all in the same conversation.

Hands Off Jackson's ‘Local Control'

Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. wants the city to have more input on a controversial commission that will decide the fate of potential new revenue generated by a 1 percent sales tax increase specific to the city.

[Stiggers] New Day, New Troubles

The Ghetto Science Community and friends are invited to attend the Mommas' Day Celebration Buffet and Disco at the Clubb Chicken Wing Multi-Purpose Center. If you cannot afford to take your momma, family and friends to an expensive, swanky restaurant, you're welcome to come and enjoy the free food and good fun at the Mommas' Day Celebration Buffet and Disco.

[Dennis] Love Your Moms

What kind of world would this be if none of us were brought up feeling loved?

Letter to a Young Jacksonian

This time each year, I start hearing from young people who want to intern at the JFP over the summer (last year we had 19) and from former interns who need a reference or career advice.

Breaking the Pipeline

It's graduation season in Jackson, and it's an excellent time to reflect on what it takes to do the best for the future of our state: our kids.

[Stiggers] Bird's Eye View

It's time for the 'Rev. Cletus Car Sales Church' morning show radio broadcast. Wake up, get up, and go out. Remember: This is the day the Lord has made. So rejoice and be glad you have a job and you're able to pay your bills and get around in a Rev. Cletus hybrid-hoopty car.

[Kamikaze] Eliminate Vulnerability

Sports fans, the NFL Draft is upon us. If you're like me, you anxiously wait to see which college players will become millionaires on the next level. Of course, I'm particularly interested in how the Cowboys or the Saints are going to help themselves. However, this isn't about football per se.

[Head] The Accidental Bully

The question of whether I'm "good enough" —to whatever extent that can even be measured—is pretty insignificant.

Loving America, and Americans

The continuing national debate over taxation and federal budget policy in this country is good--as is the boldness with which both liberal and conservative elements are stating their positions.

Lawmakers: Stop the Foolishness

The political dramas that are playing out in Washington, D.C., these days are so far removed from reality back here in Mississippi that it's shameful. In particular, the Tea Party's ability to get the Republican Party to (at least pretend to) swing even farther to the right has raised the level of gamesmanship to what is perhaps an all-time high.

[Stiggers] The Mean Machine

"It's time for the people to escape the slave plantation of this capitalistic nation and become self-sufficient. It's time to use our talents, skills and abilities to help ourselves. Hair-Did University is here to create and develop an independent Ghetto Science community."

Ellington