Opinions

Speaking of Theories…

     While the rabid right wing of this country is foaming at the mouth over what they are misidentifying as critical race theory, claiming that it will make little white children ashamed of their heritage, they are blissfully ignorant of the fact that their dirty drawers are showing from the backsides of their britches. […]

Opinions

The Heart Condition Hiding in Plain Sight

     Many of us may already be aware that when it comes to heart disease in the U.S., Black, African American, and Afro-Caribbean communities are disproportionately affected compared to other racial and ethnic groups.* But did you know about three to four percent of African Americans carry a mutation in the TTR gene (V122I) that makes it more likely that they may develop ATTR-CM; however, not all carriers develop the disease. ATTR-CM gets worse over time, which is why early diagnosis and management are so important. […]

Opinions

Redistricting Maps Blocked in Florida by DeSantis’ Appointed Judge

     As Democrats held a sit-in at the Capitol in Florida, the Legislature approved DeSantis’ map. Governor DeSantis map drawer, Deputy Chief of Staff Alex Kelly, did not look at partisan results, and only considered things like compactness, county and state splits and honoring roadways and waterways. The new map is “race neutral” and it did not make sense for Democrats to protest, when the Legislature was trying to conduct business. […]

Opinions

Brown v Board of Education: When the Supreme Court Rejected a Racist System

     The state legislature even rejected a local control option that would allow school districts to decide that Black and White students could attend schools together. But under the state’s massive resistance plan, public schools were closed to avoid complying with court orders to desegregate. Some county officials just shut down their public schools completely. The state even funded the establishment of private schools that were only open to White students. It took years, and more Supreme Court rulings in 1964 and 1968, for desegregation to take hold across the state. […]

Opinions

Is Religious Freedom Free?

In 2019, a federal appeals court ruled that the school board in Washington State was correct when it fired Coach Joe Kennedy for praying publicly. A judge of the Ninth Circuit said, “A coach’s duty to serve as a good role model requires the coach to refrain from any manifestation of religious faith — even when the coach is plainly not on duty.” Where does freedom start and stop? Kennedy’s case has sparked controversy, landing in the Supreme Court this past week debating just how far can a person express religious freedom in public spaces. […]