Opinions

Free Speech and Press

      Free speech and free press mean the same thing: the right to voice any beliefs or ideas, even unpopular ones — orally or on paper — without fear of being punished for it. Sometimes it’s called freedom of expression. Through history, various advances slowly won this right, which lies at the very heart of democracy. It’s all about the right to think freely, safe from arrest or prosecution. […]

Opinions

4,391+ Actions for a Better World: Campaign Nonviolence Action Week is bigger than ever

     From Sept 18-26, tens of thousands of people are acting for a culture of peace and active nonviolence, free from war, poverty, racism, and environmental destruction. During Campaign Nonviolence Action Week, more than 4,391 actions and events will take place across the country and around the world. It is the largest, broadest Action Week since its inception in 2014. There will be marches, rallies, vigils, protests, demonstrations, prayer services, walks for peace, webinars, public talks, and more. […]

Opinions

American Business Leaders Step Up to Fight Inequities in the South

Even as the pandemic has laid bare societal inequities that have long eroded the foundation of our democracy, political leaders in Washington and in state capitols are mired in a level of rancor and partisanship not seen since the ideological struggles over the Vietnam War. This toxic atmosphere has left them incapable of addressing pressing, yet ingrained issues like the racial wealth gap, the digital divide, and vast inequalities in everything from health care to home ownership. […]

Opinions

My True Story During 1968 of 911 in a Vision 33 Years Earlier

     I had recently moved to New York City from Miami Florida during 1968. I had just joined Aretha Franklin’s Recording Band called King Curtis and the Kingpins. I had to take the train from my apartment to the Empire State Building to get a Passport to start traveling to Europe with the Kingpins. We were booked for two shows a night for 45 days. I took care of completing what was needed to receive my very first Passport. […]

Opinions

School Boards Letter

     You as well as your Superintendents are to be commended for standing up to the Governor’s bullying tactics. His defiance of basic CDC health data as it relates to protecting our students and staff members from the deadly COVID-19 virus and mutating strains is absurd and dangerous. One would have to question how an individual with degrees from prestigious Universities such as Harvard and Yale could make decisions that endanger rather than protect and save lives. Everyone should’ve at least learned in Civics that one’s freedoms don’t allow them to yell fire in a crowded theatre. Thus, why would any Governor consider it an infringement on individual freedoms to mandate masks wearing in order to prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus. Prohibition against masks mandates resulting in deaths should be considered a crime. Governors should be asked to name a freedom that results in the death of a human that isn’t a crime. Believe it or not, suicide in theory is a criminal offense. Regrettably, the victim was also the murderer. Consequently, there’s never a need for a trial. Our students should never be treated as canaries in a coal mine! […]