Category Archives: Politics

The Delta Spike

Posted on August 11, 2021 by admin

Mississippi has run out of Intensive Care Unit beds. Arkansas had only 8 available. Neighboring states are no better off. Incredulity has replaced the optimism I felt after C19 vaccines became available. Why must we continue to deal with this … Continue reading →

Posted in National Politics, Politics, Science | 21 Comments

2020 Census

Posted on April 28, 2021 by admin

Last year’s census results haven’t been fully disaggregated, but we know this much: Mississippi is one of just three states whose populations shrank during the previous decade. Plenty of potential culprits will show up on lists of explanations for this: … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Politics | 15 Comments

George Floyd’s Legacy

Posted on April 21, 2021 by admin

When Minneapolis jurors convicted Derek Chauvin of murdering George Floyd yesterday, I gave thanks that justice, in this case, had been served. Darnella Frazier’s video of Chauvin’s calloused disregard for the life of the person he sought to arrest might … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Politics | 13 Comments

In Search of Common Ground

Posted on January 25, 2021 by admin

Before Biden, the last two men who won the presidency as Democrats made improvements to the health care system foundational to their platforms. Pres. Biden, of course, has the coronavirus to address. However, once that crisis is in the rearview … Continue reading →

Posted in National Politics, Politics, Science | 4 Comments

The Dim Light Near the End of the Tunnel

Posted on January 20, 2021 by admin

Mississippi has been administering coronavirus vaccines since the beginning of the year, but only 100,000 people have gotten their first doses. According to Fortune magazine, roughly 5% of Americans have received their first doses. At that rate, it will take … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Pop Culture, Science | 12 Comments

Where Do We Go From Here?

Posted on November 15, 2020 by admin

In this evening’s 60 Minutes interview, former president Barak Obama pushed back against the notion that politicians and social media are solely to blame for the bitterness displayed during the recent election cycle. I think he’s being too nice. Once … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Social Media | 17 Comments

Moving Forward

Posted on November 9, 2020 by admin

If you didn’t know this already, we live in a weird place. How else can you explain why Mississippi voters embraced conservatives Donald Trump and Cindy Hyde-Smith–each won with almost 60% of the vote–but voted at roughly a 70% clip … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 17 Comments

Request for Prognostications

Posted on October 27, 2020 by admin

How close will the presidential election be? Who will win? How long will it take to certify election results? Will either candidate concede without forcing a Supreme Court showdown? How close will the race between Cindy Hyde-Smith and Mike Espy … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Pop Culture, Uncategorized | 13 Comments

The Tipping Point

Posted on August 18, 2020 by admin

We win! Mississippi is first in something! We lead the nation in positive rate on C-19 tests, which means that we’re actually losers. Surprise. But there may be more bad news on the way. All of Mississippi’s public school districts … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Politics | 6 Comments

Welcome Back. Honestly.

Posted on August 10, 2020 by admin

An old tome fell out of the bookshelf while I cruised through titles searching, ironically, for something new to teach this fall: Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life, by Sissela Bok. Bok’s premise is that we are all … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, National Politics, Politics | 4 Comments