Category Archives: Politics

Vegas Odds

After Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley announced his plans to run for governor last week, I asked myself only one question: why would he run as a Democrat instead of an Independent? Presley has proven to be an effective public … Continue reading

Posted in Politics | 12 Comments

It’s Hell Getting Old

This academic year marks the end of my 19th year at MSMS. I almost certainly have more years behind me than ahead of me. I am not ready to retire, though I have occasionally thought about it. Speaking with similarly … Continue reading

Posted in Ethics, Politics | 11 Comments

Five Days to Go

One of the oldest political adages is that politics is personal. Those who run for an office–any office, from historian of the Philosophy Club to President of the United States–understand that adage more fully than others. Candidates might begin days … Continue reading

Posted in Politics | 13 Comments

One Sentence Conundrums

Respond to a couple of these. Consider applying them to contemporary events. Can a person make a conscious decision to deal with problems by relegating them to the subconscious? When leaders say equitable, do they really mean redistribution of wealth? … Continue reading

Posted in Education, Ethics, Politics | 10 Comments

Too Tired to Think

You probably already know that autocracies are on the rise. Whether you’re looking at Putin’s rise to power in Russia, Erdogan’s control in Turkey, or the return of the Marcos family to the political world of the Philippines, leaders who … Continue reading

Posted in Ethics, Politics | 21 Comments

Victimless Crimes?

An acquaintance of mine buried his son today. No official cause of death has been released to verified media, but if social media is accurate, then this young man died because he took oxycontin that had been laced with fentanyl. … Continue reading

Posted in Ethics, Politics | 21 Comments

A Different Kind of Diversity

Ketanji Brown Jackson’s ascent to the Supreme Court will mark the first time an African-American woman gets named to the highest court in the land. Whether you support her ideologies or not, it would be difficult not to admire her … Continue reading

Posted in Education, Politics | 21 Comments

Education’s Ends and Means

The cornerstone of this year’s legislative session, as far as Speaker of the House Phillip Gunn is concerned, involves repealing the income tax in Mississippi. He estimates that doing so would put about $1100 back into the budgets of typical … Continue reading

Posted in Education, Politics | 7 Comments

Guilty Pleasures

In the “Mansion” section of last Friday’s Wall Street Journal, the cover story described 400 feet of waterfront property in Miami listed for a modest $150 million. The two houses on the property total about 25,000 square feet. Their architectural … Continue reading

Posted in Politics | 17 Comments

Intergenerational Confab

A couple of days ago, I found myself trying to explain trigger warnings to a slightly older person–straight, white, male, 60s, non-academic. You may not be surprised that he was skeptical of the need for them. “Sticks and stones,” he … Continue reading

Posted in Education, Politics, Pop Culture | 15 Comments