Commentary
Commentary: What does it mean to be a Christian?
In its most basic definition, a Christian is someone who is a follower of Jesus Christ. And we follow Christ by embodying both the beliefs of the Christian faith by believing in Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection (orthodoxy), and also by putting that faith into action as true disciples of Christ (orthopraxy). But that faith […]
Commentary: Medicaid expansion has never been about money.
As our legislators adjourn, they keep in place for the seventh year their law preventing their fellow Tennesseans from receiving federal health insurance. Legislators also keep in place the health coverage that they and their families enjoy, subsidized by the taxes of their fellow Tennesseans. In 2015, Republican Gov. Bill Haslam proposed to expand Medicaid […]
Editor’s column: The real ‘welfare queens’ are our GOP legislators
I’m old enough to remember when President Ronald Reagan created the myth of the “welfare queen.” In the 1970s and 80s, Reagan and other conservative politicians cited one woman, Linda Taylor. Originally from Tennessee, Taylor was used as an example of how poor and predominantly Black Americans were too lazy to work. “Welfare queens” would […]
Commentary: Legislature unnecessarily cruel to Tennesseans facing unemployment
There’s no point in politely dancing around the truth any longer: Tennessee’s Republican supermajority is cold, cruel, and downright heartless. This is especially obvious when it comes to decisions that affect working families. As a small snapshot, look at what has happened just in the past couple of weeks. The first half of the 112th […]
Commentary: Tennessee must reject Santorum slights on Native Americans
Another Rick Santorum outrageous statement came and went last month, flushed away like so many of his words. His claim, however, merits reaction and debunking in many spots, notably here in Tennessee. The former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania turned CNN commentator, speaking at a Young America’s Foundation event, pontificated about America. “We came here and […]
Commentary: Lost in America
Like many political junkies cooling their heels while awaiting herd immunity, I’ve spent a lot of time this spring puzzling over the present state and future trajectory of the post-Trump Republican Party. Will it transition from something that looks like a cult back into something that looks like a party? And maybe take up governing […]
Commentary: Time to enter failing grades for the legislature
This is the time of the semester when I am busy entering final grades, but our state legislature, by its curious combination of ineptitude and mendacity, has forced me to enter grades for it as well. Our state continues to flunk math by refusing to expand Medicaid, throwing away billions for health coverage of our […]
Editor’s column: Look away from the shiny objects
The Tennessee legislature is wrapping up the first half of the 112th General Assembly, and it’s been one filled with plenty of shiny objects to distract Tennesseans from crucial and life changing matters. That the Tennessee legislature is obsessed with matters pertaining to the LGBTQ community is nothing new. I first took notice in 2016, […]
Stockard on the Stump: House Democrats keep Windle from defecting
Already battling for numbers, the House Democratic Caucus kept Rep. John Mark Windle from bolting during an hour-long, closed meeting Thursday. When you’ve got only 26 of 99 House members and constantly scratch and claw for the smallest of victories, losing one vote could mean the world, especially when Windle – who is said to […]
Editor’s column: With Chauvin’s conviction, the arc bent a little further, but has a long way to go
As America waited Tuesday afternoon for the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis last year, I scrolled through my Twitter feed watching for the first tweet announcing the outcome. A tweet from a 30-year old caught my eye: “Is this what the OJ trial felt like? […]
Commentary: A Modest Proposal for the General Assembly,
I have a modest proposal to make. Why does Tennessee need 95 counties? Think of the efficiencies to be gained by consolidating them into one county. Why does Tennessee need general sessions courts, circuit courts – civil and criminal at that – chancery courts, appellate courts and a supreme court, not to mention the state […]
Commentary: Keep a keen eye on sheriff departments
Sheriff departments are a lot more than law enforcement agencies, especially in Tennessee. In our counties, the sheriff is an elected position—the chief jailer of our lockup, a major employer, and leader of a political power base. Several recent events in my home county, Knox, offer good case studies on why careful press and public […]