Commentary
Doing nothing, and doing even that badly
There’s a problem with doing nothing — how do you know when you’re done? It is more than a philosophical question, or a rumination on activity versus stillness. Our state legislature has stumbled through a special session of almost no significant legislating, but failed to stick the landing on when to stop doing nothing. Perhaps we should […]
Unions play a key role in improving life for Tennessee workers
For many folks, Labor Day is often thought of as the “unofficial” end to summer. But for those of us in the labor movement, it’s a turning point in our “summer of strikes” as we head into the fall. Whether it’s Writers Guild of America (WGA) or SAG-AFTRA members walking the picket lines in Hollywood […]
Editor’s notebook: The rot in America’s soul
There are many things I could write about the First Extraordinary Session of the 113th Tennessee General Assembly, called by Gov. Bill Lee ostensibly to address public safety. I could write about the House’s restrictive rules package, or that Lee was missing in action, or the dysfunction between the Republican-dominated House and Senate. But the […]
The white patriarchy in Tennessee
This week, the Tennessee General Assembly gave me a lesson on the white patriarchy. I had not understood the term in a meaningful way until this week, until I could feel it viscerally in the silencing of our dissent, in the ignoring of our presence, and our silent and present plea for gun safety — […]
A wish list for Nashville’s next mayor
Nashville is getting a new Mayor in September and this Angry Grandmother has suggestions about sidewalks, assault weapons and healthcare for our two finalists in the upcoming mayoral election. The day our next Mayor is elected — don’t wait until the swearing in a week later; we have waited too long already — I want […]
Stockard on the Stump: Theater of the absurd plays out at Tennessee Capitol
Men without hats, men with Cap’n’ Crunch hats, Proud Boys with masks, no water, no signs, weeping women, troopers high and low. House and Senate in tow. “This is the strangest life I’ve ever known.” What started as an innocent call by Gov. Bill Lee for the Legislature to act in response to The Covenant […]
The unbalanced effects of gun violence in Tennessee
TI started my 20th year in public education two weeks ago. We began with an informational text on the Salem Witch Trials and a discussion about how “witch hunts” have continued globally since then. Like most thought-provoking texts, this one elicited some engaging conversation in class. It wasn’t long before I was hanging on for […]
Zachary bill for involuntary psychiatric commitment is no solution for gun violence
The Tennessee General Assembly convened Monday for a special session on public safety, and they will discuss what measures, if any, they are willing to take to stem gun violence. While some lawmakers have identified mental health care as the fix, I wish they would ask a psychiatrist for thoughts on the issue. Before I […]
Running off with it?
In political circles talk of a candidate’s “lane”— a metaphorical claim to an exclusive or dominant hold on some identifiable voter segment—has grown banal almost to the point of cliché. But in a jungle primary with a crowded field, like the first round of voting in Nashville’s mayoral race, lanes do matter. The two who […]
Stockard on the Stump: Black Caucus wants one more year from TSU’s Glover
Saying TSU President Glenda Glover has been “unfairly targeted” by Republican lawmakers, Tennessee’s Black Caucus is urging her to remain at the helm through 2025 to provide stability. Rep. Sam McKenzie, the caucus chairman, says Glover’s announcement this week that she will retire from TSU in June 2024 “seems rushed,” coming on the heels of […]