[Stiggers] Operation ‘Cover Your Butt'
"Congressman, last week, the government was like a falling cat able to land on its feet in a nick of time. Whew! A lot of folks were glad that the …
[Kamikaze] Political Drama
The federal government was able to avert shutdown. Whether or not you actually believed it would happen, it stands to reason that all of us should take pause at how …
[Balko] A History of Paternalism
Government-sponsored public health campaigns have given us many memorably mockable moments, from talking crash-test dummies to "I learned it by watching you!" Now, courtesy of the federal government's National Institutes …
Waiting on Transparency
The past week was a decent week for transparency in Mississippi, at least compared to most weeks in these parts. For one thing, the city of Jackson launched its 311 …
[Stiggers] Controlling the Masses
Cockeyed Chicken Lady: "I'm your former spokesperson for Cockeyed Chicken here to inform the Ghetto Science community about my resignation from Cockeyed Chicken Inc. During my three years as spokesperson …
[McLaughlin] Giving Time
The worst thing is for a child to expect you and then you not show up.
[Balko] Failing Upward in Criminal Justice
When the SWAT team came for Richard Paey in 1997, officers battered down the front door of the Florida home he shared with his wife and their two children. Paey …
Jackson Emerging
As I walked through the parking lot in front of the Mississippi Museum of Art on a cold, wet Monday morning, it was hard at first to visualize the same …
Sure, ‘Rebrand,' But Don't Stop There
A group of city and county leaders got together this week to hear a South Carolina company explain how it is going to spend three days talking to citizens and …
[Stiggers] Forget the Mess
"Don't allow the troubles of this world to ruin your peace of mind. All you need is a comfortable exercise mat or your favorite blanket, and your imagination."
[Kamikaze] Jackson, Waking Up
Some of you may be familiar with the tale "The Emperor's New Clothes." It's a short story written in the 1800s by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen that gives …
[Head] Rebels Without a Cause
It's difficult to effectively address a racism issue by sweeping the subject of race under the rug.
[Balko] How Drug Cops Go Bad
If you browse the website of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), you will notice a conspicuous theme: The war on drugs is corrupting America's cops.
Ode to Fondren
I moved to Jackson because of Fondren. (I can hear a few of you cursing Fondren now.) More specifically, it was because of Rainbow Whole Foods, which a friend of …
Attract Creative Class With Art
The city of Jackson took a significant step forward last week when City Human and Cultural Services Director Michael Raff announced a public-art initiative. Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. has …
[Stiggers] Good Deeds, Bad Events
"As your elected congressman and public servant, I am here to let you know that crap, mess, drama, trouble, gloom, despair and agony happens, and they are a part of …
[Our Turn] A Call for Understanding
Taking more accurately the universal message of the Civil Rights Movement to heart, this letter is not a call for silence, as that would be antithetical to the Movement as …
[Hill] Healing Words
What impresses me is that he did not call them "bad" or label them "thugs."
