Jackson Free Press

Richard Sherman surprised some NFL fans in his post-game interview with Erin Andrews after batting down a last-minute pass in the end zone to deny the San Francisco 49ners a game-winner and sending his team, the Seattle Seahawks, to the Super Bowl. (I thought it was basically funny, and chalked it up to him being in trash-talk war with his opponent and helping deliver his team to the Super Bowl.

Today he gave a press conference to tell his side of the controversy that's gone viral, making a good point about the [use of the word "thug" in modern parlance][1]. As quoted in Business Insider:

"The only reason it bothers me is that it seems like it’s the accepted way of calling people the n-word nowadays. … What’s the definition of a thug, really? Can a guy on the football field, just talking to people — maybe I’m talking loudly, or doing something I’m not supposed to be. But there was a hockey game where they didn’t even play hockey, they just threw the puck aside and started fighting. I saw that and I thought, 'Oh man, I’m a thug?' So I’m really disappointed in being called a thug."

Sherman's personal story has been in the news this week -- he was a good student as a youngster who overcame his Compton background to play football and get a degree form Stanford -- and he makes a point that folks who slide a little too easily into calling him a "thug" may be doing it out of a habit that they need to break. Food for thought.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/richard-sherman-thug-2014-1#ixzz2rGQ4a1EX

Dr. Robert W. Pearigen, president of Millsaps College, release this statement in response to President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration this week.

An interesting piece in Salon this week seems to have discovered (bless their little San Francisco hearts) that 'open carry' is a "new craze" (ahem) out here in flyover country.

But, now that they've caught on, the piece does take a fascinating look at some of the psychology of open carry and presents a case for the idea that open carry actually contributes to violence instead of curbing it.

How can that be? Here's a couple of the key points they make:

• People with guns tend to see guns, even when they're not there. Result: higher chance of shooting an unarmed "threat."

A recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology suggests that when people are holding a gun, they’re less capable of evaluating a threat than they would be if they didn’t have a weapon in their own hands.

• The presence of a weapon can make a hostile environment more hostile.

Since 1967, researchers have been observing the “weapons effect,” a phenomenon in which the mere presence of a weapon can stimulate aggressive behavior. Of course, a person doesn’t respond to a gun the way a cartoon bull reacts to the matador’s cape; we aren’t spontaneously enraged every time we notice a firearm. But empirical research has repeatedly shown that when people are already aggravated, seeing a gun will motivate them to behave more aggressively.

• Your body responds involuntarily to threats, and the presence of weapons is frequently interpreted as a superior threat in a given environment.

“The ‘threat superiority effect’ is the tendency for people to be able to pick out very quickly in their environment things that might pose a threat to their security — anything that might be dangerous,” explains Isabelle Blanchette, a professor of psychology at the University of Quebec. “People have a tendency to be able to see these things before they see other things.”

Read the whole piece; it'll fly in the face of some people's worldview, but if you've got an open mind about this topic it really is food for thought on the psychology of open carry.

The Mississippi Business Journal is reporting that Farish Street in downtown Jackson may soon have a new developer with plans to move forward with an entertainment district.

"We will find out who did this, and we will hold them accountable."

Todd (with guest star Mukesh Kumar) reviews Six Hop IPA, a higher-alcohol beer with a suprisingly smooth flavor.

In May 2016, Donna Ladd sat down with JPD Chief of Police Lee Vance to discuss crime, youth violence, and creative solutions.

The Mississippi Blues Marathon takes place this Saturday, January 9, 2017, throughout Greater Jackson. As a result, some streets will be closed and some intersections make take time to get across.

Live Tweeting the #jxnmayor Run-off. Who will be mayor in this special election for Jackson's next mayor?

In what feels like a surprise move (at least, to me) the Times-Picayune in New Orleans is reporting that multiple sources have given word that the New Orleans Saints are trading Pro Bowl Tight End Jimmy Graham to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Saints will receive 28-year-old center Max Unger and Seattle's first round pick, while the Seahawks will receive Graham and the Saints' fourth round pick.

This (apparent) trade comes one year after protracted negotiations resulted in a 4-year, $40 million contract last year. Graham joins veterans Pierre Thomas and Curtis Loftin as locker-room casualties as free agency deadlines loom.

The Rachel Maddow show did a long segment last night tying the inaction in Congress (yet another meaningless vote on "Obamacare") to action in Mississippi -- a court case to determine whether Mississippi legislators overstepped in trying to close down the state's only remaining clinic where abortions are performed.

The court case, which was Tweeted, live-blogged and throughly photographed by JFP team coverage on Wednesday, got the attention the Maddow show, which quoted extensively from our piece. Enjoy!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Props to the whole team!

People in Jackson and around the world are responding to the news that first-term mayor Chokwe Lumumba died this afternoon.

In what I'm thinking may be something of an outlier, the George (H.W.) Bush Library at Texas A&M University (Gig 'Em!) has released its updated straw poll, showing Governor Romney leading President Obama by... wait for it... 32 points.

The results as of July 3 are: Gov. Romney 4,034 (62.41 percent); President Obama 1,974 (30.54 percent); and Third Party 456 (7.05 percent).

The Library's press release notes that the poll "is not scientific and does not represent an endorsement of any particular candidate or party by the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum or the National Archives and Records Administration."

Just to be clear, Gallup (which is a scientific poll) shows Obama leading Romney in the largely meaningless national tracking poll, 48% to 43%, his largest lead since April.

Just saw this posted to the Nextdoor Fondren website from the City of Jackson (didn't see the same posting on the city's site) and thought it was worth repeating here:

Motorists are being urged to stay off bridges and overpasses because of ice accumulation. The following bridges are temporarily closed:

•Pearl Street Bridge

•Fortification Street and Bailey Avenue Bridge

•Woodrow Wilson Bridge

City of Jackson crews continue to monitor the winter weather situation and deploy action plans as necessary:

•The Department of Public Works and the Fire Department have crews inspecting roads and bridges and applying de-icer and/or sand.

•The Department of Parks and Recreation has trucks at the ready for downed limbs or general debris removal.

•The Jackson Police Department is inspecting roads, providing security and traffic control points. To report areas in need of sand or de-icer, or to report downed trees and other debris obstructing city streets call 601-960-1234 or 601-960-1168.*

The judge who sentenced Jared Lee Loughner to "seven life terms plus 140 years in Federal prison" wrote an op-ed in the LA Times this week calling for stricter gun control. Larry Alan Burns is a gun-owner, a Republican appointee, says he didn't vote for Obama and prefers Fox News to DailyKos. And he says we need to bring back the assault weapons ban... and make it stronger.

Bring back the assault weapons ban, and bring it back with some teeth this time. Ban the manufacture, importation, sale, transfer and possession of both assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Don't let people who already have them keep them. Don't let ones that have already been manufactured stay on the market. I don't care whether it's called gun control or a gun ban. I'm for it.

Councilman Tyrone Hendrix is calling together some heavy hitters to discuss strategies for dealing with crime in South Jackson, this Thursday, February 11, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will take place in the cafeteria of Wingfield High School (1985 Scanlon Drive).

“The time to take action is now,” said Hendrix in a press release. “We must work collectively and engage in an open conversation to take a community-oriented approach to take back our communities.”

The panel for the discussion includes Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance, District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith, Hinds County Sherriff Victor Mason, and Creston Hills Watch Group President Johns Sledge.

The meeting, which is open to the public, is said to focus on developing strategies to combat crime, engaging local leaders in an open conversation about community-oriented solutions to crime and empowering residents to improve the safety of their neighborhoods.

Citizens, business owners, neighborhood association leaders, clergy, educators and others are encouraged to attend. For more information call Hendrix's office at 601-960-1089 or email [email protected].

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2016/feb/09/24509/

Despite overcast skies, Zoo Blues appears to be getting a reprieve and the folks at the Jackson Zoo say the show will go on.

Boil water notices are being lifted Monday morning after the weekend's contract work on Jackson water mains.

Mother Jones posted a piece back after the Aurora shootings that has now been updated in light of the Sandy Hook murders that happened on Friday. Their point -- the country now has 300 million guns in circulation; up from 200 million in 1995. At the same time, there's a definitive increase in laws that have loosened gun owners abilities to carry those guns in more and more places.

The question is... have all of those guns and gun laws made us any safer? The gun lobby says yes. The analysis, however:

In the wake of the slaughters this summer at a Colorado movie theater and a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, we set out to track mass shootings in the United States over the last 30 years. We identified and analyzed 61 of them, and one striking pattern in the data is this: In not a single case was the killing stopped by a civilian using a gun. Moreover, we found that the rate of mass shootings has increased in recent years—at a time when America has been flooded with millions of additional firearms and a barrage of new laws has made it easier than ever to carry them in public. And in recent rampages in which armed civilians attempted to intervene, they not only failed to stop the shooter but also were gravely wounded or killed.

So, if we're still waiting for that one time that all of these guns and all of these gun laws actually brings down a mass murderer -- might now be a time to consider other measures aimed at keeping guns out of the wrong hands? (And, perhaps, getting people more mental health help?)

The Ole Miss Alumni Association has released a statement regarding the non-renewal of University of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones' contract. The association calls the new "unexpected and distressing" and expressed concern over the lack of details offered by IHL.

"Dr. [Dan] Jones has our continued confidence, trust, and support to serve as our chancellor."

Verbatim statement below:

March 23, 2015 It is now well known that the IHL Board of Trustees announced on Friday that it would not extend Chancellor Dan Jones’ contract, which is set to expire on September 14. This news came as an unexpected and distressing statement to Alumni Association leadership as it did to the Ole Miss faithful. The lack of details provided by the IHL make its decision even more concerning to the Alumni Association.

Dr. Jones has worked tirelessly over the past six years to ensure the University of Mississippi continually excels and that it receives proper recognition for its accomplishments. The results of his efforts and those he has entrusted on his leadership team speak for themselves in setting our university above the bar. We have never been a stronger institution than we are now. Enrollment and freshmen GPA are at all-time highs. Our schools and programs are recognized for their achievements almost daily. Support in the form of private giving is growing at record pace. There are more dues-paying members of the Alumni Association than there have ever been. These are signs of a flourishing institution that should not have its leader removed.

Dr. Jones has our continued confidence, trust, and support to serve as our chancellor. We do not believe that the IHL Board was justified in its decision and have seen no evidence to the contrary. We stand with Chancellor Jones, and we support the extension of his employment contract for another full term. We encourage the members of the Ole Miss family to stand with us in support of Chancellor Jones.

Executive Committee of the Ole Miss Alumni Association Ms. Trentice Imbler-President Mr. Robert R. Bailess Mr. David E. Brevard Mr. James L. Brown Ms. Kimsey O'Neal Cooper Mr. John T. Crunk Jr. Mr. Lawrence B. Johnson Jr. Mr. Randall G. Long Mr. C. Matthew Lusco Mr. Edward C. Maloney Mrs. Carole Lynn Meadows Dr. P. H. (Hal) Moore Jr. Dr. Melinda S. Ray Ms. Candace Simmons Mr. John E. Wade Jr. Mr. Charlie White