Republicans’ reincarnation of Know-Nothings have let their tea party zealots control them at the expense of the nation’s welfare, and of their own party, argues Steve Robinson, consigning themselves to the dustbin of political hacks.
Diane Roberts
When Southern Heritage Is a Lost Cause
As surely as their chosen symbols profess a sentimental attachment to an era of racist brutality, Confederate nostalgists insist that what they really pine for is the Old South of country roads, shady front porches and long, lazy afternoons at the fishing hole. Steve Robinson doesn’t buy it.
Glory Glory Hallelujah: Another Mass Shooting, and the NRA Marches On
To propose reasonable, sane gun laws amid the gun lobby’s arsenal of lies, distortions and demagoguery has become pointless, argues Steve Robinson, as the nation picks up the wreckage of Aaron Alexis and the Navy Yard shooting.
Thank You For Not Smoking: In Bated Defense of Flagler County’s New Rule
Steve Robinson remembers his days at CNN when Ted Turner’s edict, groundbreaking at the time, forbade smoking in the office–or anywhere. Whether it was enforced or not, it helped workers become healthier, and if people are the sum of their deeds, Robinson argues, then employers should have the right to impose similar restrictions.
Freddy Krueger Act: Donald Rumsfeld’s False Notes Against Intervention in Syria
Donald Rumsfeld, who helped orchestrate an invasion on false pretenses to hunt for weapons of mass destruction that didn’t exist, is the last man to be giving President Obama lessons about what to do in Syria, argues Steve Robinson.
At Yellowstone, a Cathedral of Peace Glories to the Very Best of America
At Yellowstone National Park, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with children of immigrants from many lands, and alongside those whose greatest hope is to become a U.S. citizen and claim ownership of a small piece of this wondrous landscape, it is impossible to fathom anyone declaring “Take Back America.”
Hillary’s Movie: Spoiler Alert
The Republican temper tantrum over the nascent NBC Hillary Clinton movie tells us only one thing: The GOP is scared to death of a Hillary presidential run. How else can you explain the weeping and whining over a film that hasn’t even been scripted, and may yet be produced by Fox Television Studios?
Hypertown: Jesse Jackson and His Detractors
But by the time Gov. Scott and his ilk were done demanding that Jesse Jackson apologize to all Floridians over hos comparisons of Scott to George Wallace and the Dream Defenders to the Selma march, lo and behold, we were back talking about the Dream Defenders and Stand Your Ground. That was Jackson’s goal.
Weiner Syndrome: When Men Are Boors and Their Fans Excuse Them
From Anthony Weiner to Geraldo Rivera to Bob Filner and Eliot Spitzer, the sad thing about all the exhibitionism and shameful behavior is that the protagonists really believe they can just apologize to us and move on. But who’s letting them?
Demonstrating and Reporting Outrage Over Zimmerman’s Acquittal Isn’t Overkill. Shooting Trayvon Was.
Marches and other responses to the George Zimmerman trail are focusing needed attention on a culture at times too comfortable with the the paradox of imagining itself past the sort of racially motivated mindsets that made the killing of Trayvon Martin possible, argues Steve Robinson.
Zimmerman’s Gunshine State: White Man’s Verdict, Black Men’s Burden
Zimmerman is a free man, but his legacy should not be that he was “right” to do what he did. He should be viewed as the sad, angry embodiment of the fear and paranoia that would have us believe that owning a gun and using a gun are equal and inseparable rights.
Let Texas Secede
When it comes to Texas, let’s not be too eager to dismiss this secession talk, argues Steve Robinson. A sovereign nation of Texas would put it in the company of oil kingdoms like Saudi Arabia and eye-for-eye justice like Pakistan and North Korea.
Dick Cheney as America’s Wiretap of the Unconscionable
He is the hemorrhoid that defies Preparation H., but why in the name of Dan Quayle does anyone give a damn about what Dick Cheney has to say about anything? Cheney’s credibility is so low, Steve Robinson argues, that branding him a liar would represent a promotion.
Paula Deen’s South Begs a Question: What’s Wrong With Us?
The issue is not only whether Paula Deen has sincerely evolved in her attitudes, but also whether the country has, writes Steve Robinson, who is willing to cut Deen more slack here than he would give those rallying to her defense.
Memo to the NSA: You Have One of 725 Domestic Steve Robinsons Spooked
Our own Steve Robinson discovers not only that there are 724 other Steve Robinsons in the country, but that with the NSA tapping into every Tom, Dick and Harry’s computer histories, the pasts of shadier Robinsons, if not his own pot-luck history, could short-circuit his own.
NRA Bragging Rights: Arrogant, Mercenary, Irresponsible
The NRA used to be a gun-safety group. Now it tells us we need to be armed in order to fight our own government, writes Steve Robinson, obscuring the responsibilities of gun ownership while legitimizing fringe fanatics. Paul Miller’s murder of Dana Mulhall in Flagler Beach is our own Exhibit A of this dangerous trend.
George Zimmerman’s Murder Trial of Trayvon Martin: About Race, Pure and Simple
The George Zimmerman trial starting June 10 isn’t about self-defense or vigilantism or gun rights. It’s about race, pure and simple, argues Steve Robinson. For proof, we need look no further than at the strategy being pursued by Zimmerman’s defense.
Altered States: Now Lefty Hollywood Is Protesting Gun Control in Gotham
Movie-makers opposing New York’s recently passed gun-control laws are upset that they may have to use props instead of real firearms in films, a a blatant admission from people we call “creative,” , argues Steve Robinson, that without endless, massive gunfire there are no stories to be told, no issues to explore, no human experiences to illuminate.
From Jackie Robinson to Jason Collins: Still Telling It On the Mountain
It will be Jason Collins’s misfortune to be labeled the “gay Jackie Robinson.” Like Robinson, he may have to endure a painful personal burden. But, argues Steve Robinson, history is less likely to view him as a pioneer than ask instead: “what took so long?”