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.
Commentary
Racist Attacks on Mexican-American’s National Anthem Performance Reflect GOP Blinders
It’s sad that Sebatien de la Cruz’s singing of the National Anthem at an NBA playoff game should become the target of ugly, anti-immigrant sentiment. These views didn’t arise in a vacuum, argues Raul Reyes. Republican lawmakers have been demonizing immigrants to the detriment of our civil discourse and to their own party. Meanwhile, our nation continues to grow more diverse, putting the GOP out of step with a changing America.
The Cruel and Unusual Justice Thomas
The cruelties of the self-loathing, self-pitying Clarence Thomas were on display again this week when he provided the deciding vote that had the Supreme Court managing to turn the right to remain silent against the accused, and using that silence as evidence of incrimination.
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.
Why I’m Voting For the School Tax Referendum, Warts and All
The school district made several errors as it badly sold the school tax referendum. But it’s not about punishing the board. It’s is about warding off mediocrity in a district that managed, against odds, to maintain quality through recession and state and federal cutbacks. That quality is in jeopardy without a Yes to the referendum.
A Pastor Reflects on Two Church Community Friends: Leonard Lynn and His Murderer
Rev. Beth Gardner, the pastor at Bunnell’s First United Methodist Church, heard the news of Leonard Lynn’s murder 10 minutes before services Sunday. He had been a member of her church community–as was his murderer, Erick Niemi.
Flagler Middle & High School Principals Plead With Voters: Give Us Back Those 45 Minutes
Flagler County’s four secondary-school principals say restoring 45 minutes to the school day, or the equivalent of a month’s worth education, is indispensable if the district’s students are to excel consistently.
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.
Property Appraiser Gardner: Correcting the Record on School Taxes and the Referendum
In an endorsement of the half-mill school tax levy, Flagler County Property Appraiser James Gardner responds to claims that the school district has “continually increased our taxes. Based upon factual information, this is simply not true.” He shows why.
The Military’s Sexual Assault Crisis: Our Women in Uniform Deserve Better
There were 3,374 reported cases of sexual assault in the military in 2012, and 26,000 assaults likely went unreported. Those shameful numbers don’t have to speak for themselves, argues Martha Burk, but most of the victims were afraid of being punished by superiors if they reported what happened.
Sheriff Manfre Declares in Favor of June 7 School Tax Referendum
Citing the benefits of a longer school day and deputies in elementary schools, Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre issued a statement Monday afternoon in support of the June 7 tax referendum proposing to increase property taxes to support programs in the school district.
Closing Flagler’s Alternative School: When The Classmate Next to Your Child Is a Felon
The Flagler County school, district may close Everest alternative school (formerly Pathways) if the June 7 referendum for a modest property tax increase fails. Jo Ann Nahirny, a teacher at Matanzas High School, describes the disruptions of managing a classroom with felons and sex offenders in seats alongside other students.
President Barack Aux Scandals
The Benghazi story is a bogus scandal. IRS targeting of conservative groups and the Justice Department’s hacking of reporters’ phones is not. The Obama presidency is getting derailed, and that’s without going down the path of even more serious scandals Washington and the electorate are accepting as business as usual.
Flagler’s School Tax Referendum: An Opposing View
Adding to a growing debate over the June 7 Flagler County School Board tax referendum, Brad West argues against the levy, saying the district taxes constituents enough as it is, while the “cup-of-coffee-per-month” argument is a more expensive proposition than the board claims.
Andy Dance: Why I Will Vote “Yes” On the School Tax Referendum
“I will vote for the half mill, and I ask those that are on the fence or are leaning “no” to reconsider,” writes Andy Dance, the Flagler County School Board chairman, who has himself reconsidered his earlier opposition to the full .50-mill tax referendum. He explains why.
Mother’s Day Confidential: News of My Mom’s Death Was Slightly Premature
Receiving a condolence note about my mother sent in error by the hospice company caring for her should have been disturbing. It was merely disappointing–for not being true.
Pink Ladies in a Mud Run, On the Other Side of Flagler’s Beaches
Mud runs in Flagler County–such as Saturday’s FL.ROC Mud Run on Cemetery Road in Bunnell–are a mostly unknown sub-specialty of Flagler County special events. Casey Ryan takes you into the mud on her October run, as she prepares for Saturday’s.
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.
Flagler Beach’s Opposition to Fire Department Consolidation Costing Taxpayers $200K a Year
Consolidating the Flagler Beach Fire Department with the county’s would save $200,000 and vastly improve fire and rescue services in the city, argues Rick Belhumeur, yet the Flagler Beach City Commission has consistently scuttled debate on the issue while pretending to invite residents to offer cost-saving ideas.
Other People’s Money: How Flagler County Is Closing on a Raw Deal at Taxpayers’ Expense
The proposed $1.23 million county acquisition of the old Memorial Hospital property in Bunnell reveals, especially in its fine print, its secrecy until now and gun-to-the-head May 6 deadline for commissioners to sign off on it, hurried deal-making that profits the sellers while exposing taxpayers to huge uncertainty and costs.
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?”
Ahead of National Police Week, A Sheriff Remembers That Knock at the Door
Commemorating National Police Week in May, Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre remembers his first memory of law enforcement, when he was 7 years old and a police officer knocked at the family home’s door to report his father’s accident with a drunk driver.
Publix’s Profitable Accommodation With Poverty: Not a Penny More for Tomato Pickers
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers has been trying for years to get Publix to join the Fair Food Coalition, in which suppliers and purchasers agree to pay the workers a penny more per pound of tomatoes picked. Publix won’t even meet with the workers.
Gun Worship’s Perversion: Just Don’t Call 10,000 Murders a Year “Terrorism”
Between the Boston bombing and the Senate’s rejection of gun-control legislation, the moral is that “terrorism” is unacceptable violence, but the 30 daily murders by gun is quite acceptable. So gun-worship’s perversions live on.
Road Rage Genesis: Law Banning Texting a Long-Overdue Correction
In Florida in 2012, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there were 256,443 traffic crashes and of those 4,841 were caused by a driver using some form of electronic device.
Break Up the Banks: It’s Not a Fringe Idea Anymore
Moments of consensus between left and right don’t come frequently in Washington, and we should heed them when they occur. Right now, that means breaking up the banks, argues Amy Dean.
Death in the Afternoon
It was that the death rattle. You’ve heard it. We’ve all heard it if we live south of the Mason-Dixon Line. This one broke the silence of a perfect Palm Coast afternoon. But an investigation proved to be a succession of decapitated assumptions.
Dear Sheriff Manfre: Why Are Deputies So Quick to Shoot Animals–and Leave Them?
A sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a raccoon found to be sickly in Palm Coast’s R-Section this morning, leaving it in a lot, triggering a letter of concern from a resident to Sheriff Manfre about a routine practice among local law enforcement in the disposition of ailing animals.
“Illegal Immigrants” No More:
The Associated Press Ends the Slur
Calling them “illegal immigrants” offends immigrants and American values. “Illegal” is a loaded term that has polluted the immigration debate for too long. It isn’t a question of mere political correctness. It’s about accuracy, fairness, and respect, argues Raul Reyes.
Invitation to an Execution
Larry Eugene Mann was executed at Starke state prison Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. by lethal injection. I traveled to Starke with a Catholic Church group to witness the vigils–pro and con–outside the prison grounds.
Feedback Failures: When Flashing a Grade Devalues Students and Teachers
JoAnn Nahirny views giving feedback to students as one of the most valuable and important things she does as a teacher. Too bad FCAT graders don’t do likewise. Nor does the teacher evaluation process.
Should Teachers Be Able to Spy on Students’ Study Habits?
An electronic-textbook company called CourseSmart lets teachers track whether and how their students are reading assigned textbooks, allowing them to tack on “engagement index” scores to the students’ performance. It’s the latest form of intrusion in private habits driven more by marketing and gimmickry than good intentions.
Facebook Effect: For Workers On or Off the Job, Individual Rights Are Dead
Employers’ presumptions on workers’ behavior on and off the job have more in common with the inquisition or police states than with the bill of rights. Transgressors are routinely humiliated, silenced, censured or fired over speech or behavior companies should have no right to police.
Listen Up Kids: Forget What Your Parents Say. You Should Be Playing Video Games
Alessandra Robinson, a first-place winner among Wadsworth Elementary fifth graders for this speech in this year’s Tropicana competition, argues that video games promote family time, exercise, creativity, problem solving, and better reflexes, and should therefore be encouraged for all.
Don’t Cram Your Heterosexuality Down My Throat
Several years ago around Christmas I was standing at a Walmart checkout counter with my son when a stranger behind me felt compelled to make me his homophobia’s bosom buddy. “What’s wrong with that?” I told him. “My son is gay.” My son was 2 at the time.
From “Girls” to Steubenville, It’s Time To Ditch America’s “Rape Culture” for Good
If we’re going to stop having more Steubenvilles, people have to start responding to the current tragedies with more than just passivity, victim-blaming, and claims like, “I’m tired of hearing about rape,” argues Alana Baum.
FAU Stomps on Academic Freedom Over Jesus Controversy as Scott Fans Fanaticism
Florida Atlantic University Professor Deandre Poole’s assignment involving the word “Jesus” on the floor drew in a politically motivated protest from Gov. Rick Scott while the university gave in to his demand that the lesson not be taught anymore.
Florida Speaker Weatherford’s Homeschool Blinders to the Poor and Uninsured
Rather than worship his homeschooling past, what Will Weatherford needs to be wondering is what Florida will be like if its 4 million uninsured citizens continue to go without health coverage, argues Rhonda Swan.
Banning Internet Cafes While Gambling on Guns
Florida is quick on the trigger to ban Internet cafes, which have never killed anyone, but is doing nothing to rein in the state’s worship of guns, while 191 people have been killed by firearms in this state alone since the Newtown massacre.
One Nation, Without a Clue
If our generations had been around in the 1930s, we’d still be in the Great Depression with prominent lawmakers telling each other we need a smaller government, argues Donald Kaul.
Parent Trigger Bill: A Trojan Horse of Corporate Charter Schools
The so-called parent-trigger bill does not empower parents. Rather, it empowers out-of-state corporate interests and their lobbyists to siphon Florida tax dollars away from our already underfunded public school system, argues Paula Dockery.
Sarah Palin in Lakeland: Locking and Loading Assault Weapons With Jesus
Sarah Palin urged her faithfuls to “cling to your god, your guns, your Constitution,” a seamless ideology that would have Jesus waving the American flag with one hand and clicking off the safety of his assault rifle with the other, writes Cary McMullen.
Florida’s Two-Faced Feedback to Teachers: Do as We Say, Not As We Fail to Do
The Florida Department of Education expects its teachers to give immediate and detailed feedback to students on all work, yet the state will take three months to produce FCAT results, and it will do so without one iota of feedback other than a grade. Jo Ann Nahirny explores the hypocrisy.
Missing Memorials to Two Lost Wars
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq war, but as Iraq and Afghanistan have been lost, the focus of memorials has shifted from wars to the cult of the soldiers, while victims of war are as always passed over in silence.
Drawing the Line on Big Beer
AB InBev is truly a beverage behemoth, owning 200 beer brands, including Budweiser, Becks, Stella, Michelob, and St. Pauli Girl. It wants to take over Mexico’s Grupo Modelo, which owns the Corona brands and others. Consolidation is raising prices and narrowing consumer choice.
Florida Ethics Commissioner to Legislature: Close Loopholes in Reform Bill
Ethics Commissioner Matt Carlucci says an ethics reform bill adds teeth to previously weak enforcement, but would also open a loophole that would give politicians greater immunity from prosecution while increasing the costs of ethics cases.
Beyond Sheriff Joe’s Tactics: Looking at Prison Reform in Florida With Fresh Eyes
Analyzing Florida’s prisons and jails is a revelation of unsustainable incarceration rates and prison-building, argues Milissa Holland, who explores more logical alternatives to end the vicious cycle of punishment and recidivism.
Argentina’s Jorge Mario Bergoglio is Francis I, Church’s First Non-European Pope, Post-Columbus
76-year-old Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires is the first-ever South American pope, the first non-European pope in a millennium, and the first-ever pope to name himself Francis (Francis I), after St. Francis, patron saint of the poor.
Sunshine Week: Improving State Legislatures’ Transparency
Think about the American Legislative Exchange Council’s secret lobbying in favor of “Stand Your Ground” legislation to at least 15 states. Lobbyists were backed by corporate special interests – a fact the public was left in the dark about. Additionally, there was little way to easily track how this law was passed in Florida. That’s just one example of the kind of copycat legislation peddled to state legislatures.