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.
Commentary
A Republican Abandons Rick Scott: Paula Dockery and Florida’s Fraying GOP
Democrats now look like a party united compared to the Republicans, Cary McMullen argues, as Paula Docker, one of Florida’s increasingly endangered moderate Republicans, announces her desertion of Gov. Rick Scott’s campaign for re-election.
Should Jacksonville’s Nathan Bedford Forrest High Be Named for KKK’s Grand Wizard?
Never apologize for what? Secession? Slavery? How about white supremacy and the KKK? The fight to rename Jacksonville’s Nathan Bedford Forrest High School raises the question, argues Julie Delegal.
The Trouble With American Exceptionalism
Do we have moral authority as a nation, asks Cary McMullen. Do we have the humility Obama spoke of, namely that we are acting not in self-interest but in the interest of justice? Are we exceptional not just in our history but in our standing among nations as an exemplar of righteous ideals?
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.
Where Fast Food Workers Make Twice the US Minimum Wage, and Have Benefits
Critics say a living wage of around $15 an hour would drive fast-food restaurants and other retail firms out of business — and millions of their employees out of work. Australia’s experience, where workers make $15 an hour, shows why that argument is bunk, argues Salvatore Babones.
Sheriff Manfre Drafts the Press to Fight The Bogus Epidemic of Fake Pot
The bogus drug-bust news conference was a specialty of former Sheriff Don Fleming, as it has been for innumerable police agencies since the dawn of Nixon;s war on drugs since 1971. Last week, Sheriff Jim Manfre unfortunately joined the parade, this time amplifying fears of a fake epidemic of fake pot.
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.
When an F Is an Automatic 50: In Defense Of Matanzas High School’s Grading Policy
Matanzas High School Principal Chris Pryor’s new policy of bottoming out all F’s at 50%–not zero–drew some grumbles, but teacher Jo Ann Nahirny explains why it’s a far more just policy than awarding zeros–and how the same policy may have changed her own life.
Obama’s Born-Again Missile Envy Over Syria: Wrong on All Counts
Whether the Syrian regime used chemical weapons or not, Obama would be wrong to attack, even if Congress approves. It’s not America’s war to fight, it’s not Obama’s judgment to make, and his red line is an absurd marker when contrasted with two and a half years of atrocities, and 100,000 deaths, that never got a peep.
High Times Ahead: The Political Side Effects of Tolerating Legal Pot
A nascent civil war is brewing between the social conservative and the libertarian wings of the Republican party, with legalized pot now another issue that could add to the divisions, and Attorney general Eric Holder’s decision not to prosecute marijuana possession in much of the nation lighting new fuses, argues Sanho Tree.
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.
A Feral Cats Plea to Palm Coast: Time to Adopt Trap, Neuter and Return Rather than Kill
As Palm Coast continues to trap and kill feral cats, Jacksonville, Deland, Port Orange and Flagler Beach are among the growing list of cities and towns that have adopted trap, neuter and return programs. Cities are turning to the protocol not only because it is humane, but because it is cost effective.
No PALs Allowed: A Mom’s Struggle With Flagler Schools’ Latest Dress-Code Absurdities
Though her children could wear PAL jersey shirts on Spirit Fridays last year, Michelle Taylor was ordered to Bunnell Elementary School Friday morning to replace her two sons’ PAL shirts as the 1st and 2nd grade boys were pulled from class and made to sit in the office “as if they’d committed a crime,” Taylor says.
Memo to Palm Coast Council: Don’t Let an Unelected Manager Dictate Democracy in the City
By letting Jim Landon’s feud with Supervisor of Elections Kim Weeks drag on at voters’ expense, the Palm Coast City Council is improperly letting its unelected city manager set early voting policy while reminding us why it bears a big share of the blame for sending election turnouts in Palm Coast tumbling to record lows for the past several cycles.
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.”
Lies, Distortions and Delirium: The Flagler Tea Party’s Kaput Take on Common Core
Diane Kepus, a self-styled researcher and common core opponent, was the Flagler County tea party’s speaker this week. Her presentation on common core, mostly inaccurate or outright false, explains to some extent why the school board has been on the defensibve, as have other boards and states, against a misinformation campaign that has not been countered effectively.
Not So Fast Missy: How a Protester Exposed an Undercover Cop
When the author first met her four years ago, she couldn’t have known that the small-framed woman with spiky brown hair and intense eyes was anything but a fellow activist showing up for a protest in Washington, D.C. She turned out to be an undercover cop ordered to secretly spy on peaceful protesters, violate their freedom of speech and assembly, and disregard their right to privacy.
Art For Shock’s Sake: The Business and Aesthetic of Rejection
Peter Cerreta, the Palm Coast artist who had a work of his own rejected at the “Monsters of Bigotry” show at Hollingsworth Gallery, adds his perspective to the debate about art that belongs (or doesn’t) in galleries and museums, concluding that “not every piece that shocks for shock’s sake” does.
Eric Holder Takes on the “War on Drugs,” Mandatory Sentences and Epidemic Imprisonment Rates
Attorney general Eric Holder on Monday delivered a seminal speech outlining a plan to revamp federal drug policy and incarceration rates of non-violent and elderly offenders, and urging Congress to review mandatory sentencing in light of a “war on drugs” that has not worked. The full speech.
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?
Jeff Bezos’s Post-It Note To Self: Rekindle American Journalism
Unlike the sort of vulgar ad men who’ve taken over most newspapers since the 1990s, slicking up newsprint with more hair gel than ink, Bezos knows the value of a sentence. He’s shown healthy contempt for the forces of the market, which are equal parts poison and speed to innovation.
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.
Commissioner Frank Meeker: Why I Voted to Buy the Old Hospital Despite Reservations
“Honestly, I can’t help but feel I’m being led, at times by the nose, to a conclusion to support the hospital purchase,” Meeker writes. “But fortunately for me, I don’t mind researching issues on my own.” In a broad-ranging discussion, he provides a point-by-point defense of his decision.
We’re the Most Educated Young Adults in American History, Yet Many of Us Can’t Find Work
What happens when we can’t find work and can’t pay our loans, asks Colleen Teubner. We invest about four years of our lives and up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in our education, and then spend the next decade trying to get out of ever-increasing debt.
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.
Black Man 101: Déjà Jim Crow All Over Again For African-American Parents and Their Sons
We already teach our sons to be “agreeable” and “non-challenging” with police. Must we now teach our sons to conform to some modern form of “Jim Crow etiquette” and defer to all potential bigots who come their way? Terrance Heath writes that the answer is as heartbreaking to give as it is to receive.
Commissioner to Lobbyist: Milissa Holland Joins Powerful Southern Strategy Group
In a pair of candid interviews, former Flagler County Commissioner Milissa Holland traced her personal and professional trajectories that took her from representing taxpayers in government to representing the special-interest clients of the Southern Strategy Group, one of Florida’s–and the nation’s–most powerful lobbying firms.
The Undoing of Barack Obama
President Barack Obama is no longer on a roll. We have become a laughingstock in the international community, writes Donald Kaul, obstructionist House Republicans are treating the immigration bill as their favorite hostage, and many more landmines await.
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.
Edifice Complex: Palm Coast Council Should Forget About Gang of Six’s Geezer Gimmick
The Gang of Six–the former Palm Coast City Council members wanting to build a new city hall–are showing their age with the outdated nature of their idea, argues Merrill Shapiro. The council should forget their proposal and focus on the challenges of a rapidly changing city and society.
The Zimmerman Trial and Kathleen Parker’s Courtroom Camera Ban
After watching the Zimmerman murder trial, Kathleen Parker concludes that it’s time to ban television cameras from courtrooms again, though not any other type of media. She’s wrong: the distortions of cameras on justice are not nearly as dangerous as the distortions of masked justice.
As Flagler Beach Residents Bear Biggest Burdens of Changes, Commissioners Duck
More visitors and more businesses have vastly increased costs on Flagler Beach residents, but when the county stepped up with proposals to reduce those costs through some fire-house consolidation, City Commission Chairman Steve Settle said no thanks–before the commission had even considered the proposals. It’s an example of a commission that doesn’t have city residents’ best interests at heart, argues Rick Belhumeur.
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.
Another Floridian Goon With a Gun
The story of Jerome Hayes’s murder of Fred Turner on I-4 Saturday in a supposed case of “mistaken identity” evokes rage at the case of yet another Floridian hothead–following in the footsteps of George Zimmerman, Jacksonville’s Michael Dunn and Flagler Beach’s Paul Miller– whose temper would not have been an issue had it not been loaded in the chamber of a firearm.
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.
Morning-After Victory on Women’s Reproductive Rights, But Testosterone Policies Persist
Reproductive rights advocates are celebrating the Obama administration’s surrender on the morning-after pill, empowering all women to make their own decisions regarding their own bodies. It’s about damn time, argues Kathleen Joyce, but she warns: don’t let your guard down just yet.
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.
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.