“Civility’’ has become a catchphrase in media and politics for the discouragement of critical analysis. But Criticism doesn’t implicitly mean incivility. Elected officials should be viewed through a critical lens, especially by journalists, who are trained to not accept statements from politicians at face value.
discourse
“We Cannot Walk Alone… We Cannot Turn Back”
A brief history of the origins and battles of the Martin Luther King federal holiday, and of the MLK monument at the Washington Mall, with full text and video of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech.”
‘White Privilege’? The Accusation Is Not Constructive.
Though these words are commonly used, use of “white privilege” can decrease support for racially progressive policies, increase online political polarization and lead to lower quality conversations on social media. In particular, the term drives some whites who would otherwise support efforts toward racial equality away from online conversations.
Not All Polarization Is Bad, But the US Could Be in Trouble
For the first time, the United States has been classified as a “backsliding democracy” in a global assessment of democratic societies by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, an intergovernmental research group. One key reason the report cites is the continuing popularity among Republicans of false allegations of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
The County Commission’s Choice Tonight: Filth or Statesmanship
The Flagler County Commission this evening is set to elect a new chairman, with Joe Mullins in line for the job, unless fellow-commissioners think better than to choose a bigot to represent them and the county. The School Board elects a chair Tuesday evening, with its own dilemmas.
School Board Members Term Janet McDonald on ‘Witch Hunt’ and ‘Dangerous’ as She Guns for Board Attorney in Wake of Tuesday Tumult
School Board member Janet McDonald called for what would have been an unlawful, closed-door meeting to review the school board attorney’s contract, then called for any special meeting to review last Tuesday’s meeting, when the chamber had to be cleared because of the crowd’s rule-breaking. Two board members–Colleen Conklin and Cheryl Massaro–responded with withering criticism of their colleague.
‘It’s News to Me,’ Barbosa Tells Council of His Alleged Fugitive Status, Before Meeting Tips Into Brawl Again
The Palm Coast City Council’s five-hour workshop today had its share of tense moments before devolving again into a verbal brawl as Victor Barbosa professed ignorance about the allegations behind his apparent fugitive status before verbally dueling with Mayor Eddie Branquinho again.
Five Lessons on Bringing Truth Back to Politics
Democracies have felt precarious – in the US, during the Trump presidency, and in countries like Brazil, Hungary and Poland currently. Integral to such corrosion of democracy (as George Orwell made clear in his novel 1984) is the distortion of truth and facts in favor of a particular agenda.
Political Emails Reach New Lows
Modern media, both professional and social, were supposed to create a better informed electorate and a rich diversity of political opinion. Instead, our tools are used to build barriers. Email is worst. At least when campaigning via regular mail or with paid ads in print and on television, out-of-pocket costs force some limits.
Mayor Holland and Councilman Branquinho Sharply School Barbosa on Conduct Unbecoming an Elected Official
Mayor Milissa Holland–diplomatically–and Councilman Eddie Branquinho–furiously–this afternoon ended an otherwise collegial four-hour workshop by schooling Barbosa on respect, rules of order, Facebook freelancing, council behavior and the meaning of the word “corruption,” with examples.