[Stiggers] Troubled LandBoneqweesha Jones: "This is the Labor Day edition of ‘Qweesha Live 2010.' During the last eight weeks of summer, America and the world have experienced more drama than the soap operas and reality-television shows combined."
[Kamikaze] Old WoundsIt's five years post Hurricane Katrina, and I'm still angry. Old images of the disaster dominated my TV screen and the Internet this past weekend: old images of Mother Nature at her most fierce; old images of destruction left in …
[Purvis] Accidental InspirationI drove down to the Coast last week. I needed to see for myself what my home of four years looked like. I hadn't seen anything that made me feel good about what was probably happening there. I had no …
Thanks, Jackson, for Setting ExampleSoon, the Jackson City Council Planning Committee is bringing a proposed ordinance before full council to restrict city police from inquiring about citizenship status during interdictions.
[Stiggers] What About the Milk?Dear Diary: I have a serious concern about how I am serving my community. I am ashamed about how I've enabled my financially challenged customers to consume processed foods from my Pork-N-Piggly supermarkets.
Listen Up, HospitalsMary Jo went to the hospital recently and received a bill for more than $15,000. She was uninsured and unable to pay more than about $20 per week. It would take her about 15 years to pay off this debt.
[Hammond] It's a Dry HateAt the end of July, I traveled to Arizona to join with other members of the Unitarian Universalist faith to protest the enactment of SB 1070, the infamous anti-immigration law, in solidarity with Puente, a human-rights organization.
Do You Know What it Means ...?That Super Bowl journey with the New Orleans Saints last year was such a roller-coaster ride that I'll admit I've been slow to get back into the football-watching rhythm so far this preseason.
[Balko] The Government's License To StealIn the February issue of "Reason," I wrote a feature story on civil asset forfeiture, the process by which law enforcement groups can seize property, usually in drug cases, sometimes without ever charging anyone with a crime. In particular, the …
[Dennis] Not a Guns-and-Gold RepublicanIntervention is never easy. It generally implies that the subject of the intervention has an addiction that they themselves have not yet fully perceived to be a problem.
Wait: I've Heard This BeforeRecently, someone sent me a link to a site set up about the old white-supremacist Citizen's Council (citizenscouncil.com)--a supposedly upstanding racist group that famed newspaper editor Hodding Carter Jr. called the "uptown Klan."
State Officials: Respect JacksonJackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. discovered last month that State Treasurer Tate Reeves wants details of every aspect of a $6 million state loan. Without that information, Reeves said that the state Bond Commission staff never put the loan on …
[Stiggers] This Funky SocietyMr. Announcement: "In the ghetto criminal justice system, the people are represented by members of the Ghetto Science Community: police officer and part-time security guard at the Funky Ghetto Mall, Dudley ‘Do-Right' McBride; attorney Cootie McBride of the law firm …
[Kamikaze] We Are JacksonIt appears my latest JFP blog post stirred up some emotions. It's no secret that crime and the perception of crime are push-button issues for many of us.
[Balko] Cops Don't Check Civil Rights at State House DoorThe debate over whether citizens should be permitted to record on-duty police officers intensified this summer. High-profile incidents in Maryland, Illinois, Florida, Ohio, and elsewhere spurred coverage of the issue from national media outlets ranging from the Associated Press to …
‘I'm Not Crazy'Keep up the good work," they'll say. Or, "your folks must be proud." They say this when I show up to interview them or to photograph them. Before even seeing my work, people are proud. Once they actually meet me …
How to Be the BestEvery Mississippian flinches when we hear yet another statistic or superlative that shows how bad we seem to have it: We're the fattest, poorest, most racist, worst educated or such, or we're trading off with Louisiana or Alabama for such …
[Stiggers] School DazeBig Roscoe: "School days. People go to school in a daze. Good old you has to go back to school for change-your-career days. Reading, writing and arithmetic taught to a tune of thousands of dollars per semester, and after you …
Message For Our TimeOnly the family of God can solve the problem of education in Mississippi. The Bible says that "You should train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."
[Brantley] My Mississipi [sic] IdentityI arrived in Metz, France, in fall 2007 equipped with new degrees in English literature and French, and enough clothes to survive the reportedly bitter winter. In the middle of the Lycée Cormontaigne high school campus, where I would be …
[Balko] Ignorance of the Law is No Excuse"Ignorance of the law is no excuse." That's the standard line motorists hear when they say they weren't aware of the speed limit, or gun owners hear when they say didn't know about the gun laws in the jurisdiction they …
Doing SchoolI was never a stellar student. It's not that I'm not bright; I always tested well, 98th and 99th percentile on standardized tests in everything but math. Most of my teachers, however, utterly failed to engage my interest.
Stop the Immigrant BashingA disturbing meeting took place at the Madison County Cultural Center Monday night. It was a tea-party-organized forum to call for the state of Mississippi to adopt an anti-"illegals" law such as the one the state of Arizona recently enacted, …
[Stiggers] Weary Minds and SoulsJudy McBride: "Before I close my monthly Ghetto Group Psychological Therapy and Venting Session, I want to say that I'm very happy to see those individuals who returned from last month's session and some new people, too."
[Kamikaze] Regular Folks and Common SenseRecently, President Barack Obama appeared on an episode of ABC's "The View." I don't consider myself a fan of the show. Although it doesn't necessarily speak to my demographic, no doubt shows like "The View" or "The Oprah Show" speak …
[Owens-Wilson] How To Come Back From the DeadThe name of the game is change. People try to do it every new year, Obama opened the nation's eyes with its promise, and now, as an incoming college freshman, I am forced to take its hand and walk with …
Shall We Overcome?I find it hard to trust someone who claims we should never talk about race. And I find it impossible to fathom someone who says it's "racist" to call out racism.
Is Suing in Our Best Interest?Gov. Haley Barbour said he is moving forward with a plan to hire counsel to stop the spread of Choctaw gaming to Jones County, but is the investment in lawyers really worth the trip to court?
[Stiggers] ‘Letter of Concern'Miss Doodle Mae: "Good morning, Jojo's Discount Dollar Store staff! Jojo asked me to conduct a special staff meeting in response to the Shirley Sherrod controversy. Most of you witnessed a hasty decision—caused by a manipulative individual—to terminate a sincere …