When the news first broke that the seven-term U.S. Representative sent “explicit” messages and photos of himself to an adult female Twitter follower and other women “over the last three years,” the then 46-year-old newlywed and expectant father recanted earlier denials of his salacious misconduct and resigned the following month.
Category: Culture & Politics
Discussion of various aspects of modern American culture, including sports, politics, religion, gender issues and race.
Action, Not Avoidance: Keeping Kids Away From Bullies And Bullying
Back in February, I expounded on discovering that my then first-grader, Nia, was being bullied by a transfer student I referred to as “Eric.” After discovering that his misbehavior was escalating instead of improving, I had a phone conference with Nia’s homeroom teacher and was advised that the issue would soon be resolved. However, despite… Continue reading Action, Not Avoidance: Keeping Kids Away From Bullies And Bullying
The Trayvon Letters, Pt. 2: Attack The Messenger, Blame The Victim
I knew that I was wading into instant drama when I wrote and submitted my post-‘verdict’ Trayvon Martin column. I had written of race issues before as a Briefing columnist, and as a Black woman who’s lived in the South for most of her life, I was certainly aware that the status quo of “white… Continue reading The Trayvon Letters, Pt. 2: Attack The Messenger, Blame The Victim
The Trayvon Letters, Pt. 1: A Teen’s Lesson In White Privilege
A week after the Zimmerman ‘verdict’ and a day after my column about the issue, readers who take exception with my views are firing off e-mail after e-mail. A couple have been supportive, others have been smug and snarky, while others simply declare me to be a race-baiting anti-white (fill in the blank). And then,… Continue reading The Trayvon Letters, Pt. 1: A Teen’s Lesson In White Privilege
The Zimmerman Verdict: Unfettered Racism, Unequal Justice
Sunday’s weather was overcast and turbulent, the clouds obscuring any presence of brightness and creating an atmosphere weighted with tension and gloom. Normally, I enjoy summer storms. But this time, the tempest overhead was a fitting backdrop underscoring the sadness I felt as an American and a Black parent after jurors found George Zimmerman ‘not… Continue reading The Zimmerman Verdict: Unfettered Racism, Unequal Justice