madison

October 21, 2026

Lynching Is Not A Metaphor For Madison City Council Firmness

History demands that we choose our words more carefully than our passions would prefer. After a 12-hour Madison City Council meeting where tempers flared and emotions ran free of reason as 140 members of the community spoke, and after the lopsided 14-6 vote that fired the city’s interim police monitor, Aeiramique “Meeka” Glass, we were… Continue reading

madison, Social Commentary, Society, Uncategorized

black-history, history, lynching, madison, marsha-rummel, politics
October 13, 2026

Before The Gunfire In A Madison School, There Was A Choice

One continuing problem in our society is that too many people think they have no responsibility to act for the greater good. That issue is playing out in Dane County’s court system following a 2024 deadly school shooting in Madison. The father of the girl who opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School in December… Continue reading

Gun Control, guns, madison, Mass Shootings

Gun Control, guns, news, nra, politics
October 11, 2026

The Wisconsin Idea Reaches The Stars

There is every reason the University of Wisconsin-Madison and our city can burst with pride. This weekend, with summer-like weather in October, a next-door neighbor invited us to a large backyard cookout and fire pit event attended mostly by grad students and young professionals. With so many topics to discuss, I noticed everyone was elated… Continue reading

Education, madison, Taxes, Uncategorized, uw-madison, wisconsin

astronomy, higher-learning, madison, neutrino, physics, research, Science, universe, uw-madison
October 8, 2026

The Harry Truman Moment For Madison’s Independent Police Monitor Interim Chair Aeiramique Glass

Madison has spent months watching controversy swirl around Independent Police Monitor interim Chair Aeiramique Glass. What began as disputes over her conduct and what professionalism means has grown into a larger question: What happens when a public official seems to believe the rules that govern everyone else don’t quite apply to her? In just the… Continue reading

Governing, madison, Madison Police

aeiramique-glass, douglas-macarthur, harry-truman, history, madison, police
October 4, 2026

A Reminder We Needed: Sauk Prairie High School Students Represent Their Generation Well

Saturday afternoon, James and I took advantage of the exceptionally nice weather and walked from our home to the Memorial Union on the UW-Madison campus. Homecoming weekend was underway, and the city’s energy was contagious. We were going to grab a late lunch and meander around. All that was perfect in and of itself. But… Continue reading

Isthmus, madison, Social Commentary, Society

high-school, life, madison, sauk-prairie, uw-madison
September 22, 2026

City Of Madison Needs To Clamp Down On Random Camping

In our city, people volunteer to make sections of this place we call home look truly wonderful. One of those Madisonians lives in the Marquette Neighborhood and has been instrumental with the Isthmus Path Prairie Garden (IPPG). It is now reported that random campers who want to pitch a tent and take over public property… Continue reading

Isthmus, madison, Social Commentary
September 3, 2026

Worrying About Brown People In Our Community

The angst I felt over the past few weeks as the UPS truck rumbled by our home and down the street is the reason I write this column tonight. It is a small thing in life. A truck with boxes, sometimes for me, is something I like to see. But in recent weeks, the truck… Continue reading

donald-trump, madison, Racism, Social Commentary, Society

brown-people, family, ICE, life, Racism, Society, xenophobia
September 2, 2026

Williamson Street Merchants And How to Move Forward

A couple of days after the shooting of Corey Ruiz at a Williamson Street intersection, I asked the following question on the Marquette Neighborhood listserv. We had a friend who was going to buy some do-it-yourself project materials this morning for the weekend from the hardware store but felt it would be hard to navigate,… Continue reading

Business, madison, Social Commentary, Society, Williamson Street

Business, madsion, Williamson Street
August 30, 2026

Doty Land Podcast: How Do We Find Happiness? Or Does It Find Us?

Here is the link to this podcast episode. Musicians, singers, and songwriters Tim Grimm and Sergio Webb performed in Madison, Wisconsin. The outdoor house concert was especially special, but the larger message about how life presents people and moments in such random designs begs the question to be pondered. Do we find happiness, or does… Continue reading

madison, music, Nashville, Social Commentary, Society
August 30, 2026

How To Create A Winning School Year For Children

Parents are gearing up to send their children back to school in just a matter of days. Backpacks with school supplies, a new shirt, and fresh jeans. While many school supply stores list what each grade level needs for notebooks and folders, no list is provided for what families need to supply at home to… Continue reading

Dane County, Education, madison, wisconsin

Education, family, learning, parenting, schools

Recent Columns

Humphrey History Minute

Coffee Shop Banter

Perfect Addition To A Cup Of Hot Steaming Coffee

My book is about a rural family, finding a way through the years of being bullied, and the suicide of my best friend. Many recollections about the days in broadcasting, the state legislature, and coming out as a gay man.