Society
-
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
-
When Salah Sarsour’s Free Speech In Wisconsin Becomes A Deportable Offense
We all grew up with the same lesson driven home in our classrooms, whether in central Alabama or in the heart of a New York City classroom. People should not fear government punishment because of their political views. That principle is now being severely tested in the case of Salah Sarsour, the longtime president of… Continue reading
-
Puritans In Charge: Watertown Schools Are AGAIN Crushing Student Creativity
Something deeply discouraging about grown adults is that they look at a group of enthusiastic, talented high school theater students and see controversy instead of potential. Watertown High School interim superintendent James Feil’s decision to pull the plug on the production of Flashdance feels less like leadership and more like a retreat into a fearful, old-fashioned worldview… Continue reading
-
Colin Kaepernick Reminds Us Why Patriotism Sometimes Kneels
Colin Kaepernick is one of those Americans with a steadiness and resolve that send a message many in our nation need to hear right now. He is the football player who used his First Amendment rights to send a message. A message that uplifted many, angered others. By taking the knee, he became the quarterback-turned cultural… Continue reading
-
Stop Undermining The Kennedy Center, Living Memorial To Slain President
Every day we have ample reasons to disagree with Donald Trump and his administration. From the quagmire of his making in the Middle East, to his attempt at election manipulation via the postal service, to (and please forgive me for writing this fact) the FBI updating its hiring guidelines to remove juvenile bestiality-related conduct as… Continue reading
-
Caffeinated Politics Podcast: Wisconsin Politics And American Character
Wisconsin Elections And Leadership Race, Belonging, And Public Life Sports, Schools, And Community Continue reading
-
Frances Tiafoe Reminds Us Who We Really Are As Americans
Today, a grandmother told me her grandson, who studies at Madison East High School, wants a tennis racket for his upcoming birthday. Frances Tiafoe has made a tremendous impression upon the teenager. I responded that the phenomenal tennis player, who is winning fans nationwide, is great news for all of us, as he joyfully reminds… Continue reading
-
The Lesson Nation Should Learn From Charlie Kirk’s Death: Frankness In Newsrooms About Gun Violence Is Needed
I didn’t know much about Charlie Kirk until his death made headlines. I had heard his name, of course, but he was an asterisk in my mental filing cabinet, and if I had listed him anywhere, it would have been under the title of people who are famous for being famous. As we are at… Continue reading
-
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
-
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
