Opinion, Memphis Flyer

Letter to the Editor

Flyer Readers — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

On Sid Selvidge, Rush Limbaugh, and Teaching to the Test by Flyer Readers Sid Selvidge Thanks for Bruce VanWyngarden's Editor's Note about Sid Selvidge (May 9th issue).…

The Rant

Tim Sampson — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Tim Sampson is in love with Chris Christie, sort of. by Tim Sampson I think I have a man crush on Chris Christie. Yes, I know the New Jersey governor is a Republican and might be the next president if his lap-band weight-loss plan works out, but I love him.…

Benghazi Syndrome

Richard Cohen — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Advice on how to know if you are affected. by Richard Cohen The American Psychiatric Association's latest handbook — The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders — is about to be published. It is the handbook of mental health, and if you're not in it, you are among the fortunate few.…

Letter From the Editor

Bruce VanWyngarden — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Oh, it's scandal time again in the good ol' USA. There are three good ones going on now. 1) An IRS office in Cincinnati has admitted flagging for extra scrutiny conservative groups that were claiming 501(c)(4) nonprofit status. Knowledge of the activity seems to extend up the command chain to a couple of IRS administrators in Washington, D.C. 2) The Justice Department has admitted to tracking AP reporters' phone activity in April and May of 2012 in an effort to determine where security leaks were originating about a CIA operation against al-Qaeda. 3) And, of course, there's the ubiquitous Benghazi attack affair ... by Bruce VanWyngarden Oh, it's scandal time again in the good ol' USA. There are three good ones going on now.…

A Right to Privacy

Flyer Staff — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

by Flyer Staff In the wake of the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Bush administration, aided and abetted by a terrified Congress, passed the Patriot Act, which enabled certain government agencies — the National Security Administration, the CIA, and the U.S. Department of Justice, to name three — the right to survey and monitor communications such as the emails and phone calls of U.S. citizens for purposes of "national security." It was and is a slippery slope to grant the government the ability to override our constitutional rights to privacy.…

Grizzlies Eye Beale Street

John Branston — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:46:00 -0500

Memphis stars of the NBA Playoffs so far: Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Tony Allen, and Beale Street.

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Haslam Vetoes "Ag-Gag" Bill

Bruce VanWyngarden — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:03:00 -0500

In a mildly surprising show of fortitude, Governor Bill Haslam stood up to Big Agriculture special-interest lobbyists and vetoed Tennessee's controversial "Ag Gag" Bill, which I've written about.

Here's the governor's official statement:…

The Bad News …

Flyer Staff — Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

On property taxes and schools in Memphis and Shelby County by Flyer Staff The longer the current budget discussions in local government go on, the more we're reminded of that apocryphal old country adage whereby a farmer scratches his head and says, in answer to a motorist's request for directions, "Son, you can't get there from here." True, the Memphis City Council is able, for the first time legitimately, to ignore some $70 million worth of MOE (maintenance-of-effort) obligations to the schools of Memphis.…

The Rant

Randy Haspel — Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

by Randy Haspel "The Possum," George Jones, finally bought the farm at age 81, at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville on April 26th. To his family's eternal credit, last week's funeral was declared open to the public.…

Letter From the Editor

Bruce VanWyngarden — Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

I moved to Memphis 20 years ago this spring. It was a new city to me, and I liked to wander around downtown on my lunch hour. One day, I walked into Rod & Hank's Vintage Guitars, a magical shop then located just across from the Peabody hotel on Second Street. I loved the smell and the feel of the place, and I loved all the classic old guitars hanging on the walls ... by Bruce VanWyngarden I moved to Memphis 20 years ago this spring. It was a new city to me, and I liked to wander around downtown on my lunch hour.…

Letters to the Editor

Flyer Readers — Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

On "Ag Gag," the RDC, and the Grizzlies by Flyer Readers Ag Gag "Despicable, unconstitutional, ridiculous, immature, idiotic, and mendacious."…

Protect Student Loans

Steve Cohen — Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Congress must act quickly to keep our students from being priced out of an education. by Steve Cohen A college education should not be only for the lucky few, but should be an opportunity for all those with skill and determination. Given the opportunity to better themselves through higher education, individuals can provide for their families and strengthen our country.…

Grit ’n’ Grind

John Branston — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:52:00 -0500

Memphis police director Toney Armstrong won Round One in budget negotiations with the city council, where he found support for a 4.6 percent raise for employees.

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A Western Pennsylvania Fishing Trip

Bruce VanWyngarden — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:59:00 -0500

Every April since 1993, I've been trekking to the Laurel Mountains of Western Pennsylvania, east of Pittsburgh, where I used to live, for a week-long fishing trip with old friends.

We go to a rustic cabin along Beaver Creek, which at its widest could handle two rowboats passing (if boats were allowed), and which narrows to 10 or 12 feet in many spots.…

Gore’s Overlooked Mission

Joe Boone — Thu, 02 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

The former veep and Nobel Laureate has unfinished business in Tennessee. by Joe Boone Al Gore has a new book: The Future. The self-proclaimed nerd and "Atari Democrat" has recast himself in the role of a seer.…

The Rant

Tim Sampson — Thu, 02 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

by Tim Sampson Sigh. Sigh.…

Letter From the Editor

Bruce VanWyngarden — Thu, 02 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

On April 18th, the Tennessee House and Senate passed what's been termed the "ag gag" bill. This piece of legislative flimflammery requires that anyone who takes video or photos of animal abuse must turn over said photographs or video to law enforcement within 48 hours ... by Bruce VanWyngarden On April 18th, the Tennessee House and Senate passed what's been termed the "ag gag" bill. This piece of legislative flimflammery requires that anyone who takes video or photos of animal abuse must turn over said photographs or video to law enforcement within 48 hours.…

Maxine Smith, 1929-2013

Flyer Staff — Thu, 02 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

by Flyer Staff Memphis and the world lost another iconic figure with the passing last week of Maxine Smith, the longtime executive secretary of the Memphis NAACP and a pivotal local figure in virtually every important aspect of the civil rights era. Smith, 83, was born in October 1929, just as her country's post-World War I boom years were ending in a spectacular crash.…

Letters to the Editor

Flyer Readers — Thu, 02 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

by Flyer Readers The Second Amendment As a Second Amendment purist, I have to admit finding absurd those gun lovers who are stockpiling food, ammo, and first-aid supplies in the event of a possible confrontation with the government.…

Restaurant Impossible

John Branston — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:12:00 -0500

Somebody call Robert Irvine, the no-nonsense star of the Food Network's Restaurant Impossible. Have we got a challenge for him.…

Reaching the Finish Line: My Reflections on the Boston Marathon Bombings

Louis Goggans — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:40:18 -0500

Imagine nearing the finish line of a marathon after running 26.2 miles. Your heart is pumping.…

The Big Three

Jim Strickland — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0500

To stem an outflow of residents, the Memphis City Council must focus on crime, schools, and taxes. by Jim Strickland Like most big cities in the country, Memphis has challenges. Our number-one problem is the loss of population.…

Beyond the Pale

Flyer Staff — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0500

On Gabby Giffords and the NRA and the slurs of Kevin Williamson by Flyer Staff We're almost embarrassed to report this, but it's receiving enough attention elsewhere for what it illustrates about the right wing in this country that it becomes a duty to hold our nose and do so. In a column entitled "The Corner" in the online edition of the arch-conservative National Review on Sunday, Kevin Williamson poured scorn on an op-ed written by Gabby Giffords for The New York Times.…

Letter From the Editor

Bruce VanWyngarden — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0500

The capture of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev sparked a debate about whether he should be charged as an American citizen (which he is) or as an "enemy combatant." If it's the latter, he presumably could be interrogated by whatever "enhanced" methods are deemed to be most effective — methods that could not be legally used on an American citizen charged with a crime, no matter how heinous ... by Bruce VanWyngarden The capture of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev sparked a debate about whether he should be charged as an American citizen (which he is) or as an "enemy combatant." If it's the latter, he presumably could be interrogated by whatever "enhanced" methods are deemed to be most effective — methods that could not be legally used on an American citizen charged with a crime, no matter how heinous.…

Letters to the Editor

Flyer Readers — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0500

On the UT HIV-AIDS symposium, MLGW, Cock-fighting, and News of the Weird by Flyer Readers UTHSC Symposium The University of Tennessee Health Science Center has no excuse for declining the invitation for the HIV/AIDS symposium ("No More Aid," April 4th issue).…