October 26, 2007Coming SundayFed up with speeding drivers who confuse your street with the Martinsville Speedway? You're not alone. Stay tuned. I don't know about you, but I really could do without all the war-mongering about Iran. We haven't yet cleaned up the mess we started in Iraq. How can we even think about Iran? Oh I forgot, thinking hasn't exactly been on display in the minds of the war hawks. Genarlow is free. In case you don't know, Genarlow Wilson is the young man in Georgia who has been in prison for more than two years serving an 11-year sentence for having consensual oral sex with a teen girl. Genarlow, 21, was convicted of aggravated child molestation following a 2003 New Year's Eve party in a hotel room. He was 17, a good student and athlete, when he was videotaped with a 15-year-old girl. Certainly, I can't condone the actions of Genarlow and his sexual benefactor and the obviously raucous party at which they engaged in their act. But neither can I condone the actions of the prosecutor who sought at every turn to keep Genarlow in prison, even after the law under which he was convicted was changed making his crime a misdemeanor. The Georgia Supreme Court ruled today that Genarlow's continued imprisonment amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. May Genarlow begin to put back the pieces of his life and may lessons be learned all around in this one. September 21, 2007Weekend agenda:Coming Sunday: The inequities of the criminal justice system in America are an issue for black people in this country. But how about summoning the kind of energy and attention that we saw in Jena for some of the problems eating away at our community from within? Now for another question that carries over from my tour of secondhand stores last weekend: Can someone please explain to me why some folks cut the sizes off clothes they donate? I've noticed over the years during my routine trek to area Goodwills that some sizes have been snipped off. If you're embarrassed that you wear a certain size, the shoppers buying the buying the dresses don't know who the previous owner was anyway. Any takers on the burning case of the missing dress size? s September 19, 2007And the winner is........Now come on, you didn't REALLY expect me to tell you, did you!? But you'll know this time tomorrow. Thursday's column will announce the name of this blog, as well as the person who will join me for lunch because he or she submitted the winning entry. I have to be honest: Selecting a name has been so hard. But it's been a "good" hard, if you know what I mean. The choices have inspired me to think seriously about what I want the blog to be. The entries have been plentiful and all over the board: no-nonsense, stoic, thoughtful, zany. I've gone back and forth but finally settled on a choice, thanks to you guys. I couldn't have done it without you. On to other stuff: I'll be honest: I don't care about O.J. Simpson. I haven't cared about him since he dumped his first wife Marguerite for Nicole anyway, circa 1980. (That said, no one deserves to be savagely butchered the way she was.) But if you guys wanna squeeze The Juice here, feel free. That's what it's here for. Remember the rules of decorum on the as-of-now No Name blog: Nothing that a reasonable person would find offensive, vulgar or distasteful. The police chief in Philadelphia is seeking 10,000 men to patrol their neighborhoods three hours a week to reduce crime. Vigilantes need not apply, the chief said. The volunteers will be trained in conflict resolution. The city has notched 294 murders this year, 85 percent of them young black men. Made me start wondering: Could Roanoke rally a similarly situated posse of committed men to stop the senseless violence and crime, or otherwise mentor a youth? In a word: Nope. s September 17, 2007In the works...The horrific attack against a young woman in West Virginia is something the masses can't imagine. Yet, it contained elements that should prompt all of us to think. Stayed tuned: Later in the week, we'll name the winner of the "Name the blog" conest. s September 11, 2007A high-interest racketPredatory lending is exploitation. As Barry Butler of the Virginia Organizing Project put it, if you can't make a go of it earning 36 percent interest, you need to rethink your business model. Hit me back with your views, or your experience with the payday industry. s September 10, 2007The 4 R'sReadin, 'Ritin, 'Rithmetic and RATS!? Tuesday we set some traps at Fairview Elementary in Roanoke. Weigh in with your thoughts about students there being forced to go to school with rodents. s |
About this blog In her signature plainspoken style, Michigan native Shanna Flowers peels away the layers and gets to the heart of the issues. No pretense. Just straightforward perspective. Shanna writes about local people whose circumstances reflect decisions made as near as City Hall or as far away as the halls of Congress. Other times, she weighs in on a topic because it is incredibly ridiculous. Or heartening. Or fascinating. Read Shanna's column three days a week, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, at roanoke.com
.....Advertisement.....
|
...Advertisement...
...Advertisement...
