Responding to the recent Las Vegas concert shooting that killed more than 50 people and injured hundreds more, President Trump described the act as one “of pure evil.” One definition of “evil” sounds so inadequate in today’s culture: “morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked: evil deeds, an evil life.” As the Supreme Court wrestled with […]
Op-Eds
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Some people just don’t want to hear the truth
You could call it a moment of truth, except that what actually came out of that moment was a realization of how little truth now matters. This is back in 2010, after I recounted in this space an astonishing feat of World War I heroism — a small African-American soldier named Henry Johnson, wounded 21 […]
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Take action to end domestic violence
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and this year the statewide theme is “Take Action Maine,” which provides a perfect opportunity to consider the ways that people can move beyond awareness to action. Here in Maine, we’ve done a great job of building awareness of domestic violence as an issue that impacts our communities; the […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Confidence in economy lacking depth
WASHINGTON — The American consumer is the great engine of growth for the $19 trillion U.S. economy, representing nearly 70 percent of spending. If the consumer is confident and happy, chances are that the economy is satisfactory or robust. On the other hand, if the consumer is confused and worried, the economy may be weak […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Taxing dollars already taxed by states will not happen
Nice try, Republicans. You’d like to end the federal deduction for state and local taxes. That would stick the expensive-to-live-in blue states with more of the nation’s bills. It would amount to taxing income that has already gone to taxes. Not gonna happen. Not gonna happen because of politics. But let’s not ignore your honking […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Libyan factions start process of peace
The UN and western diplomats are trying to put Libya back together again. Previous diplomatic attempts to glue the broken state have failed — bloodily. The Libyan curse of regionalism is a major reason. World leaders underestimated the damage done to Libyan society by dictator Muammar Gaddafi. During his four decades in power, Gaddafi savaged […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
History provides answer about taxes
In school, I liked math the least and history the most. Both can be useful in the coming debate over President Trump’s proposed tax reforms. The one thing I learned in math class is that if the formula is wrong, the answer will be wrong. In history class I learned we are not the first […]
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Looks like 'the swamp' will survive
WASHINGTON — President Trump isn’t draining the swamp. He unveiled his long-awaited “tax reform” package last week, and although many crucial details were missing (for example, the income brackets), he was full of accolades. “This is a revolutionary change,” he said. Well, not yet. The federal income-tax system — almost everyone seems to agree — […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
We've come a long way, baby … haven't we?
We were such idiots then. That realization is, if you are a guy, an unavoidable hazard of seeing the new movie, “Battle of the Sexes.” The film, in which Emma Stone and Steve Carell recreate the 1973 tennis face-off between “women’s libber” Billie Jean King and “male chauvinist pig” Bobby Riggs is, for those of […]
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You have the carnie gene, or you don’t
“Let me get this straight,” the boss told my son, who was putting in for vacation time from his job in Portland. “You want a week off from cooking in my restaurant so you can cook nothing but potatoes and gravy for eight days at Fryeburg. Is that right?” Chris told him yes, he had […]