As I watched “60 Minutes” on Sept. 24, interviews with Oprah Winfrey and U.S. Sen. John McCain triggered so many emotions. I am so grateful to Sen. McCain for the man he is and deeply sorry for the sacrifices he endured during the Vietnam War. I cannot imagine what he went through as a POW […]
Op-Eds
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Column: Sex offender restriction about school proximity unnecessary
I applaud members of the Lewiston City Council for tabling their decision on a sex offender restriction zone to give the matter more thought. This is the kind of issue for somebody who has no stake in the matter that seems obvious. Disallowing sex offenders to live within 750 feet of a school or daycare […]
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There is a way out of war with North Korea
NEW YORK — The confrontation between the United States and North Korea is in a more dangerous zone than at any point in decades. Each side has announced tough positions, issued threats, and underscored that its positions are non-negotiable. Each side is now boxed in, with little room to maneuver. How to get off this […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
A Russian democratic leader in Maine
The Russian Revolution observes its 100th anniversary the end of this month. Though it has now been more than a quarter century since the Soviet system was officially eclipsed by the democratic government led by Boris Yeltsin, the legacy of the Revolution certainly endures. Indeed, given the authoritarian and expansionist characteristics of Yeltsin’s successor, Vladimir […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
NFL players' protests won't help their cause
If you like professional sports, a major reason — perhaps THE reason — you attend games, or watch them on TV, is that it helps you escape from whatever occupies your mind the rest of the week. You certainly don’t want the issues of the day encroaching on your enjoyment. The recent exchange of insults […]
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Are entrepreneurs a dying breed?
WASHINGTON — Maybe we’re not “‘Shark Tank’ nation” after all. The incredibly popular cable business program, which features budding entrepreneurs pleading for backing from wealthy investors (the “sharks”), seems to define us. We’re a nation of hungry go-getters, eager to start our own business on the way to becoming multimillionaires. Everyone wants to strike it […]
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Single-payer health care isn’t the only answer
The latest Republican push to essentially kill the Affordable Care Act through lawmaking is dead. Setting a time bomb to blow up current Obamacare benefits in 2027 would have been sneaky, sneaky. Where were Democrats in all this? They were mostly on the sidelines letting Graham-Cassidy head for oblivion on its own outrageous terms. That […]
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So, black athletes have forgotten their place?
Dear black people: I guess we’ve messed up again. Seems like we’re never going to learn how to properly protest, no matter how hard conservatives try to teach us. When there was violence in the streets over unpunished police killings of African-American men, they said that was the wrong way to go about it. Most […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Kurds, Catalans push for independence
Kurdistan and Catalonia both have long histories. That’s one reason many Kurds and Catalans argue that they deserve their own nation states. Iraqi Kurds voted September 25, and it appears a majority support establishing an independent Kurdistan in what is now Iraqi Kurdistan. Though the referendum is advertised as “non-binding,” Kurdish leaders say the results […]
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Burns’ film has lessons for politicians
“The highest patriotism is not a blind acceptance of official policy, but a love of one’s country deep enough to call her to a higher plain.” — Sen. George McGovern, D-South Dakota Filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick have performed a vital public service in making their documentary “The Vietnam War” for PBS. Given the […]