This is a newspaper column I wrote in the summer of 2014 when this issue of Southern heritage and Confederate flags and statues was raised. Yes, it comes up every so often and has for the past 120 years -- about the time the urge to put up Confederate statues began long after the Civil … Continue reading Throwback Thursday column: Son of a son of a son of a Confederate veteran
Author: madisontdawg
Enabling hate and racism: Another loss for human decency
Around the first of the year I heard from someone I met only casually during my newspaper days. He sent me a note online. His point of contention was the belief by vocal critics who oppose then brand new President Donald Trump that all Trump supporters are racists. I know this person a little – as … Continue reading Enabling hate and racism: Another loss for human decency
The Arts Place in Stokes County, new look for an old haunt (with photo gallery)
Nothing much changes in my hometown. With a few exceptions the Danbury, North Carolina of today doesn't look substantially different than it did 50 years ago. Some of the older houses are gone, a tragedy in terms of historic value. One is the old Taylor house, where my great-grandparents lived. My great-uncle let it run … Continue reading The Arts Place in Stokes County, new look for an old haunt (with photo gallery)
Community Connections at Elon hits a milestone year
"Can it really be five years?" Tom Arcaro asked, a look of incredulity on his face as he turned in my direction. We were sitting Monday at The Oak House, a coffee house and bar in downtown Elon, across the street from the buildings that make up part of the more traditional section of campus … Continue reading Community Connections at Elon hits a milestone year
Nixon in the rearview mirror: What happened then echoes today
I've said on more than one occasion that when I was a newspaper editor I wasn't much of an editorial writer. I didn't like that part of the job very much and even lobbied to get rid of the opinion pages entirely. Often the editorials didn't reflect my own views but the collective voice of … Continue reading Nixon in the rearview mirror: What happened then echoes today
Political aspirations . . . thanks but no thanks
A few weeks ago I had an exchange on Twitter. It came during the often contentious debate over public education funding in Alamance County, it was a fight the pro-education folks – let’s call them the “good guys” – lost by a whisker to forces that, well let’s face it, have a stake in forging … Continue reading Political aspirations . . . thanks but no thanks
Throwback Thursday: Our bug-infested megalopolis to be
This is something I wrote in 2014 after reading a very revealing study about what North Carolina might look like in the year 2060. Think a bug-infested wasteland -- something like "Blade Runner meets the Andy Griffith Show." This column actually sparked a Community Connections discussion at Elon. Here it goes ... --- It’s almost … Continue reading Throwback Thursday: Our bug-infested megalopolis to be
Book review: The Captain Class
“The Captain Class”; by Sam Walker; 333 pages; Random House, 2017. Sam Walker began with one simple question. Through his research, the quest took a new direction. By the time he had completed his journey Walker had produced something both intended but also serendipitous. The outcome is both ironic and coincidental. That’s a rather sloppy … Continue reading Book review: The Captain Class
Southern Comfort revisited
A few years ago this question was raised for some fool reason. “How Southern are you?” At first, it was hard to know what to make of such a thing. The question itself was a little off-putting to say the least. After all, you're either Southern or you ain't. Pretty simple really. To even raise … Continue reading Southern Comfort revisited
How I survived summer camp in the Village, maybe even thrived — a little
Every day during the Summer in the Village camp at Elon University we opened our class of rising eighth and ninth-graders by asking them to write a brief essay or short commentary about a subject selected the night before. We gave them 10 minutes or so to write and then all were asked to read … Continue reading How I survived summer camp in the Village, maybe even thrived — a little
