This is about men. This is about Brett Kavanaugh. This is about beer. This is about judgment, or a lack of it. This is about temperament. This is about honesty. This is about privilege and college and the moral compass or gyroscope that keeps polite society functional. This is about different times in our history, … Continue reading My college years, Brett Kavanaugh, beer, misbehavior and ‘Animal House’
Politics, reluctantly
How old are schools in Alamance County?
How old are the schools in Alamance County? Let's start with very, very old and work from there. In fact, at least one is far older than most would believe and the others aren't all that far behind. Think pre-World War I, old. That's old. The last high school was built here 48 years ago. … Continue reading How old are schools in Alamance County?
Silencing Sam (updated to reflect UNC response)
Update: on Nov. 3, 2018 the UNC Board of Trustees took this action concerning the Silent Sam statue. Citing the state law mentioned in the post below, the board said its hands were tied concerning moving the statue to a museum or memorial park. In order to keep it on campus and relatively safe, the … Continue reading Silencing Sam (updated to reflect UNC response)
The case of the Alamance 12
Do a quick search on Google under the keywords Alamance 12. You'll find a few stories right away about what has become a notorious and politically charged (what isn't these days) case involving illegal voting in the county I call home. Most of the stories are from the local newspaper, the Burlington Times-News, where I … Continue reading The case of the Alamance 12
Playing referee for the ‘national psychosis’
A couple of weeks ago I was having a conversation by phone with my 86-year-old mother. At some point, and I'm not exactly sure how we got there, I told her bluntly, "Mom, people just aren't worth talking to anymore." I was only joking -- in part. She was probably appalled, even though she's known … Continue reading Playing referee for the ‘national psychosis’
The leadership to make Alamance County competitive in the modern world
A couple of weeks ago, Alamance-Burlington Board of Education member Brian Feeley made this observation on his political Facebook page: One penny. A one-cent raise to the property tax rate will avoid forced school budget cuts at a time when our county is growing. Someone I respect recently joked that “political leadership” is an oxymoron. … Continue reading The leadership to make Alamance County competitive in the modern world
The separation of law enforcement, justice and politics
The two least surprising pieces of news out of Election Day in Alamance County were the following: First: Incumbent District Attorney Pat Nadolski lost to challenger and one-time colleague Sean Boone in the Republican primary. And second: Subsequently Nadolski was not immediately available for comment about it. Absolutely no politician wants to talk to the … Continue reading The separation of law enforcement, justice and politics
A county politician’s education karma; or, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Lashley
I know Bill Lashley. I don't know him well, but I have spoken to him several times over the years. He's always unfailingly polite and often complimentary when I have encountered him. He is engaging, doesn't mind a laugh and is friendly to passersby the times I've watched him at Fourth Fridays in downtown Burlington. … Continue reading A county politician’s education karma; or, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Lashley
Just the facts, adjusted of course for . . .
The subject was billed as "The Rise and Fall of the Fact." And while it sounds like a treatise in current events, in reality it was a brief history of the world. And who better to talk about facts than a law professor who teaches a course at Harvard University called "The History of Evidence." … Continue reading Just the facts, adjusted of course for . . .
A pivotal year for Alamance County? No question about it
Today as I read the outstanding start of what will be a series of stories, columns and editorials in the Times-News examining the $150 million school bond issue, I was struck by a sentence in an Opinion page column by Rich Jackson, the executive editor and someone I've come to know a little over the … Continue reading A pivotal year for Alamance County? No question about it
Madison's Avenue 