Issues

Joan L. Cannon writes: “If we had a keen vision and feeling of all ordinary human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrel’s heart beat, and we should die of that roar which lies on the other side of silence.” George Elliot, Middlemarch. Are we in a time when we forget that the silence at the end of a disaster of whatever kind hides a roar that only saints and philosophers have the stomach for? more »

Why did I resign? I was one of only seventeen Democrats in the 50 member North Carolina State Senate. After this discouraging and disheartening session, I realized I could contribute more to turning this tide by leaving the North Carolina Senate and starting a voter ID project to make sure that every voter has the proper ID and correct precinct they vote in. To assure that thousands of voters will not have their ballots counted, the types of photo identification required is so narrow that it could prevent 160,000 people from voting. more »

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is supposed to follow specific guidelines when it advises a US President on whether to approve federal disaster aid for a state or individuals. But experts in the field say the disaster standards are unclear — and often ignored. The result is that disaster decisions can seem arbitrary or politically motivated. FEMA’s public explanations typically do not shed much light on its rulings, leaving governors to wonder why they missed out on federal help. more »

Nichola Gutgold writes: Who took over management of Columbia Sportswear Company in the late 1930’s, when it was near bankruptcy, and turned it into the largest American ski apparel company worth $4 billion in 1972? Who ran for US President on Equal Rights Party in 1884 and 1888 and was an American delegate to the first world peace Congress in Paris in 1889? Who is considered the first American woman to be ordained by full denominational authority in 1864, and who also campaigned vigorously for full woman suffrage? more »