Opinion: People — not dogs — have created our stray problem
“There is no shelter system, rescue network or group of volunteers large enough to absorb endless human irresponsibility. Memphis cannot rescue its way out of this.”
Topic: Guest Columns
RSSThere are 318 article(s) tagged Guest Columns:
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May 2026
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Opinion: Why is the state’s focus on redistricting not matched by equal attention to BlueOval City?
“The same people who can summon a special session to redraw congressional maps in service of a national political project have had remarkably little to say about how that same national political project cost thousands of jobs and four years of economic momentum in Tipton, Fayette, Haywood and Shelby counties.”
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Opinion: Redistricting highlights the real crisis — the ‘devastatingly low’ voter turnout
“People struggled, marched, bled and died so Black people could exercise the right to vote. They did not die for us to have the right to vote Democrat. They died for us to have the right to choose.”
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Opinion: ‘The Bible gives us good reasons to stand up for democracy’
“Opposing such blatant gerrymandering isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue. It’s a democracy issue.”
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Opinion: How connections between Memphis and Ireland give us a language for staying
“Ireland being honored in Memphis as part of Memphis in May looks like the usual cultural exchange on the surface. But beneath that is something more interesting: two vastly different places that recognize structure in each other.”
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Opinion: Beyond redistricting rhetoric are reality and results
“To hear many Tennessee Democrats tell it, partisan redistricting is some unprecedented assault on democracy itself — a historic political crisis unlike anything the state has ever experienced.”
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Opinion: With redistricting, ‘Memphis is defined by the people who stay and fight for it’
“Memphis has never been defined by the people who pass through it or pass judgment on it.”
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Opinion: Tennessee law — not federal lawsuits — may stymie redistricting
“The speed and confidence with which the legislature acted on redistricting does not guarantee the map’s durability. This time, state courts – not federal courts – may have the final word.”
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Opinion: Memphis is angry about redistricting, but secession is a ‘worthless’ suggestion
“If Memphis cuts ties with the state, where does anyone think we’re going? I can assure you Mississippi doesn’t want a Democratic stronghold on its northern border.”
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Opinion: Seeking answers on redistricting in the National Civil Rights Museum
“Studying history yields a dividend: It brings us to a clearer understanding of who we are, what we believe, and what we do when the promise of our national creed does not measure up to the reality of our lives.”
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Echols: Will we recognize each other in Heaven?
“The musicians among us will be familiar with the concept of ‘tonic chord.’ It’s that set of notes in a musical score that leaves the ear — and therefore the mind and even the body — feeling settled, complete, finished, at rest.”
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Opinion: ‘What have I learned today?’
“I don’t need to sing. I don’t need to dance. I don’t need to be the best writer. In short, I don’t need to chase who and what I’m not; it’s enough to be thankful for what I am and work to be the best I’m capable of being.”
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Opinion: ‘Uniting to create lasting change globally, locally and personally’
“What we gain instead is something far more valuable: purpose, friendships and the knowledge that we are making a difference.”
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April 2026
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Opinion: Arts, culture and the future of the Memphis economy
“We need to build a cultural plan — a long-term strategy that guides how Memphis and Shelby County builds infrastructure for investment to integrate arts, culture and entertainment into its economic development, urban planning and community life.”
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Opinion: The next county mayor must protect pre-K
“The youngest members of this community did not ask to be born into a budget dispute. They arrived, as all children do, with the expectation that the adults around them would provide what they need to thrive.”
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Opinion: In the face of unprecedented danger, Memphis police officers answer the call
“May we never forget those we’ve lost. May we never take for granted those who still stand watch. And may we always remember that every day, in a city where danger is always present, Memphis police officers continue to answer the call.”
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Opinion: DA Mulroy on criminal justice data and accountability
“Delays in handling cases, jail-intake processing delays, the “solve rate” for crimes, the repeat-offender rate — these are all worthy objects of emphasis ... . But they may not fit the right (so to speak) political agenda.”
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Opinion: The call is around us all the time. The trick is to recognize and respond.
“The trick is to recognize and respond. That’s easy when the call is a call to appreciate life’s blessings. It’s a bit trickier when it’s a call to endure hardships. With those, it’s easier to forget.”
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Echols: How all the broken pieces reveal the essence of Easter
“Disorder does not only lead to crime. Disorder can also be the kingdom of light. It’s about hope. Light emerges from the hammer blows.” Is this not the essence of Easter?
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Opinion: Memphis must demand more from industrial polluters
“If a company’s business model depends on the exploitation of a Black city and the enrichment of a few power brokers at the top, we don’t want them here.”
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Opinion: Data raises questions about accountability in the criminal justice system
The performance of the criminal justice system can’t be assessed without knowing the full picture. We have regular and reliable reporting from law enforcement agencies, but why don’t we have the same expectation for the district attorney and court clerks?
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March 2026
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Opinion: We can add new housing and preserve stable neighborhoods
“Memphis does not have to choose between growth and stability. By directing density to the right places, supporting homeownership, investing in transit, and revitalizing neglected corridors, we can achieve both.”
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Opinion: In Memphis, school decisions carry history. This one carries hope.
“The leadership of the Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School and Believe Memphis Academy Charter School have begun a conversation about merging.”
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Opinion: ‘Justice, safety, solidarity, law and order — in Memphis, they have to be the same project’
“Amid the frustrating recruitment challenges facing the Memphis Police Department, I would like to turn our attention to a different critical element of our public safety architecture: the frontline civic organizations engaged in violence-reduction efforts.”
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Outgoing FedEx St. Jude Championship leader: ‘To the city of Memphis — thank you’
Before FESJC’s outgoing Executive Director Joe Tomek leaves for Australia, he has some advice for Memphians.
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