“Blackburn’s critics turned a campaign joke into a racial indictment — and treated their outrage as evidence.”

“When dangerous offenders are released on bond and commit more crimes, innocent Tennesseans pay the price. If Amendment 1 passes in November, judges in our community and statewide will have the authority they need to keep violent offenders in custody.”

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“Amendment 1 would change that balance by allowing people to be detained without bail based solely on an accusation, before a jury has heard the evidence. The question before voters on Nov. 3 is whether we are willing to surrender a constitutional protection that has stood for 230 years.”

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“Home fires are the nation’s most frequent disaster, impacting far more people than hurricanes, floods or tornadoes. These emergencies can devastate a family in a matter of minutes, destroying homes, cherished possessions and, in the worst cases, taking lives.”

“On AI, Memphis does not have to choose between protecting residents and welcoming investment. We can write tougher rules, make developers pay their way and still compete for the billions of dollars pouring into this industry.”

“I love Memphis. But loving this city doesn’t mean staying quiet about where we’re failing. Women living miles from excellent cancer care can struggle to get a mammogram, afford follow-up testing or find a ride to treatment. We should be embarrassed.”

“Most of us eventually discover that our personal fulfillment is not the result of material wealth or presents. Personal fulfillment is an accumulation of priceless blessings like family and friends, good health, patience, perseverance, courage, faith in oneself, and service to others.”

“A public meeting belongs to the whole community. Being loud does not make you right, being angry does not make you righteous, and neither gives you the right to silence everyone else.”

“For me, a regular mom with nothing to prove, just coming up with Top Five List topics sounded like fun.”

“What if we made a concerted effort to welcome LGBTQ families from across the country? It’s an opportunity worth pursuing, particularly as Memphis faces challenges to some of its traditional tourism draws.”

The FBI issued an alert about cyber criminals using search engine ads to impersonate real companies that direct consumers to malicious sites that steal login credentials and/or credit card numbers.

“CBU has faced real challenges in recent years. We should not minimize them, and we should not allow them to define us. Our responsibility is to make the choices necessary to ensure this university can continue serving students and Memphis for generations to come.”

“In Memphis, we are often quick to notice what’s missing or compare ourselves against cities with more resources and national recognition. But the truth is we have a depth and breadth of arts organizations that would be remarkable in a city twice our size.”

“One in five people have some level of dyslexia. The challenge is that society must be aware of how prevalent dyslexia is in our world and actively support the dyslexic community.”

“Pike deserves to be held accountable for murder. Nothing about mercy diminishes her victim’s life or her loved ones’ loss. But it is hard to believe Tennesseans would be safer if the state once again tries to kill Pike.”

“The 8th District is more than lines drawn on a political map. It is families, farms, neighborhoods, small businesses, cities and rural communities that together make up a vital part of Tennessee.”

“What knowledge is obsolete, what knowledge is rock solid, and who — pray tell — is qualified to make such distinctions?”

“The obvious rift between Steve Cohen and Justin Pearson reflects a larger national divide between an older Democratic tradition and a rising — and increasingly radicalized — progressive movement.”

“I try to remind myself daily to have purpose behind whatever I do, to make the day count. For starters, that’s how I give thanks for the miracle of simply being here.”

“I am not exaggerating when I tell you gunshots used to awaken me almost every night, or that patching the bullet holes in our roof used to be an annual expense. I am also not exaggerating when I say it’s gotten a lot better.”

“I’d keep the towels and I’d keep the pride. But I’d like to think of ‘Grit and Grind’ as something we remember rather than an ideal to live up to. Grit should describe what we’ve survived. Let’s figure out how we want to describe the next chapter.”

“For all the effort human beings have devoted to extending life, it is strange that we have become so uncomfortable looking as though we have actually lived one. Because there is tremendous beauty in an old face.”

“We left out the boredom of Saturday afternoons, the awkwardness of Tuesday lunches and the monotony of late nights in the library. Perhaps we could have fleshed out the hard parts with instead of airbrushing the whole, big thing.”

A year after warnings of occupation, authoritarianism and terror, Memphis is safer — and the hyperbolic rhetoric deserves a reckoning.

“Tennesseans, like voters across the country, have become disillusioned with the current caustic political environment. I will bring decency back to the state Capitol. I will bring integrity back to the state Legislature.”