John Grindrod: Aaron McLaurine and the mentor’s voice he still hears
The obituary in the local paper 25 years ago was as succinct as you’ll likely see when it comes to the final prose penned about people’s lives. It read, “Gary A. Akers, 88, died at 10:25 p.m., June 24. 1998, at St. Rita’s Medical Center. There will be no service or visitation. Memorial contributions can be made to First Round Boxing, 1737 Rice Ave., Lima, Oh. 45805. Arrangements are by Wayne Street Chapel of Chiles and Sons-Laman Funeral Homes.”
Dr. Jessica Johnson: ‘Us vs. them’ mentality hinders racial progress
Jason Aldean’s controversial country hit “Try That in a Small Town” climbed to No. 1 on Billboard’s all-genre singles chart this week. If you’ve been following the headlines of what many critics and academics have said about the lyrics, you know that Aldean has been in the middle of a heated culture wars debate since mid-July. The song was taken off Country Music Television, which prompted many of Aldean’s supporters to claim it was an attempt to “silence” him. While the initial war of words on social media has quelled somewhat, Aldean’s track remains the focus of a contested discussion regarding what encompasses an authentic American identity.
Debra-Lynn B. Hook: Sisterhood and the ability to speak Scooby-Doo
Like the girls of “Little Women,” I grew up one of four distinctly different sisters with seven years between us.
Holy Cow! History: The Jewish cowboy
You’ve heard of John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Tex Ritter and other cowboy movie stars. But decades before them, an actor paved the way to fame in Westerns.
Carl P. Leubsdorf: Political border battle rages on
In the past two months, President Joe Biden’s revised procedures for stemming the influx of asylum seekers across the Southern border have seemed to be working, substantially slowing the flow.
Lori Borgman: Zucchini, too much of a good thing?
A friend served zucchini with dinner the other night and her 10-year-old exclaimed, “Oh no, it’s zucchini season!”
Legal-Ease: When wills do not work out as intended
Every person over age 18 should invest in a will, also called a last will and testament. The biggest reason for having a will is that a properly prepared will will help your surviving family members avoid unnecessary expenses when distributing your assets when you die.
Liz Weston: Don’t let your credit scores retire
Getting rid of debt before retirement is often a good idea. Getting rid of your credit scores? Not so much.
Jonathan Bernstein: Third parties can be helpful, No Labels isn’t
A group called “No Labels” is moving ahead with the possibility of running a third-party candidate for president next year — at least if Donald Trump and Joe Biden are the major party nominees.
Mark Figley: You can’t keep a good couple down
While Joe Biden spends a significant amount of time stoking the flames of racism, no one can top Barack and Michelle Obama on the topic. This was proven once again following the recent Supreme Court decision overturning affirmative action in making race a factor for college admissions.
