Commentary

Letter to the editor

Friday, 16 October 2009 17:32 Patrick Douthit

I recently read the legendary Gladys Knight’s comments about Hip-Hop and the culture thereof as it pertains to hindering the growth of black music. In a lot of ways, present day black music in a general sense is in a very bad state. From Hip-Hop to the level of R&B and Soul or the lack of in mainstream media, we are seemingly suffering across the board. However, my concerns are focused on the comments about Hip-Hop.

Jobs, jobs, jobs

Tuesday, 13 October 2009 15:52 Judge Greg Mathis

Economists are telling us that we are turning the corner on this recession. They say stocks – particularly bank stocks – are rebounding. Too bad the 15.1 million unemployed Americans aren’t feeling any relief.

Shooting deaths of children rose for second straight year

Tuesday, 06 October 2009 15:55 Marian Wright Edelman

I'm deeply disturbed that after a decade of decline, the number of firearm deaths among children and youths has increased for the second year in a row. Our 2009 Protect Children, Not Guns report released in September reveals that almost nine children and teens die from gunfire every day—one child death every two hours and 45 minutes.

It's time for an emergency summit on youth violence and fratricide

Tuesday, 06 October 2009 15:33 Dr. Ron Daniels

The video of the brutal murder of Derrion Albert, a teenage honor student in Chicago, by other teenagers sent shock waves across the nation. How is it that a group of young people could batter and stomp one of their peers to death in the midst of a throng of teenagers? In the past several years, Chicago has emerged as the capital of student murders. But, Chicago is not the only city in Black America plagued by student murders, youth violence and fratricide.

A child’s race against a deadly disease

Tuesday, 06 October 2009 15:07 Marian Wright Edelman, President of the Children's Defense Fund

Two-year-old Case Hogan is a bright, happy child with a sunshine smile who is in a desperate race against a degenerative disease that is causing the gradual deterioration of his body. A medical diagnosis revealed that Case has Hunters Syndrome, also known as MPS II. This rare, incurable genetic disorder interferes with the body's process of breaking down and recycling molecules known as glycosaminoglycans or GAGs that build up and are stored in the joints, organs, and brain.

The cost of health inequality

Monday, 05 October 2009 16:55 Brian D. Smedley, Ph.D.

The notion that national health care reform will actually reduce health-related spending is turning out to be a tough sell for many Americans. Just ask President Obama. But the experience of racial and ethnic minorities under our current health care system serves as object lesson on how reform that improves opportunities for good health can actually be good for the nation’s fiscal health, as well.
Currently, not everyone in the United States enjoys the same health opportunities. Studies show that minority Americans experience poorer than average health outcomes from cradle to the grave. They are much more likely to die as infants, have higher rates of diseases and disabilities, and have shorter life spans.

A political warranty

Friday, 02 October 2009 16:10 Joseph C. Phillips

In his first year in office former president Bill Clinton, who had run as a centrist, was drawn into the new left vortex of socialized healthcare, which led to a resounding defeat for Clinton and the Democrats in the 1994 mid-term elections. Current President Barack Obama too is attempting to reform healthcare and like Clinton has seen his popularity sink. Some political pundits are drawing comparisons between the two administrations and positing that democrats are setting themselves up for a bit of a spanking come 2010. It is, as Shirley Bassey sang, “all just a little bit of history repeating.”