Sandy Hook plus one year
Gunfire claims a life every 20 minutes in America. Approximately 30,000 people die each year from guns here. There are nearly 300 million guns in private hands, almost as many guns as people. Rapidly... Read More
NC Spin Articles
GOP finally notices needs of NC teachers
Editorial by News and Observer, December 2, 2013. With the 2014 election coming, are North Carolina’s Republican leaders seeing chickens on the horizon, looking to come home to roost? All of the... Read More
Tax credits to expire January 1
Jim Beck has a love affair with old homes. They speak to him, whispering old stories. He can’t put words to exactly what it is that draws him in, but it’s powerful and intoxicating – and much... Read More
NC among top 10 in economic growth
If you are even an occasional reader of this space, you know that I put very little stock in “best places for business” lists. There are too many of them, reflecting too many different and... Read More
Let's bury the need for the "N" word
The N-word again. Of course. Six years after the NAACP staged its symbolic burial, that word has proven rumors of its demise greatly exaggerated. In just the past few weeks, we've had the following... Read More
Presbyterian beliefs could help ‘civilize’ government
You can blame the Presbyterians. Well, they deserve part of the blame, and part of the credit. The American Revolution was sometimes referred to as “the Presbyterian Rebellion,” because the... Read More
Courts threatened by underfunding, understaffing, outdated technology
A new committee of legislators that is looking for ways to save money by making the courts more efficient recently heard just how difficult a task that will be. Lawmakers on the House Judicial... Read More
When no child dreams of becoming a teacher, where will NC be?
Last month, I participated in the “Walk-In” movement that teachers in North Carolina were sponsoring. I chose to educate my class on this current event by combining it with our study of locating... Read More
Little-known Hagan just a cork in the ocean
by Rob Christensen, News and Observer, December 1, 2013. There is a reason that Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan should now be nervous about her re-election chances to the U.S. Senate and not just because... Read More
The source of all McCrory's troubles?
Moderate voters in Charlotte and across the state are kicking themselves for supporting consensus-building “Mayor Pat” only to find that Gov. Pat McCrory can be quite different. But my interview... Read More
