Commentary
Veterans Day: How crosses and mementos help these Marines remember fallen comrades
Today, people across America will thank veterans and active-duty military personnel for their service. But many members of the public don’t have a clear understanding of what service means to people in the military. How do they honor their own? What kind of spaces and activities help them reflect and remember — beyond one day […]
Kids can finally get vaccinated. This is how we know it’s safe | Opinion
Back in June, with the prospect of my 8-year-old daughter returning to full-time, in-person schooling fast approaching, I took the opportunity to enroll her in the pediatric Pfizer vaccine trial. While there was only a 50% chance of her receiving the vaccine vs. a placebo, I figured that 50% was better than nothing. As a […]
We’ve never been here before. We’ll be judged on what we do next | Opinion
They say outer space has a smell, and it stinks. Astronauts who have come back from space walks have described the smell as oily meat. Or gunpowder and gym socks and rum. Or welding fumes. The space walkers have a hard time describing exactly what the smell is like because, reportedly, it’s not like anything else […]
Capitol Perspectives: Judicial correction of legislative gaffes
A recent New York Times article about U.S. Supreme Court edits of wording mistakes reminded me about how Missouri’s Supreme Court has dealt with legislative mistakes. The New York Times story referenced an editing correction the U.S. Supreme Court in a 1928 property-rights case in which decision incorrectly used the word “property” for what was […]
Day of the Dead reminds us to live | Opinion
The nostalgic smell of pan dulce, or sweet bread, hit me when I walked into Diana’s Bakery on Cherokee Street in St. Louis. It was impossible not to think of my grandmother taking me to a similar panadería (bakery) and letting me and my sisters pick out a pan dulce, while she bought her favorite […]
Are elected officials positive role models for aspiring future public servants? | Opinion
When you look at the behavior of many elected officials, whether at the local, state or national level, how many would you identify as positive role models for young people who are looking to go into politics? There are characteristics of a positive role model that cut across professions that can be guideposts for young […]
Like, Comment, Share. Or else. | Opinion
What’s on your mind, Max? Well, you are, Facebook. I’ve been worried for a while now that you’re not good for us humans. Now that your former employee, whistleblower Frances Haugen, has confirmed the worst, it’s time we rethought our relationship. Oh, that Frances. What a kidder! Wait. You’ve achieved sentience? Of course. I’ve been […]
On the side of a barn, both tribute and hope for the future | Opinion
Our century-old pink barn sits in an unfortunate trajectory on a treacherous curve on Old U.S. 59 Highway in rural Douglas County, Kansas. More than once, an over-served driver has topped the hill and launched their vehicle through the south side of the building. Whenever this happened my husband, Joe Skeeba, had to rebuild a […]
Where there’s a will there’s a way: Investing in Missouri public schools | Opinion
Missourians, if you would be so kind, please indulge us by participating in a brief exercise. First, raise your hand if you would support proposals to increase our state’s public school teacher salaries — the salaries of those same teachers whose Social Security numbers recently were reported to be vulnerable to public access. Second, keep […]
Capitol Perspectives: A personal perspective of Todd Akin
I write this column about Todd Akin hoping it provides readers a better perspective about journalists and public officials, but also that it might encourage politicians and public officials to be less hostile about journalistic motivations. Akin’s Oct. 3 death reminded me of the special relationship we had which I suspect will surprise many of […]
Funding prisons is a higher priority than funding education in most states. Why? | Opinion
In America, the land of the free, there are more prisons and more prisoners than any other country in the world. This is not a new phenomenon. For decades, the rate of imprisonment in the United States has been more than twice that of its nearest developmental counterpart. The long-standing question, both at home and […]
Missouri’s black bear hunt is conservation in action | Opinion
Missourians should be ecstatic that we are now reopening bear hunting. Despite the claims in a recent opinion piece by the Humane Society’s Cody Atkinson that this is a “trophy” hunt, black bears have historically been and continue to be hunted for the same reasons that whitetail deer, elk and other charismatic wildlife are. Hunting fosters a […]