Militias: a dangerous symptom of the right’s national romanticism
Militias are symptoms of a more profound problem: Many Americans can’t come to terms with the horrors and hypocrisy that seeded the foundations of this country.
Category
Opinion
Perspectives and reflections that challenge, question, and inspire. This category features thought-provoking essays and commentary from writers, community members, and photographers offering insight into the issues, ideas, and experiences that shape New Orleans and beyond.
New Orleans bar owner: It’s time to lift the ban on to-go drinks
The city's ban is not stopping people from congregating. But it is putting hundreds of businesses and even more jobs in jeopardy.
The Real Name Campaign: Trans-led group fights for accessible ID changes
The Real Name Campaign plans to elevate its fight to advocate for accessible, more expansive gender marker changes by taking on the DMV and the state of Louisiana
No place for intimidation and fear: Tenants’ rights must be protected, especially during economic crisis caused by COVID-19
"We will not be intimidated by any attempts to keep tenants from learning critical information regarding their protection."
With no jobs out there, how do you expect us to live, Senators?
The refusal to renew the federal compensation, leaving it at the state limit of $247 per week, would be unconscionable and would push thousands of people in Louisiana into hunger and homelessness.
Black Lives Matter: How should Asian Americans answer the call?
"Asian Americans have stood on the sidelines and watched as Black Americans are murdered for too long. We exculpate ourselves because we only passively witness racism by others, failing to admit that we are just as responsible as the perpetrators themselves because we do nothing to stop it."
Protecting our vulnerable front-line workers
"To be clear, there is no evidence that racial and ethnic minorities have an inherently greater predilection of being infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus or dying from it when compared to white persons. A more accurate predictor of infection is poverty, and a higher likelihood of working at jobs that can’t be done remotely."
Fighting for the future of the past
The quandary of what to do with our history is highly prescient in this American moment of historical identity crisis. The question of which monuments or street names to preserve or strike is only the most tangible outward expression of the fight over the meaning of our shared public memory.
Droplets, cloth masks and the Broad Street pump
"This isn’t an issue that should have two sides. Given the preponderance of data in favor of mask wearing, it seems sensible to promote their usage. Countries that were early to adopt masks have controlled their epidemics more effectively."
Does COVID-19 pose a greater threat to New Orleans culture than Hurricane Katrina?
"Like the rest of the country, New Orleans is suspended in a state of anxious anticipation. This tourism-dependent city is tiptoeing into reopening, with neither a vaccine nor widespread testing. It’s a dilemma facing every municipality, but in a city whose identity, culture and economy are fueled by human interactions, the issue seems particularly fraught here." Martin Pedersen interviews author and former Lens editor Jed Horne about the tough times ahead.
