1. It’s unfortunate my recent Superman column puzzled so many readers, because I don’t know how to make my warnings any clearer or more dire. Perhaps reading this recent news story might help others comprehend the problem. Apparently, former New Orleanian Bo McCalebb is playing basketball for the national team of … Macedonia. That’s right, […]
Category: Opinion
Posted inOpinion
As social media grow, so does appreciation of the First Amendment
By Eric Newton, The Lens contributing opinion writer | Each year, on Constitution Day, students and teachers celebrate the most fundamental laws of our republic. This year, they should celebrate Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and all other social media children of the digital age. Why? Because, it turns out, social media are good for the Constitution. […]
Posted inOpinion, Schools
Does the Big ‘S’ stand for Shaquille, Superman or … Subversion!!
Last week a scandalous event occurred at Louisiana’s flagship university. Crowds gathered to cheer a subversive person who touts values that are anathema to our national character. Perhaps you think I’m referring to some radical protest at the edge of LSU campus or an extremist diatribe on Free Speech Alley. I wish it were so. […]
Posted inOpinion
Refusing to let the 9/11 anniversary be owned solely by horror
By Billy Sothern, The Lens contributing opinion writer | On September 10, 2009, my wife Nikki was at her midwife’s office hoping to get some indication that our baby – four days past due – would come soon, ending her mounting pain and discomfort. It wasn’t until Nikki got back from her appointment that I saw […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Robinette’s silence on River Birch must also have been golden
For the past six years, talk radio host Garland Robinette lectured local public figures about the importance of perception. Many would appear on Robinette’s “Think Tank” program after a news report linked them to controversy, in order to “clear the air” and tell “their side of the story.” They’d use the forum to convince Robinette’s […]
Posted inOpinion
Initiative aims to bring 'Creole Canal Street' back to full vigor
By Samuel Cook III, The Lens contributing opinion writer Saint Bernard Avenue runs through the 7th Ward, a central vein of this historic community. And the iconic Circle Food Store once served as its pulsing heart, a locus of cultural, social and economic activity. In a single outing , shoppers could make groceries, catch a […]
Posted inOpinion
Yet another anniversary — and still no substitute for Charity Hospital
By Sandra Stokes, The Lens contributing opinion writer | The sixth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina reminds us, as a community, how resilient we are, how we can work together to find solutions to the challenges we face. It coincides with another anniversary. Three years ago the Foundation for Historical Louisiana released its study on the […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Land Use, Opinion
Oops. Roofless Treme transplant now missing rear wall as well
Already stripped of its roof and detailing, the rear wall of the Treme shotgun fell off over the weekend. Photo by Karen Gadbois. By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer | Most have been stripped of their roofs and architectural detail. Some have had upper stories cut off in order to squeeze them under electrical […]
Posted inOpinion
Problems at Blair Grocery's farm/school follow a familiar pattern
By Evan Casper-Futterman, The Lens contributing opinion writer | I was saddened by Ariella Cohen’s feature on problems at Blair Grocery’s urban farm and school because, without ever setting foot on the property or meeting its leader, Nat Turner, I felt an intimate familiarity with the situation Cohen identified. As a volunteer with another post-Katrina non-profit […]
Posted inOpinion
Gung ho for demolition: FEMA pays, but neighborhoods lose
With FEMA footing the bill, the city plans to demolish this house, at 1209 N. Galvez St., a blight war maneuver as likely to degrade as improve the block. Photo by Brad Vogel. By Brad Vogel, The Lens contributing opinion writer | Over the weekend, David Simon, creator of HBO’s Treme, publicly critiqued the city’s […]