Even as someone who has spent his entire life in “the South”, I will never understand the devotion and pride many people exhibit for their Confederate “heritage”. I’m sure that I have ancestors who fought in the War of Northern Aggression who probably fought well and died, if such a thing is possible, with honor for […]
In recent years we have been reminded time and time again that women and people of color are woefully underrepresented in America’s tech companies. Many of the most recognized names in the industry (e.g. Google, Amazon and Facebook) have publicly pledged to increase the diversity on their campuses and boardrooms. Unfortunately, most of these announcements […]
Were the founders of the American republic religious people? Probably, but whatever the answer they had enough humility and foresight to realize that religion, especially the great monotheistic traditions, was a dangerous foundation upon which to build a new nation. Additionally, they seem to have understood that a government wrapped in theology would be a […]
Is it better to seek tangible or intangible results? When the now outgoing president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, pushed for a peace accord with leftist rebels known generally as FARC, it was with the goal of securing an end to a half-century of horrible civil war, terrorism and suffering. Amnesty, social reintegration and political representation […]
Last week marked the end of another school year for most of our students in Alamance County (NC) and across the country and along with EOG exams and farewell parties comes the end of National School Lunch Program (NSLP) funded meals for schoolchildren. Why does this matter? It matters because there is abundant evidence that, […]
Why is it that our elected officials at the city and state levels are so quick to promise the moon to corporations looking to expand, relocate or establish themselves? The short answer, of course, is that they are not looking for long term returns or benefits for their constituents but are instead looking only at […]
Sometimes Twitter can be the catalyst for serious reflection and consideration. In response to a tweet I made about Purdue Pharma (makers of OxyContin and other potent opioid analgesics) being at least partially responsible for leading the United States into its current hellscape of opioid abuse, a fellow Twitter user “liked” my post, but then […]
There is a coup underway in the United States of America. Some have made an excellent argument that this coup has been going on for several years and is nearing a point of completion. The American electorate has been conscious participants and unwitting victims, but this coup has taken place all the same. This isn’t […]
In the wake of every mass shooting in this country the forces of gun control and gun proliferation meet on the battlefields of social media and cable news networks to lob rhetorical missiles at each other. One perennial argument offered by those in the latter category is what I have termed the “evil will prevail” […]
In light of recent events in Parkland, Florida and before Las Vegas, Nevada, the nation finds itself once again contemplating its relationship with firearms and gun culture. Whatever the core cause of mass shootings, there is little room to deny that a pervasive obsession with firearms exists at every level of American society and that […]
Antidote Notes 