Opinion
Sanford: Republican cold war on county commission threatens party’s relevance
How did this group of Republicans, all of whom profess to being true conservatives, particularly on fiscal issues, get so out of step with one another?
Otis Sanford
Columnist
Otis Sanford holds the Hardin Chair of Excellence in Journalism and Strategic Media at the University of Memphis. Contact him at 901-678-3669 or at o.sanford@memphis.edu. Follow him on Twitter @otissanford.
There are 173 articles by Otis Sanford :
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May 2022
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Opinion Sanford: It’s time to end costly, divisive, disinterested county primaries
Turnout for Tuesday’s primary was 10.7%, the lowest for a county primary since 2014.
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April 2022
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OpinionSanford: State Republican Party issues are much broader than Niceley’s gaffes
“Welcome to the world of Tennessee Republican politics in 2022, where the long-held belief of party unity is just an illusion.”
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OpinionSanford: For Democrats, county primary is a free-for-all with little voter interest
The Democratic primary ballot has 55 candidates running in 22 of the 24 races. A dozen races have three or more candidates.
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OpinionSanford: Memphis is better than the deadly violence that steals our joy
There are many ways to define Memphis, but violent crime is the one definition we cannot be willing to accept.
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OpinionSanford: Bonner’s performance as sheriff transcends partisan politics
“In an ideal world, there should not be a Democratic or Republican way to enforce laws, ensure public safety, oversee our jails and juvenile detention facilities and hire capable deputies and support staff.”
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March 2022
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OpinionSanford: Back off, Democrats. Strickland plays politics by his own rules
“Despite the grousing and threats of a meaningless censure, Strickland is simply being Strickland. He’s also being pragmatic.”
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OpinionSanford: From Memphis to Washington, Black women make their mark in the law
Our society’s long-overdue reckoning with racial inequities is not a full-blown offensive to correct 246 years of racial disparities in America. It’s more like baby steps designed to start making our institutions more reflect the makeup of our population.
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OpinionSanford: Mason should keep its charter, but must welcome financial help
The bottom line is Mason’s elected leaders were right not to surrender the charter. They have a legitimate right to exist as an incorporated town.
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OpinionSanford: DA should drop politically charged case over fraudulent voting
A local race that already had the makings of an intense battle has gotten more interesting. All because of our polar opposite political views on voting rights. Let’s continue that debate.
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February 2022
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OpinionSanford: Family Dollar customers deserve better than contaminated products
The expansive discount chain – with seemingly a store on every corner in Memphis — is mired in a financial and public relations nightmare of its own making because it put corporate profits over public safety.
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OpinionSanford: Despite state law, accurate teaching of racial history is alive and well
“ ... imagine my delight when I learned this week that Memphis-Shelby County Schools and one of its top schools academically — White Station High — intend to press ahead with an even deeper dive into the accurate history of the African American experience in this country.”
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OpinionSanford: Wearing a mask in Shelby County is a matter of black and white
“Every time I step inside FedExForum for a Grizzlies game and make my way through the crowd to my seat, the anecdotal evidence about how people view COVID-19 differently is on clear display,” Sanford says.
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January 2022
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OpinionSanford: The time has come for a Black woman on the Supreme Court
Black women have contributed mightily to the growth of this country since its beginning. And it’s high time that one of them represent what should be a more diverse makeup of the nation’s highest court.
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OpinionSanford: How to stop reckless driving? Tinkering with current laws may not be answer
“I think more should be done to stop drag racing on city streets and interstates. That includes giving police the freedom to chase dangerous motorists – with the proper safeguards in place, of course, to prevent others from being hurt.”
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OpinionSanford: Blackburn proves she can be queen of mean
Sen. Marsha Blackburn employed an unmistakably racist dog whistle in casting Andre Mathis as a criminal who cannot be trusted to sit as an appellate court judge.
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OpinionSanford: With one slap, Sidney Poitier confronted racism for all of us
The iconic actor played roles in the 1950s and 60s that depicted Black men as strong, educated and caring. But also ones willing to stare down racism with a steely-eyed resolve.
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OpinionSanford: Two infamous assaults on democracy, but only one reasonable response
“It’s easy to draw comparisons between what happened on ‘Bloody Sunday’ at Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965 and the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. ... But there is one major difference between these two infamously historic events.”
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December 2021
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OpinionSanford: Political parties should not define us, despite what a respected poll says
For more than a decade, a poll conducted twice a year by the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions at Vanderbilt has been a reliable barometer of the mood of Tennesseans about the issues affecting the state and the politicians we elect to state and federal offices.
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OpinionSanford: Who was Odell Horton? ‘An exceptional man,’ that’s who
Horton was a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta and Howard University Law School in Washington. After an illustrious career in Memphis, the federal judiciary would be Horton’s final and most impactful calling.
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OpinionSanford: Blackburn is on Trump’s VP list, but is the conservative stalwart extreme enough?
News outlets continue to lend credence to Donald Trump’s flirtation with seeking a second term in 2024.
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OpinionSanford: Lang Wiseman was a valuable player in Ford Megasite deal
Lang Wiseman, 50, said his greatest satisfaction in his dual role was his work making the planned Ford truck assembly plant at the Megasite of West Tennessee in Haywood County a reality.
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November 2021
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OpinionSanford: Agricenter cotton yields a reminder of real meaning of Thanksgiving
“The truth is, farm life historically for African Americans in the South was one of hardship and despair.”
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Otis SanfordSanford: Dr. King’s immortal words are distorted by critical race theory opponents
“It’s easy for (Mississippi Gov. Tate) Reeves and others of his ilk to continually recite Dr. King’s words about content of character and pretend that racism no longer exists.”
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OpinionSanford: Schools are better when we add trust, subtract partisan politics
Quiet as it’s kept, some parents want their children to learn the accurate history of America and the role that race, gender, ethnicity and privilege played in that history.
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