“Japan has long been a friend in adversity, investing in Memphis amid political and racial turmoil 50 years ago when it became our first Memphis in May guest.”

“No more excuses. No more fairy tales. No more treating bus riders as pieces on a chessboard. MATA must comply with the city charter and treat bus riders with dignity and respect.”

“The true measure of a justice system is not whether it can claim perfection. It is whether the justice system has the courage to correct itself when it discovers that it failed.”

“Crime is falling. Investment is surging. The tax base is expanding. Memphis has spent years demanding progress. Now that it’s finally happening, results should matter more than partisan grievance.”

“The new MATA board reveals a glaring disconnect. With one exception, they are almost entirely corporate executives and administrators who likely do not use the system they oversee.”

“Frankly, we have a long way to go to be as safe as we need to be.”

The Germantown Library is celebrating the anniversary with a community “Big Read” and other events centered on the book.

“Everyone above a certain age has memories of the day, of where they were and what they were doing. It was one of those iconic days in history that we knew instinctively — even as it was happening — would stand out and be recalled among the many other days that would make up the story of our lifetimes.”

John Covington says, “Beyond the incendiary rhetoric, the facts are straightforward: Tennessee Republicans wanted another Republican seat – and said so plainly.”

“I haven’t agreed with Cohen on everything. I don’t imagine many people have. But agreement isn’t the standard by which a lifetime of public service should be measured. Service is.”

“I’m tired of conspiracy theories about moving the Grizzlies out of Memphis. Not from any true insider have I heard that the intention is to move our team anywhere, especially to Nashville. Wrong sport.”

“Tennessee’s biggest challenges are deeply connected. Housing affects access to education. Transportation determines access to jobs. Childcare influences workforce participation. Energy shapes our economic competitiveness.”

“Thanks to natural recharge zones and our local reduction in demand, our water system is sustainably replenishing itself. But we cannot afford to become complacent.”

“If a serious charge generated through the Memphis Safe Task Force is not prosecuted, citizens have a legitimate interest in knowing what happened. That is not an attack on prosecutors. It is accountability.”

“Advocating against the Anti-Bail Fund Legislation is not to stand for the release of convicted felons, but rather to stand and say that the legislation is flawed at its core.”

“There’s a more serious dialogue to be had over the inter-generational bickering so prevalent these days. Largely fueled by social media, generations seem to be increasingly antagonistic toward one another over society’s ills and who’s to blame.”

“It’s time for Shelby County government, including the new mayor-elect and county commissioners-elect, to exit their lawsuit against the MSCS oversight board and get to work rebuilding opportunity for Memphis students.”

“Communities thrive on open, civic dialogue, but our leaders also deserve fairness, basic decency, and residents who debate policy instead of tearing down character.”

“Memphians have been given a false choice: either accept AI data center development without safeguards or be left behind. Memphis must treat clean air, clean water and affordable energy as non-negotiable, as other cities and regions have.”

“Some of my neighbors feel unheard, and that is a gap we have to close. But a blanket moratorium fixes none of the problems. It stops new construction jobs and increases in the tax base while leaving the plants already running exactly where they are.”

“Addressing the domestic violence part of our violent crime challenge must involve providing more support for domestic violence victims, more accountability for the perpetrators and efforts to change behavior.”

“The world today has a shortage of good people, people with integrity, honesty.”

“Is the very nature of a peak that there is only one? Does the length of a life have any correlation with the number of peaks it will have?”