Op-ed

I know, I can already see the eyes rolling, but let me explain.

The collapse of trust, the rise of animosity — these are emotional, not intellectual problems. The real problem is in our system of producing shared stories. If a country can’t tell narratives in which everybody finds an honorable place, then righteous rage will drive people toward tribal narratives that tear it apart.

In the past, a first-year president has usually been the primary target of TV’s comedians. This year, however, Inauguration Day came and went, and the Trump jokes just kept on coming.

In 1852 Douglass was angry -- and for good reason: Congress had recently passed the Fugitive Slave Act requiring all Americans, North and South, to return those who escaped from slavery to their legal masters. In the spirit of Frederick Douglass, we need to use this year’s July Fourth as a reminder of the American tradition of critique.

Almost two thirds of Republicans in the House voted against the removal proposal. The two reasons they offered in opposition are instructive because of what they say — and what they don’t say.

Marylanders continue to seek out food assistance at nearly double previous rates, and this level of need is unlikely to dissipate anytime soon. In fact, we at the food bank anticipate that things will get worse before they get better, in light of the early end to various government policies that were implemented to provide relief over the last year, and we expect to be dealing with the economic fallout from the pandemic for years to come.

I’d first met Bonnie when she and my son were in a high school production of “Guys and Dolls.” She was beautiful, talented and charming, with natural charisma, and the audience was enraptured whenever she sang. I know what you’re probably thinking, but there was no romantic vibe on my part. None. I thought of her as the daughter I’d never had.

An expletive laden Snapchat post by 14-year-old Brandi Levy gave the United States Supreme Court its first opportunity in 50 years to come down on the side of students’ free speech rights. Although celebrated as a major win for students, the lack of a bright line rule reserves reliance on discretion in school discipline and perpetuates existing disparities in school discipline practices.

Fifty years ago on July 1, the requisite three-fourths of American states ratified the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving citizens ages 18-20 the right to vote. The Amendment—the fastest ever ratified by the states—could be regarded as the most embraced amendment in American history. It may also be our last.

The ongoing infrastructure drama in Washington is a perfect illustration of how, when dysfunction becomes normal, normal politics looks dysfunctional.

With Chief Judge Ellen Barbera’s mandatory retirement in September from the Maryland Court of Appeals, Gov. Larry Hogan will designate one of the court’s current judges as its 25th chief judge. Given the chief judge’s administrative and policy-setting powers, the governor must designate an experienced judge who has served in the Maryland judiciary for several years and brings to the position a certain gravitas, is respected and provides continuity over the long-term.

Even if a loan has been approved, paid out and forgiven, the SBA says it is still subject to an overfunding review and may be retracted.

Mr. Chauvin’s case may not be the celebratory win some want it to be, but it did spur movement. The ultimate win will come when local and national legislators and police departments themselves take actions that will lead to true reform.

It’s because once you learn how to think, you’re less susceptible to thin reasoning and easy answers. And increasingly, that’s all conservatism’s got.

They represent Americans who disagree with other Americans, specifically the ones who make themselves heard.

Higher education has a duty to help connect talent with professional opportunity, by offering a variety of ways to prepare Maryland’s workforce with the credentials that employers trust.

Baltimore has always been a city of creativity and invention. Maybe, it is again time for us to lead the nation out of trouble.

Remember when everyone was panicking about inflation, warning ominously about 1970s-type stagflation? OK, many people are still saying such things, some because that’s what they always say, some because that’s what they say when there’s a Democratic president, some because they’re extrapolating from the big price increases that took place in the first five months of this year.

Radically conservative politicians want to limit the ability of teachers to talk about structural racism because it may lead their sons and daughters to question the racism still embedded in the U.S.

Among the ideas: Administer an empathy test to every candidate for public office.

As doctors, we recognize the moral obligation we have to take action today on climate change and build a sustainable future for our children.

In other words, is preserving the filibuster more important than preserving voting rights and democracy itself?

The central question for America — an ever more diverse America whose economy and culture are rapidly fusing with the economies and cultures of the rest of the globe — is whether it is possible to rediscover our identity and our mutual responsibility without creating another enemy.

Commitment to de-policing and de-prosecution has replaced “zero tolerance” with another devastating approach: “infinite tolerance.” There is a happy medium of law enforcement, and, if more of us come together, then maybe Baltimore can find it before the chaos gets worse.

The failure of the state to pass major environmental legislation requires Maryland’s counties to step up to the task. Recently, several have, including Anne Arundel, Frederick and Howard counties. The time is now for Baltimore County to match or exceed what our neighboring counties have already accomplished.

The last thing anyone needs is to redefine the culture war as a racial conflict.

With the Houston Astros in town, one can't help but be reminded of their sign-stealing scandal and the fact that no individual players suffered any penalty, leaving many feeling as though the true perpetrators of the crime have been given a pass.

When a friendly neighbor decided to snap a photo of a front door he admired, he had no idea he was also caught on camera and would soon be the talk of the neighborhood - via Nextdoor - and suspected of casing the house. It was the perfect encapsulation of the social media-fueled angst and paranoia of our times amplified by the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.