Month: May 2016

Reuters TV

By Michael May 20, 2016 Off


President Donald J. Trump

By Michael May 19, 2016 Off

I have started this piece probably ten times or more. Each time the implausibility of a President Donald J. Trump administration has caused me to scrap my verbiage and start anew. Like many Americans who have lived their lives aspiring to the higher ideals of American democracy, the thought of four years or more of President Donald J. Trump sends me into a panic of disbelief. read more

Jury Duty is Essential to Justice

By Michael May 17, 2016 Off

Jury duty is essential to obtaining justice in the round, which is the title of my latest book on the American jury system (Justice in the Round: Essays on the American Jury System, Cascade Publishing House, 2015). In it I opined that the criminal justice system does not work if good people do not show up for jury duty when summoned to put their lives on hold for however long it takes to settle a dispute between their neighbors. read more

Lamenting Losing Democratic Friends

By Michael May 15, 2016 Off

I am losing far more of my Democratic friends than I care to lose this year. Albeit, many of these Democratic friends I only know via social media. Nevertheless, I regret the strain that the Democratic Primary has placed on the relationships I have enjoyed with my Democratic friends on social media.

I lost many social media friends in 2008. A few more during the 2010 mid-term election year; and a great deal more in 2012 and 2014. The friends I lost during this time period were my Republican friends. They fell out with me over objections to their disrespectful attitude toward President Barack Obama. read more

Dag Bern Bernie Still In the Race

By Michael May 13, 2016 Off

“Dag Bern it,” Bernie is still in the race!

After feeling confident that he would overcome a 48 percentage point deficit in the New York Primary (he was only able to shave 33 points from that lead), nevertheless, Sanders presses on in his race for the White House.

The media has written him off, but the dogged Vermont Independent, vows he can wrestle the Democratic nomination from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. read more

Restorative Justice In Metro Atlanta

By Michael May 11, 2016 Off

Restorative Justice was the keyword in a recent judicial forum involving candidates for judgeship and prosecutorial posts in Metropolitan Atlanta. If these candidates are true to their words, Atlanta is poised to lead the way in implementing a restorative justice approach to combating the mounting tide of crime in metro Atlanta counties. read more

A Mother’s Day Story

By Michael May 8, 2016 Off

A Mother’s Day Story is a piece I wrote for Mother’s Day 2013. It was published at Allvoices. I was inspired to share this Mother’s Day story again after my wife took me out to dinner last night. We were celebrating the completion of a manuscript for a book we are planning to publish in July. read more

Horace Ward:Silent Giant Slayer

By Michael May 3, 2016 Off

Horace Ward died last week. He died and was buried like he lived, without bringing attention to himself.

One hundred and twenty days before I was born Horace Ward received a notice from the University of Georgia Law School denying his application for admission into the law school. In 1950, Georgia’s flagship university had never admitted a black student to study in either its undergraduate or graduate programs. read more

Obama, Larry Wilmore and That Word

By Michael May 3, 2016 Off

Breaking news, our President Barack H. Obama, is the personal “Nigger” of a comedian less entertaining than what’s his name who outed Bill Cosby. Yet the President seems not to be offended by Wilmore’s use of this century old racial slur. Wilmore used that word in reference to the President at the conclusion of his speech before the White House Correspondent’s Dinner. read more