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Jim Hood: The JFP Interview
Photograph by Kate Medley
In recent weeks, Attorney General Jim Hood has become a reluctant participant, of sorts, in the drama that the Frank Melton administration presides over in Jackson. After District Attorney Faye …
Stupid Quote o' The Day
Yes, it was uttered by President Bush while trying to defend his plan to ramp up forces in Iraq against bipartisan opposition—and it's a doozy, even for a man known …
Arizona Shootings Offer A Pivotal Moment
Since the horrifying assassination attempt on Saturday, which left a wonderful little girl, a judge and several other Americans dead, America has come face-to-face to the level of violence possible …
Does This Make Sense?
The Clarion-Ledger has a story about D.A.-elect Robert Smith not showing up for a docket call and needing to resolve his pending cases before he takes office in January. The …
Of Chick Balls and Big-Mouthed Women
Frank Melton called me a "big mouth" on Councilman Ben Allen's radio show Friday. Sitting in my bedroom listening as Todd showered, I couldn't help but laugh. Heartily. Loudly. You …
[Ladd] Stuck in the Middle with You
I don't know about you, but I'm sick of nastiness. Of sniping. Pettiness. Silly arguments. Name-calling. Divisiveness. It seems as if hurling insults has become the new national pasttime. Chris …
This Here Alternative Universe
I'm sitting here, OK lying here, in a humongous, brick-colored sofa far away from Jackson in the Pacific Northwest, counting my blessings about life in Mississippi. I didn't start out …
Proud to be an American
We only lost three distribution spots due to our last issue, which offered dissenting views to the Iraqi War. We knew when we switched last issue's cover story at the …
You Can Do That
I hadn't planned to write about the death, or the life, of Rosa Parks. I know she was an amazing hero, but I didn't think I had anything else to …
[Road to Wellness] Onward and Upward, Weeks 5 and 6
Well, gang, we've put in a full month of trying to live a well-rounded, healthier life. Mr. Gunter and I are still (pretty) hard at it. He's discovered a new …
To Do Its Job, Council Must Show Up
Jackson has a strong-mayor, weak-council structure. Some City Council members seem to want to weaken their own power even more by not attending meetings and work sessions—or leaving early when …
What the Mamas Taught Us
When I heard 40 days before Election Day that the "No on 26" folks were trying to hire a spokesperson, I just knew women didn't have a chance. Thankfully, I …
Choosing The Light
In my line of work, people like to talk trash about you. And there's really something about a woman speaking her mind that just hacks off a lot of men, …
Defensible Space Reduces Crime
"Defensible space is a model for residential environments which inhibits crime by creating the physical expression of a social fabric that defends itself." — Oscar Newman, 1972
Let Us Begin Again
Not long ago, an evangelical minister and his teenage son visited me at the JFP offices. We sat in the classroom, under the watchful gaze of Emmett Till from a …
For Them, the Brave
It used to be that murders of black people didn't matter. They still don't matter enough, but they get taken a lot more seriously than they did back when I …
Doing It Our Way
My favorite James Meredith story involved the über contrarian sot Christopher Hitchens. Todd and I were asked to "entertain" Hitch during his visit to Millsaps College a few years back; …
Melton Details Jefferson Davis Youth Camp
Mayor Frank Melton abruptly called the Jackson Free Press last week to correct what he thought was misreporting in the paper, in a July 25 story about a camp for …
Wink, Wink: The ShopLocal Scam
When the Jackson Free Press launched our Web site and published our first print edition in September 2002, we immediately started urging our readers to "Think Global, Shop Local." The …
Nebraska Suspends Executions
The New York Times is reporting that the electric chair is "cruel and unusual punishment," suspending executions there until the state can find a more humane way to kill prisoners:
