Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category
The civics lesson
Terms that perfectly capture their intended meaning sometimes end up as clichés. They get overused because no other words serve the purpose quite so well. The term “politically correct” is a perfect example. It’s status as a cliche is used as cover by those accused of politically correctness. They dismiss the charge on the grounds […]
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Tags: Auschwitz, Berkeley, Board of Selectmen, civics, cliche, Communist, concentration camp, conservative, Democrat, free speech, gender neutral, gun club, Holocaust, liberal, Mark Sardella, millenials, Nazi Germany, NRA, political correctness, politically correct, Politics, Republican, Socialist, Town Council, US Constitution, Wakefield Daily Item
Slouching towards Amherst
There was a time, not so very long ago, when Wakefield residents of sound mind would hear about towns like Concord banning plastic water bottles, roll their eyes and think, “There but for the grace of God…” Then Wakefield Town Meeting banned plastic bags. And as long as they had the troops mustered, the forces […]
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Tags: activists, Amherst, Board of Selectmen, Bob Dylan, Brookline, Concord, election, inclusion, Massachusetts, Peoples Republic, plastic bags, plastic bottles, Town Council, Town Meeting, vote, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield MA, welcoming
Local media matters
Being a panelist on two local candidates’ debates last week got me thinking about the role that local media plays in town. Televised debates for political office in Wakefield go back to the days before WCAT, to what I call the Dark Ages of public access TV. That was my first brush with local media […]
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Tags: Board of Selectmen, Boston Globe, cable TV, debates, election, gender, History, historym politics, Internet, League of Women Voters, LVW, media, News, newspapers, press, public access, Television, Town Council, town hall, voters, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield MA, WCAT, women
He, him, his
A fleeting moment of sanity gripped our state lawmakers last week. One state rep wanted to remove or change the “General Hooker Entrance” sign at the State House. The entrance is named for a Civil War hero, General Joseph Hooker. A statue of General Hooker astride a horse also stands near the doorway. Apparently, during […]
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Tags: Beacon Hill, biology, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, DOE, female, gender binary, Gender Inclusive, General Joseph Hooker, genes, high school, lawmakers, male, Mark Sardellagender, Massachusetts Legislature, men, preferred pronouns, public schools, Rep. Michelle Dubois, Second Amendment, sex, solons, State House, teachers, Wakefield Daily Item, women
Opioid fix
I wanted to know what could be done about the opioid epidemic, so I decided to seek out some public policy experts. Unfortunately, Wakefield High School was closed yesterday. Meanwhile, the Board of Selectmen in Wakefield, MA is doing something. They have decided that the town will join hundreds of municipalities nationwide in filing lawsuits […]
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Tags: Board of Selectmen, Boston, Boston Globe, cartels, catels, Colombia, depotation, Dominican, drug trafficking, drugs, fentanyl, heroin, hydrocodone, illegal aliens, immigration, Lawrence MA, marijuana, Mark Sardella, Massachusetts, Mexico, New England, opioids, overdose, oxycodone, painkillers, Percocet, pharmacy, Poston Police Department, pot, prescription, sanctuary cities, trafficking, Vicodin, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield High School, Wakefield MA, weed
Learning to walk
Since when have one-sided political protests been sanctioned during class time in Wakefield Public Schools? Next Wednesday at 10 a.m., at least some students plan to “walk out” of Wakefield Memorial High School “to protest Congress’ inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods.” […]
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Tags: Bill of Rights, demonstration, Enough, Florida, gun control, guns, legislation, March 14, Mark Sardella, Opinion, Parkland, Politics, protest, school shooting, Second Amendment, students, Tide Pod Challenge, U.S. Constiutution, United States, violence, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield High School, Wakefield MA, Wakefield Public Schools, walk-out, weapons
Election central
That’s it. I’m never going on vacation again. Last September, while I was in France for two weeks, the Board of Selectmen voted to end a 400-year tradition and start calling themselves the “Town Council.” Now, I come back on Tuesday from four days in Florida only to learn that town officials have completely changed […]
Filed under: Columns & Essays, History, Humor, News, Opinion, Politics, Wakefield | 2 Comments
Tags: alcohol, automatic registration, Board of Selectmen, churches, Crystal Community Club, diversity, early voting, elderly, elections, Florida, France, Galvin Middle School, Humor, inclusion, Mark Sardella, Most Blesses Sacrament Church, Opinion, Politics, religion, senior citizens, social club, tolerance, transgender, voting, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield Masonic Building, West Side Social Club
