Opinion: Columnists

Dec. 22, 2012 @ 09:20 PM

Bob Ashley: Cooper chronicled city’s life on film

The oldest negatives in The Herald-Sun’s files date to October 1945, and they were taken by Charles Cooper.


Dec. 22, 2012 @ 06:30 PM

Guest columnist: Scourge of gun violence requires public health strategies

Like so many Americans, I am overcome by grief and sadness over the loss our nation suffered in Newtown, Conn. As we try to comprehend the violence and pain it has inflicted, we feel motivated to do something, anything, to stop the senseless violence.


Dec. 21, 2012 @ 05:09 PM

Guest columnist: Election chaos has effect on entire state

A mid-December ruling by the State Board of Elections that allowed a do-over for some Buncombe County college students during early voting could wreak havoc in college towns all across the state.


Dec. 20, 2012 @ 07:06 PM

Guest columnist: To reduce violence, work toward wholeness

The events in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14 have struck me deeply. I work as a psychiatrist at Durham Center Access, where members of our community come for treatment of mental illness and/or substance abuse. Most people come to our facility voluntarily, but on a daily basis Durham Police bring people to our facility for evaluation because of risks to harm self or to harm others.


Dec. 19, 2012 @ 09:02 PM

Guest columnist: Reflection on tragedy needs global perspective

Here in the United States we are yet again reeling from another mass killing, this time in an elementary school.


Dec. 19, 2012 @ 06:49 PM

John Hood: Focus should be on jobs

It’s about time for New Year’s resolutions. My recommendation for North Carolina politicians of all stripes is to resolve to focus their attention, rhetoric, and legislation on reducing the ranks of the unemployed.


Dec. 18, 2012 @ 12:40 PM

D.G. Martin: North Carolina books make great last-minute gifts

Just in time for holiday giving, here are some good ideas about a variety of North Carolina-related books, one or two of which might be perfect for a last-minute gift.


Dec. 17, 2012 @ 11:49 PM

Guest columnist: Fiscal cliff decision critical for N.C. economy

If Washington drives over the fiscal cliff, North Carolina’s fragile economic recovery will be part of the wreckage.


Dec. 17, 2012 @ 11:42 PM

Guest column: A brush with death prompts reflection

It was a Friday night. My wife was in Boulder, Colo., visiting our son and grandson. I had attended the Durham Preservation Society’s annual gathering at Morgan Imports and had left early after a busy day to return to our home in Trinity Park.


Dec. 17, 2012 @ 11:40 PM

Letters, Dec. 18

From his column appearing on Dec. 12, D.G. Martin seems to think John Boehner should follow the lead of the president just because Obama won the election.


Dec. 16, 2012 @ 11:07 PM

Campbell: Higher expectations lead to better N.C. test scores

North Carolina’s efforts in improving education appear to be paying dividends. A comparative study of student achievement found our fourth- and eighth-grade students ranked highly with students in other states and other countries.


Dec. 16, 2012 @ 11:02 PM

Parker: A troubling decline in middle-class marriage

As politicians compete to prove who loves the middle class more, they're missing the elephant and the donkey in the room.


Dec. 16, 2012 @ 10:28 PM

Guest columnist: Focus in case of overdose should be safety, not punishment

Seven years ago, Durham resident Chad Sanders lost his sister, Shelly, to drug overdose. Shelly had been using drugs with a friend in her dorm room when she became unresponsive.


Dec. 16, 2012 @ 06:27 AM

Ashley: Downtown’s success no cue to let up

Perhaps I spend too much time thinking about downtown.


Dec. 15, 2012 @ 06:54 PM

Guest columnist: Triangle volunteers make nonprofits hum

December is the time of year when many nonprofit organizations look back on the previous 12 months and think about the generosity of their supportive donors.