Posts that deal broadly with the physical, mental, and intellectual health of communities.

Safe place

Gun Bills in the Legislature

It's a fair question to ask how many guns, what kinds of guns, and how many guns in the hands of how many people are necessary to keep a community like ours in Jefferson County safe. Could there be too many guns or too many hands? Our Republican legislators think there are not enough of either and want to expand gun ownership universally to 18-20 year-olds and to permit ownership of automatic weapons. Emily Asaf argues the case, focusing on safety.

ICE Has Violated America

The heavy hand and violence of ICE agents in addressing immigrants contrasts with the more humane approach put in place during the Biden administration. Neal Barkus details how the Trump administration has taken a sledge hammer to all immigrants, even those who are here legally and who have always been law abiding and productive members of our communities. Our Constitution makes provisions for immigrants and children of immigrants born here. ICE is daily violating these provisions and it is betraying the promise of America as a compassionate land..

A Harsh Reality in A Rapidly Aging State

Keeping our youth in West Virginia is proving a more and more elusive goal. Our Republican dominated government seems to be putting its hope in data centers, though these will not produce resilient jobs . At the same time, it's cutting or weakening social programs that make living here affordable and attractive to young people. They leave and we're left with a declining population.