Triad Today

I have it on good authority that August is officially National Dog Month, but that is a meaningless designation for my wife and me. That’s because EVERY month is National Dog Month in our household. Our gang of three has the run of the house, gets the best of vet care, eats premium prescription food, sleeps in or around our bed, wakes me up every morning at 2 a.m. to go outside and pee, then wakes me up again at 5 a.m. to eat their morning meal (dinner is 12 hours later with healthy snacks in between). We cater to their every whim. In other words, we “service” our pets. In return, they provide us with “emotional support”. And that brings me to the difference between service and support when it comes to animals, and why Publix grocery stores are caught in the middle of a controversy over the two designations.

Last week, USA Today reported that Publix now displays large signs at the front of its stores that remind shoppers that only service animals are allowed inside, not personal pets, and not even emotional support animals. Reporter Giuseppe Sabella interviewed a number of shoppers just outside of a Florida Publix store. One man said, “A lot of dogs aren’t friendly. You don’t want mean dogs in there because they might get a scent on somebody and bite them.” Another man told USA Today, “I like that there’s no pets allowed. Pet shed gets into things and that’s stuff I don’t want around my food. And when you put them into the cart, you’ve got that dog wiping its butt inside the shopping cart.”

Butt wiping aside, Publix is just exercising its right under state law. In Florida, as in most states, a public establishment may ask patrons if their pet is a service animal required because of a disability. They may also ask what specific work or tasks the animal has been trained to perform. Of course, an increasing number of restaurants, stores, and hotels don’t ask any questions because they welcome pets of all kinds. Airlines are another matter. If you’ve ever uttered the phrase, “I’ll believe it when pigs fly,” you should know that, up until recently pigs DID fly. That was before the U.S. Department of Transportation ruled that support animals are no longer considered service animals. 

This might be a good point to “paws” for a moment and review the differences between a support animal and a service animal.

In short, a service animal is one that has been specially trained to perform specific tasks and give aid to a person with a disability. According to NEW LIFE K9s, canines have been servicing people since ancient times, such as in the Roman city of Herculaneum, and further back in China. In modern times, the first service dogs were trained to work with blind people. The world’s first guide dog school opened in Germany in 1916, and 11 years later that training model made its way to America. By the 1970s, service animals were increasingly trained to support people with disabilities other than blindness. Then in 1990 service dogs were legally recognized when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed by Congress.   

Emotional Support Animals have been around a lot longer than formally trained service animals. According to Pawsitivity.com, dogs have been on earth for tens of thousands of years, and the first archaeological evidence of a support animal is a 10,000-year-old grave containing the remains of a woman clutching her puppy. Meanwhile, ServicePets.com tells us that emotional support dogs were first chronicled in ancient Greece when Aristotle wrote about a dog who, “helped to soothe his ailing master by providing companionship.” Today support animals are commonplace, providing a number of tangible benefits to the pet owner, ranging from lowering blood pressure for people living with chronic stress to having a calming effect on folks suffering from trauma.

Pets also played a big role in providing companionship during the COVID pandemic. In 2020, Mental Health Weekly reported on a survey which was conducted in Great Britain showing that 90% of people had at least one companion animal and described their pets as a “source of considerable support.”  

Clearly there are technical differences between a trained service animal and an emotional support animal. So, if you and your support companion want the same access to most stores and planes that is granted to legally recognized service animals, it would be advisable to carry a letter with you that is signed by a primary care doctor or qualified mental health professional, stating the reason as to why your pet must be with you at all times. However, be advised, most physicians will not prescribe snakes, pigs, rats or other unorthodox pets to accompany you, no matter how much support they may provide.

Speaking as a “service human” to three dogs I am content with my role so long as they provide emotional support to my wife and me. I just wish they’d learn to pee later than 2 a.m.

On August 28, 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till was tortured, beaten, and lynched by white men who said the Black youth had made a pass at a white woman. That woman was the wife of one of the hangmen, and it was later revealed that she had lied about her encounter with young Emmett. On August 1st of this year, a national monument was erected to honor Till, and at that ceremony, there was hope among some of us stupidly naïve Americans that we might see an end to violent racism and discrimination in our lifetime. Sadly, not only are race relations still bad, they are in some ways, even worse than in 1955.

Just two days after Till was honored, 62-year-old Kimberly Jennings, a white woman, assaulted two Black children at an apartment complex swimming pool in Greensboro. The boy and his sister were both under 12 years old and, though they did not live at the complex, they had, according to their attorney, been invited by a friend to swim there. Regardless of the details, however, Jennings had no right to throw a drink on the little boy and hit him repeatedly in the face, which is what she did. She was arrested that day and a federal lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the two children. Later Jennings told WFMY News that she was sorry for her actions. Or perhaps she was just sorry that she got caught. There’s no way for us to know what’s in her heart. There’s also no way to know if Ms. Jennings would have hit a young white boy for not being a member of her pool, but I doubt it. I also doubt that she would have hit an 18-year-old Black youth instead of picking on an 11-year-old Black boy. No matter how you cut it, her bullying, cowardly actions smacked of racism, and we’ll see how they play out in a courtroom.

Speaking of bullies and cowards, on August 14, six Mississippi cops pleaded guilty to having tortured two Black men earlier this year, and to shooting one of them in the face. The six white officers operated under the nickname “Goon Squad” and were known to abuse their authority, like the day they illegally broke into the home of Kristi Walley, and proceeded to torture and assault Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker who were in the house at the time. The officers were called to the scene based on a phone call from a white neighbor who said that two Black men were living with a white woman (Ms. Walley). The six white cops arrived, and for 90 minutes did unspeakable things to Jenkins and Parker including using a stun gun on them, staging a mock execution, and assaulting them with a sex toy. One officer also shot Jenkins in the mouth and the bullet lacerated his tongue and broke his jaw. As it turns out, Mr. Parker was at the house to care for his lifelong friend Ms. Walley who is paralyzed. The six racist cowards face up to 30 years in prison each.

So here we are in the month of August 2023, seven decades removed from Emmett Till’s murder, and there are still white racist cowards roaming free in our midst. Whether you’re a white adult assaulting a Black child, a white cop torturing young Black men, or white legislators disenfranchising Black voters, it all comes down to the same thing. Racists always have to have an advantage over their victims. There was never just one KKK member who lynched a Black man. There wasn’t just one white guy acting alone who murdered three Freedom Riders in 1964. And when a white guy massacred nine unarmed worshipers at a Black church in 2015, he was armed with a semi-automatic weapon. Cowards and racists always have an advantage of some kind, either in size, numbers, dogs, water hoses, or guns… or laws.

I could say something clever like, “I bet Emmett Till is spinning in his grave right now,” but the sad fact is, I don’t think Emmett would be at all surprised by how some white people behave today. This August began with a reminder of the past and hope for the future. It is ending with a reminder that the future is a long way off.

As Labor Day approaches, I thought this might be a good time to examine the origins of state and federal holidays, and why we observe them. Before you read any further, though, here’s a trivia question: “Which two federal holidays does North Carolina not officially recognize?” I’ll get to the answer in a moment. First, let’s review the 11 federal paid holidays.

New Year’s Day … although we don’t normally think of January 1 as a religious holiday, some Christians celebrate it as the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus. Ouch! Not exactly my idea of the most relaxing way to spend a holiday. This year, federal workers got a paid day off on Monday, January 2nd because New Year’s Day fell on Sunday. 

Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. … not surprisingly this holiday was once a lightning rod of political controversy. Four days after Dr. King’s assassination in 1968, Rep. John Conyers floated the idea of a federal holiday in honor of the slain civil rights leader, but the bill faced opposition mainly from White legislators in the South. In 1983 Congress finally authorized MLK Day despite the efforts of NC Senator Jesse Helms who filibustered to smear King’s character. The holiday wasn’t observed until 1986, and though Dr. King’s birthday is January 15, the holiday is celebrated every third Monday in January.

Washington’s Birthday … though designated in the United States Code as “Washington’s Birthday” dating back to the 1880s, we now refer to this federal holiday as President’s Day so that it can honor Washington as well as Abe Lincoln, both of whom were born in the month of February. Today we celebrate these men on the third Monday of February. 

Memorial Day … was first designated as Decoration Day in 1868, and became a federal holiday in 1971. Today it is observed on the last Monday in May to honor men and women who died while serving in the military. 

Juneteenth National Independence Day … became a federal holiday in 2021 to commemorate the date (June 19, 1865) when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to notify slaves there that they had been emancipated. My friend, former Virginia Governor Doug Wilder noted that Juneteenth is “an opportunity for people of all races, creeds, and colors to gain education and understanding of the issues many still strive to overcome.”

Independence Day … commemorates the date that the Continental Congress passed the Declaration of Independence to signify our break from British rule. Initially our ancestors celebrated by lighting bonfires and giving speeches. Today we shoot off deafening fireworks, which cause pets to shake with fear. Independence Day became a federal holiday in 1941. My dogs wish we had lost to the British.

Labor Day … first celebrated in 1882 at a labor assembly in New York City, it became a national holiday in 1894 to recognize the economic achievements and contributions of American workers. There is some dispute about who actually proposed the first Labor Day holiday. According to the US Labor Department, some records show that Peter McGuire came up with the idea. McGuire was general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners. Other research indicates that machinist Matthew McGuire (no relation) was the founder. Either way, Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday in September.

Columbus Day …  only in America could we designate a national holiday to honor a racist who enslaved and tortured natives and people of color. As a kid, I didn’t know about the dark side of Christopher Columbus. I just thought he was a brave explorer about whom we were taught to say, “in fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” Columbus Day became a federal holiday in 1937 and is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Several states have opted to celebrate “Indigenous Peoples Day” in lieu of Columbus Day for obvious reasons. 

Veterans Day … was established as a national holiday in 1938 to honor veterans of all wars. In 1975 President Gerald Ford designated November 11 as the official date of Veterans Day and if it falls on a weekend, then the government can move the holiday to the previous Friday or the following Monday.

Thanksgiving Day … most of us were taught that the first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of my late friend Mac Jamieson who owned Berkeley Plantation in Virginia, President Kennedy was compelled to officially recognize both states for the historic first. (for the record, Berkeley’s feast pre-dated Plymouth by over a year). Thanksgiving as a federal holiday always falls on the fourth Thursday of November. It became a national holiday in 1863.

Christmas Day …  is the only religious holiday recognized by the federal government. It was designated as a national holiday in 1870. That raises the question, “Why aren’t there federal holidays for other religions?” According to the North Carolina Department of Human Resources, state agencies “shall make efforts to accommodate an employee’s request to be away from work for certain religious holiday observances, however, nothing shall obligate the agency to make accommodations if, in accommodating the request, it would result in undue hardship on the agency or its employees.”

Speaking of North Carolina, that brings me to the trivia question that I posed earlier. In this state, agencies are not obligated to give a paid holiday for either Juneteenth or Columbus Day. Moreover, the North Carolina Human Resources Act establishes, “a holiday schedule that will not exceed 12 paid holidays per year, and will include Martin Luther King’s birthday, Veterans Day, and three days for Christmas.” To date, 28 states now make Juneteenth a paid holiday, and until the HRA is revised, most of our state agencies are allowing employees to take June 19 as a floating holiday.

There has been some debate over the years about the cost of paid holidays to businesses and industries that pay for work that they aren’t getting. In that regard, if ever there was a serious movement to reduce the number of paid holidays, I would be OK with getting rid of Columbus Day and Presidents Day, and I would combine Veterans Day and Memorial Day into one holiday that honors all Vets. For now, though, I’m OK with the holidays we have, just so long as we don’t add another one that celebrates circumcision.

I suppose I should have paid more attention in Bible class, but I grew up thinking that Abraham Lincoln originated the phrase, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” In fact, honest Abe stole that line from the Book of Matthew (12:22-28) during a campaign speech at the 1858 Illinois State Republican Convention where he won the nomination for United States Senate. 

Lincoln, of course, was warning of the impending Civil War between North and South. Matthew, on the other hand, was recounting an incident in which Jesus (who was thought by the Pharisees to be a demon) cast out the devil from a demon-possessed man who was also blind and mute. By doing so, Jesus hoped to reunite the Pharisees with the Kingdom of God. Meaning no disrespect to Jesus, but Lincoln had the tougher row to hoe when, after becoming president, he had to heal an entire nation that was divided over the issue of slavery. Hundreds of thousands of young men lost their lives in that struggle, and Lincoln lost his because he was trying to bring us all back together.

These days, America is the most divided we’ve been since the Civil War, not by slavery, but by the lies of a maniacally messianic politician. Never in our history has a major political party been so completely hijacked by one man, so much so, that 70% of Republicans believe Joe Biden’s election was illegitimate, 30% say they would vote for Trump if he was convicted (20% were unsure how they’d vote), and 28% say they would vote for him even if he’s in prison. How scary is that?

Polarization in the era of Trump manifests itself in many ways, from voter suppression to insurrection. Thanks to Trump’s fiery and canard-laden rhetoric, people now scream at one another and call each other names instead of having a civil debate. MAGA nuts carry guns with them to go vote, and they are wont to open fire on any Black man who walks through their neighborhood. “Karens” are springing up all over and feel emboldened to call the police if a Black woman tries to use the swimming pool at her own apartment complex. Country singer Jason Aldean dares people who protest injustices to, “Try that in a Small Town.” And though Trump disciples claim to support the police, they have no problem with the attack on our nation’s Capitol in which officers were injured and killed.

Donald Trump once joked that he could shoot someone in the middle of New York City and get away with it. Sadly, that’s pretty much what he’s doing to our democracy — shooting holes in it that are big enough for him to walk through, in order to suit his needs or escape prosecution.

In a recent expose published by the Associated Press, correspondent Nicholas Riccardi noted that people are increasingly moving from one state to another not for a better job, but because of politics. Conservatives are moving to red states and liberals are moving to blue states in accordance with their views on polarizing issues like abortion and gay rights. So, instead of just segregating by race, we’re now also segregating by political party, and that just isn’t healthy for a nation that is in desperate need of healing.

I don’t care whether you quote Matthew or Abe Lincoln. Either way, we should heed their warnings that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” Trump disciples who are in denial about his crimes may not be demonically possessed, but they are certainly blind to them. Sadly, I doubt any miracle will help them see.

Most of us watching television 50 years ago had three choices: ABC, CBS, and NBC. In some markets, there was an independent station on UHF, but there was no CW, FOX, or WB. There was no Paramount+, or Hulu or Netflix. There was no such thing as DirecTV, and less than ten million households even had cable. Back then the three networks offered us around 60 different prime-time shows each season. Things are different today. According to Nielsen’s State of Play report there are now 817,000 individual TV shows available from a plethora of providers, and the audience share of streaming video now outpaces that of broadcast television.

The good news is that thanks to various streaming services and nostalgia channels, we can still enjoy many of the shows that dotted the prime-time television landscape during the 1973-74 season. For what it’s worth, here’s a word or two about a few of those vintage programs:

All in the Family …this groundbreaking comedy from Norman Lear put non-malicious bigotry on full display and made Archie Bunker one of the most quotable men in America, not just for his prejudices, but for his ignorance. Said Archie, “It’s a proven fact that capital punishment is a detergent for crime.” The show ran for 12 seasons and was number one in its time slot for the first five.

M*A*S*H …like Hogan’s Heroes before it, M*A*S*H managed to find humor in war. Set amidst the Korean conflict, the show took a couple of seasons to catch on, then became a perennial top 10 favorite. In fact, the series finale was the most-watched episode in TV history to date. I once asked star Alan Alda why the show ended despite its huge following. Said Alda, “I’m proud of what we did, but I didn’t want to keep doing the same thing over and over again. I was pretty much the main reason for the series coming to an end because we were still at the top, but there were signs that we were running out of steam.”

Gunsmoke …By 1973 this western was on its last hooves. It would end two years later after 20 consecutive seasons (a record broken by Law & Order SVU). I once told Marshall Dillon’s sidekick Chester (played by Dennis Weaver) that when I was 4-years-old I faked a limp like his in order to get attention. Weaver thought I was weird.

Kojak …Who knew that a Greek, bald-headed, lollypop-sucking police detective would take television by storm? Telly Savalas’ catchphrase, “Who loves ya, baby?”, became part of our lexicon, and the answer to his question was “millions of people, that’s who.” Prior to “Kojak”, Savalas had portrayed mainly villains in film and on TV. When I reminded him of that fact during a 1977 interview, the actor (in character) said, “Hey baby I’m a good guy.” I then obnoxiously started naming all of his villainous roles, and he cut me off and turned surly, saying, “Oh OK, so you want to play it that way huh?” It was an awkward moment.

Barnaby Jones …like Kojak, this unique private eye series premiered on CBS during the ‘73-’74 season, but that’s the only thing it had in common with Savalas’ show. Coming off of meteoric success as Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies, Buddy Ebsen portrayed TV’s first elderly P.I. and he was ably assisted by his daughter-in-law, played by former Miss America and former Catwoman Lee Meriwether. I interviewed Buddy in 1977 and got to know his real-life daughter Kiki when I moderated “A Salute to Prime Time TV Crimefighters” for the Television Academy in 2010. Also attending that event was Ms. Meriwether, who my wife Pam and I had gotten to know earlier when she visited Winston-Salem. On that occasion, we took her out to dinner and then she asked Pam to help her go shopping for underwear. I did not take part in that excursion.

Happy Days …was a Tuesday night ratings winner for ABC until the network moved the show to Thursdays where it fell out of the top 30 for the first time in its 10-year run. Soon after the first season, it became clear that Henry Winkler (as the Fonz) was the star of the show, not Ron Howard, something that irked the former Opie of Mayberry. Years later I got to know Marion Ross (“Mrs. C”) while moderating “A Salute to TV Moms,” and we’ve kept in touch ever since. Marion told me that, at one point, she had staged a walkout on Happy Days because she was not being paid enough. “Ronny came to my house, and he said the producer was going to replace me if I didn’t come back to work, so I went back to work.”

Mannix …Now a cult favorite, Mannix almost got canceled during the first season because the producer thought it would be a good idea to have Mike Connors play an employee of a high-tech computerized detective agency. Studio boss Lucille Ball saved the show, Mannix became a private eye, and the series ran for nine seasons. I got to know Mike Connors when I honored him at the “TV Crimefighters” event. That night he said he envied some of today’s TV action stars who end up each episode in bed with a beautiful woman. “I always ended up getting hit in the head,” said Mike. 

There were a lot of great TV shows on air in 1973, among them: The Bob Newhart Show, The Carol Burnette Show, The Flip Wilson Show, Hawaii Five-O, Kung Fu, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Maude, Sanford & Son, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Streets of San Francisco, and The Waltons. These and many others are available to view online.

Doctors say that binge eating is bad for you. So is binge drinking.

But so far, binge-watching television shows from 50 years ago hasn’t hurt anyone that I know of. Take it from Archie Bunker, who while watching an old movie on TV said to Edith, “I ain’t seen it more than ten times, so leave me alone.”

Merriam-Webster defines an icon as “a person widely admired for having great influence or significance in a particular sphere.” That being the case, there should be an image of Richard Petty next to the definition of “icon” in every dictionary. Petty has the most wins in NASCAR history (200), the most championships (seven), and he put stock car racing on the national map at a time when television mainly covered baseball and football. Most of all, The King has used his notoriety to help others, especially through The Petty Family Foundation which supports non-profit groups that serve everyone from wounded veterans to at-risk youth. The Foundation’s signature charity is Victory Junction, a camp for kids with chronic medical conditions and serious illnesses that was created in honor of Richard’s late grandson Adam.

JL: Why is Victory Junction so special?

RP: Well, these kids can’t just go to church camp or other camps because of their affliction. So, they come here from all over the country, each one thinking that he’s the only one with the same problem. Then, they get here with a hundred other kids who are just like them, and suddenly they feel like they’re part of the world.

Always looking for new ways to expand the reach of his Foundation, 86-year-old Petty recently teamed up with Shelton Vineyards to create a new wine, appropriately named “ICON”.

JL: How did you come to hook up with Shelton Vineyards?

RP: We really got to know the Sheltons 20 years ago when their family was part of the company that built Victory Junction. My wife and myself went up to the vineyards a couple of times and we got to know them, and they got to know us.

Mandy Shelton Houser, co-president of Shelton Vineyards: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Richard and the Petty family. Richard is a true icon and a person who shares our commitment to perfection. This partnership is a testament to the shared values and passion for excellence that both Shelton Vineyards and the Pettys embody. Together, we aim to create an extraordinary experience for wine enthusiasts and racing fans alike.”

ICON wine is a custom blend of Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Tannat.

JL: Is it true that you actually hand-selected the blend?

RP: Yeah, three of my family members went with me up to Shelton’s, and we sat down and taste-tested the wines. It was like a blind test, and when it was all over, everybody wound up picking the same blend. I guess it’s ‘cause we all have the same DNA. [laughs]

Richard and ICON wine will be the star attractions this Saturday, July 29th, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. for a celebration and launch party at Shelton Vineyards in Dobson. The event will include music by Kyle Petty (Adam’s dad), plus a live auction where folks can bid on such items as a poster signed by Richard, Kyle, and family patriarch Lee Petty. Also, up for grabs is an original painting by Laura Ashley, Avis fine jewelry, and a chance to send a kid to camp. And, as a special treat, attendees will have an opportunity to enjoy a VIP experience with The King.

Admission is $25 per person, and a portion of proceeds from ticket sales and the auction will benefit Victory Junction.

JL: ICON wine was named in your honor. Do you feel like an icon?

RP: Not really. I’m just one of the gang.

JL: Wouldn’t it be great if you could figure out a way to make race cars run on ICON wine instead of diesel?

RP: [laughs] I don’t know. They got all these cotton-pickin’ electric cars now. Maybe we can use the wine to make electricity. [laughs]

Maybe so. If anyone could make that happen, The King could.

To purchase tickets to the celebration, or to order wine, visit SheltonVineyards.com/petty-icon. For more information on Victory Junction, visit VictoryJunction.org. For more information on the Petty Family Foundation, or to make a donation, visit PettyFamilyFoundation.org.

When Alan Shepard became the first American launched into outer space, folks were glued to their television sets. After John Glenn became the first man to orbit the Earth, there were parades and celebrations. But soon, public interest in the Gemini space program waned, and most people couldn’t name the latest man into space or tell you how many orbits Glenn had made. It seems that we tend to develop short-term memory when it comes to recalling momentous events, whether they be glorious or tragic in nature. And that brings me to our nation’s growing number of school shootings.

According to the Washington Post, there have been 386 mass school shootings thus far in this century, and that includes an all-time annual high of 46 in 2022. In all, 356,000 students have experienced gun violence over the past two decades alone, so you’d think we would at least be able to recall the location of the worst of these mass murders… but we can’t. In the days following each heinous incident, the media frequently reminds us of how many children were killed, but then, the facts and faces wane from our collective memory. At first, politicians vow to enact reforms, then the outrage dissipates and talk of reform disappears.

For what it’s worth, here’s a list of the worst mass shootings at schools since Columbine. Perhaps this can serve as a reminder of what happened and why it’s so important that we do something to keep this list from growing.

March 21, 2005 — Ten students were killed, and seven others injured when a 16-year-old assailant opened fire at Red Lake Senior High School, on Minnesota’s Red Lake Indian Reservation.

October 2, 2006 — A 37-year-old milk delivery man dropped his kids off at school, then drove to Pennsylvania’s Amish West Nickel Mine School, and killed 6 children while wounding five others.

April 16, 2007 — A 23-year-old man murdered 33 students and wounded 23 others while classes were in session at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. The gunman subsequently killed himself.

February 14, 2008 — A former graduate student spent his Valentine’s Day killing six people and injuring 21 others at Northern Illinois University. 

April 12, 2012 — A 43-year-old former student returned to his alma mater, Oikos University, a Korean Christian school in Oakland California, and murdered seven students, injuring three others.

December 14, 2012 — In what was thought to be the most heinous of mass school shootings, a lone gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, and killed 28 children, all under the age of 10, and as young as 5 years old. 

June 7, 2013 — After killing his father and brother, a 23-year-old man murdered six students and wounded four others at Santa Monica College in southern California.

October 24, 2014 — A 15-year-old boy murdered four students at Marysville Pilchuck High School in Washington.

October 1, 2015 — In Roseburg, Oregon, a 26-year-old killed 10 students and injured nine others at Umpqua Community College. The gunman then shot himself.

November 14, 2017 — A 44-year-old man freed on bail for two previous felonies opened fire in Rancho Tehama school in California, and murdered six students while wounding 18 others. He then killed himself.

February 14, 2018 — Another Valentine’s Day was marred by unthinkable violence when a 19-year-old man with a history of disciplinary problems walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and killed 17 students while wounding 17 others. 

May 18, 2018 — Not more than two months after the Parkland massacre, an assailant used a shotgun and a revolver to murder 10 students and injure 14 others at Sante Fe High School in Houston Texas. 

May 24, 2022 — Twenty-two students were shot to death and 18 others injured at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Delays in responding to gunfire led to a trial and national debate over the role of School Resource Officers. 

February 13, 2023 — An 18-year-old boy murdered four students and wounded five others at Michigan State University. The assailant was subsequently killed by police.

Given that most of us can’t name even half of the schools from this list, it’s not surprising that our elected officials in Washington also suffer from short-term memory when it comes to mass school shootings. The idea of a ban on assault weapons has been kicked around for years, but even if such a ban went into effect today it wouldn’t prevent more school massacres. That’s because there are more guns in circulation than there are people in America, so guns are readily available. Also, not all school shootings are done with assault-style rifles. The solution is to beef up school security, and that means installing electronically locking doors, metal detectors, and posting an SRO in every school.

Until local, state, and federal governments are willing to spend the money to enact these reforms, then students will continue to be murdered, and we will continue to forget where they took their last breath.
 
 

There are lots of reasons to live in and be proud of the Triad. New jobs are springing up every day. We’re blessed with a number of universities and community colleges. We have a myriad of great bars and restaurants, and there are several professional sports teams to root for. Healthcare is accessible, and crisis services are available to those in need. Yes, we have it all in the Triad, except when we don’t. We don’t have a casino in the Triad. We don’t have live horse racing and off-track betting in the Triad. And, if your quality of life would improve with access to medical marijuana, then you’d better live somewhere else. The fact is that Virginia has North Carolina beat when it comes to voting on, approving, and implementing new initiatives.

Actually, our neighbors to the north have been getting the better of us for quite some time. For example, Virginia approved its statewide lottery in 1987, while we didn’t start scratching off until 2005. 

In 1994 Virginia approved the development of a live horse racing track, and three years later, Colonial Downs opened along with a number of off-track betting parlors. Here in North Carolina, we’re just now getting around to allowing sports betting, but we’re nowhere close to approving a live horse racing facility. 

Meanwhile, the first medical marijuana dispensary in Virginia opened in August 2020, and one year later, Virginians were able to purchase and possess small amounts of weed for recreational purposes. The General Assembly in Raleigh is still debating medical marijuana, and there’s no provision for recreational use in sight. 

Speaking of recreational, if you’re over 125 years old, you may recall that in 1919 Congress passed the 18th Amendment which prohibited the sale of alcohol. But goody-two-shoes North Carolina started banning booze 10 years BEFORE Prohibition went into effect. Virginia, on the other hand, kept selling spirits until the Feds made the ban official. In the interim, those of us in The Old (Dry) North State got into our cars, drove into Virginia, and put our money in The Old Dominion’s coffers (estimated at nearly $400 million in today’s dollars). That kind of senseless revenue loss is the common theme that runs through North Carolina’s heel-dragging policy decisions on the lottery, racetrack and off-track betting, and pot. And that brings us to casinos.

After several years of negotiating, and federal recognition of their tribe, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) were able to operate a casino, which opened near Cherokee in 1997 with video poker and slots. Managed by Harrah’s, the casino has undergone a number of expansions and renovations, the last of which was completed in 2021. As promised, revenues from what is now a full-service casino and resort have helped to improve the lives of Cherokee tribesmen. In that regard, North Carolina was ahead of Virginia whose legislative body didn’t approve casino operations until 2020. But unlike our state’s initial focus on one major gaming facility, Virginia gave approval for casinos to operate in five different cities. One of those, Danville, opened a temporary casino earlier this year with a full-blown Caesar’s resort to open next year. 

According to the Winston-Salem Journal, Caesar’s Danville brought in nearly $12 million dollars in its first two weeks of operation, with $715,521 of that going directly into the city’s coffers. And, not surprisingly, a member of Danville City Council told me that most of the gamblers came from outside of the city, many of whom made the short drive from the Triad to spend their money in Virginia — the same way we once did with booze, lottery tickets, parimutuel betting, and now marijuana.

As is, most people in our area can drive to Danville in under an hour. But they wouldn’t have to leave home at all if we had a casino here in the Triad. And think of what a boost that would be if folks throughout North Carolina and Virginia spent their mad money here. It would mean more funding for our students, teachers, police, and firefighters. That’s why our state lawmakers need to drive up to Virginia, smoke some legal weed, chill out, and then adopt that state’s five-city casino plan as soon as possible. It’s a long shot, I know, but sometimes you have to gamble in order to gamble.

There are lots of reasons to live in and be proud of the Triad. New jobs are springing up every day. We’re blessed with a number of universities and community colleges. We have a myriad of great bars and restaurants, and there are several professional sports teams to root for. Healthcare is accessible, and crisis services are available to those in need. Yes, we have it all in the Triad, except when we don’t. We don’t have a casino in the Triad. We don’t have live horse racing and off-track betting in the Triad. And, if your quality of life would improve with access to medical marijuana, then you’d better live somewhere else. The fact is that Virginia has North Carolina beat when it comes to voting on, approving, and implementing new initiatives.

Actually, our neighbors to the north have been getting the better of us for quite some time. For example, Virginia approved its statewide lottery in 1987, while we didn’t start scratching off until 2005. 

In 1994 Virginia approved the development of a live horse racing track, and three years later, Colonial Downs opened along with a number of off-track betting parlors. Here in North Carolina, we’re just now getting around to allowing sports betting, but we’re nowhere close to approving a live horse racing facility. 

Meanwhile, the first medical marijuana dispensary in Virginia opened in August 2020, and one year later, Virginians were able to purchase and possess small amounts of weed for recreational purposes. The General Assembly in Raleigh is still debating medical marijuana, and there’s no provision for recreational use in sight. 

Speaking of recreational, if you’re over 125 years old, you may recall that in 1919 Congress passed the 18th Amendment which prohibited the sale of alcohol. But goody-two-shoes North Carolina started banning booze 10 years BEFORE Prohibition went into effect. Virginia, on the other hand, kept selling spirits until the Feds made the ban official. In the interim, those of us in The Old (Dry) North State got into our cars, drove into Virginia, and put our money in The Old Dominion’s coffers (estimated at nearly $400 million in today’s dollars). That kind of senseless revenue loss is the common theme that runs through North Carolina’s heel-dragging policy decisions on the lottery, racetrack and off-track betting, and pot. And that brings us to casinos.

After several years of negotiating, and federal recognition of their tribe, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) were able to operate a casino, which opened near Cherokee in 1997 with video poker and slots. Managed by Harrah’s, the casino has undergone a number of expansions and renovations, the last of which was completed in 2021. As promised, revenues from what is now a full-service casino and resort have helped to improve the lives of Cherokee tribesmen. In that regard, North Carolina was ahead of Virginia whose legislative body didn’t approve casino operations until 2020. But unlike our state’s initial focus on one major gaming facility, Virginia gave approval for casinos to operate in five different cities. One of those, Danville, opened a temporary casino earlier this year with a full-blown Caesar’s resort to open next year. 

According to the Winston-Salem Journal, Caesar’s Danville brought in nearly $12 million dollars in its first two weeks of operation, with $715,521 of that going directly into the city’s coffers. And, not surprisingly, a member of Danville City Council told me that most of the gamblers came from outside of the city, many of whom made the short drive from the Triad to spend their money in Virginia — the same way we once did with booze, lottery tickets, parimutuel betting, and now marijuana.

As is, most people in our area can drive to Danville in under an hour. But they wouldn’t have to leave home at all if we had a casino here in the Triad. And think of what a boost that would be if folks throughout North Carolina and Virginia spent their mad money here. It would mean more funding for our students, teachers, police, and firefighters. That’s why our state lawmakers need to drive up to Virginia, smoke some legal weed, chill out, and then adopt that state’s five-city casino plan as soon as possible. It’s a long shot, I know, but sometimes you have to gamble in order to gamble.

Generally speaking, I don’t like to label people, but Florida Governor Rick DeSantis seems hell-bent on wanting to be called a homophobe. His “Don’t Say Gay” law, which was enacted in March, hasn’t just angered the LGBTQ community, it has also struck fear into the hearts and minds of teachers who dare not expose their students to words or images which might suggest that humans can be anything other than heterosexual. Much of Righteous Ron’s bombastic dogma of late derives from his war with the Walt Disney Company which dared to oppose his restrictive and discriminatory policies. Given the two adversaries’ battle for the moral soul of Florida and subsequent fight for who should control Disney World’s tax district, it’s not surprising that the latest controversy involves the showing of a Disney film to fifth-graders in Hernando County.

Though “Don’t Say Gay” only restricts the teaching of sexual orientation or gender identity in grades K-3, Florida collaterally restricts the use of certain books and films in all grades. Enter Jenna Barbee, a teacher at Winding Waters School in Brookville, Florida. Barbee elected to show Disney’s animated Strange World to her class because its environmental message was relevant to her lesson plan. But the film also features a bi-racial gay couple, and, as it happens, one of Barbee’s students is the daughter of school board member Shannon Rodriguez. Not surprisingly, Rodriguez called for a State investigation of Barbee’s Orwellian transgression. Fortunately, public support seems to be with Barbee, but that doesn’t change the laws and lists which continue to hamstring teachers and ban certain educational materials.

The thought occurs to me, however, that DeSantis’s war on Disney hasn’t gone far enough. If the Governor (and would-be President) is so concerned about protecting impressionable young minds against harmful messages, then why stop with Strange World? Why not expand his ban to include all subversive Disney films? Here, then is a list of other “dangerous” movies from Uncle Walt’s studio:

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) — Two problems here. First, it’s not appropriate for kids to know that Snow White is a virgin, and second, who she sleeps with is her business, even though in this case, size does matter.

Pinocchio (1940) — This film suggests that all Italian boys are liars.

Bambi (1942) — Because of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, hunters had every right to shoot Bambi’s mother. Normally images of murder would be suitable for a 6-year-old, but the film should be banned because it might spur a debate on 2nd Amendment rights.  

Song of the South (1946) — In Florida, I guess it’s OK to show a film with a Tar Baby but to have a happy-go-lucky slave like Uncle Remus depicted as being smarter than his White owners is too much for Uncle Ron’s followers to take. 

Lady and the Tramp (1955) — This is a horrible film for kids because it suggests that all males are tramps who refer to their lady as the “B” word.

Mary Poppins (1964) — After emerging from dirty chimneys, Bert and the Banks children are covered in soot. It’s OK to appear in Black face in Florida, but only if you’re a patriotic legal citizen. The Mary Poppins cast is from England, so they don’t even speak good American.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) — This film is all about witches and Satanism which is OK, but children do not need to know that magic can happen in a bed.

Gus (1976) — In this film, a farm animal is exploited by the local college and made to kick field goals without any financial compensation as was available to Florida State University students at the time. 

Beauty and the Beast (1991) — While folks in Florida have no problem with beastiality, this film is banned because the main female character is allowed to read books.

Pocahontas (1995) — The problem with this film is that it depicts a Native American girl falling in love with a White man. Florida legislators probably believe this film is responsible for the bi-racial gay couple who later appears in Strange World.

I hope that Governor DeSantis will ban these and all other Disney films from being shown in public schools because children don’t need to be exposed to left-wing concepts like love, tolerance, and open-mindedness.

Growing up watching TV variety shows, I often wondered how the jugglers could keep so many balls in the air at one time. Today I wonder the same thing about my friend Dick Wolf who has nine hour-long dramas on the air every week. No other writer/producer in the history of television has ever come close to that feat. In addition to Law and Order, Wolf produces Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,  Law and Order: Organized Crime, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Chicago Med, FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, and FBI: International. Perhaps even more impressive is that in this era of the 500-channel universe and a myriad of streaming services, all nine of Wolf’s dramas air on a broadcast network, and all nine are commercially successful.

I first met Dick in the spring of 1999 at an event for the Museum of Television and Radio (now the Paley Center) in New York City. A few months later I interviewed him at length for volume one of my TV Creators book series. Back then we talked about our shared love of old TV westerns and heroes like Hopalong Cassidy. Dick also recounted how he spent his summer breaks from the University of Pennsylvania working at ad agencies, then eventually ended up creating national campaigns for major brands like Crest Toothpaste. “I’ve essentially never earned a dollar that wasn’t somehow writing related,” he told me. And Dick came by his talent honestly. “My grandmother wrote title cards for Paramount in the silent era, and my father was a second-generation screenwriter.”

We reconnected by phone late last month, but our conversation was marked by irony because it took place during a writers’ strike. And so, as I spoke with a legendary wordsmith, not a single word was being written for any of Dick’s nine shows.

Jim:: I remember seeing a survey from years ago that said even in normal times, most actors and writers only make a few thousand dollars a year, because they can’t get work.

Dick:: Right, there’s 90% unemployment, and I’ve been saying this for 35 years, “Why can people who cannot qualify for health insurance vote on throwing people out of work?” This strike is incredibly complex. This is the end of May, and it looks like they’re not even going to start talking to the writers again until they close with the actors and directors. So, you’re looking at a very protracted period of labor upset.

Jim:: Back when you were only producing Law & Order and SVU, you told me that you employed anywhere from 120 to 150 people on each show. Is that still the average today?

Dick:: It’s much more now. I was talking about actors and writers and crew. But when you get into post and scoring, and all the ancillaries that are not direct production costs, it’s closer to 300 people on a show. Right now, I’ve got about 3,000 people out of work.  This is my fourth strike, and in 1987 that strike went on for six months and two weeks. In my opinion, this current strike is going to go on just as long if not longer. And it doesn’t just affect writers and directors and actors. It affects everybody who works on those shows which are all shut down.

Jim:: Years ago, I asked you if you had a sixth sense about which shows will be successful, and you said, “It’s always a crapshoot.” Now that you’re the most successful TV creator in history, is it still a crapshoot when you start a new show?

Dick:: Every time. You never know what the audience is going to react to, but I’ve managed to at least cut down the size of the ranks. You do learn what not to do as much as you learn what to do.

Jim:: Somehow you and your shows have managed to stay relevant for over 40 years and across several generations. How have you managed to do that, and do you ever consciously concern yourself with going after the youth market?

Dick:: I have a strange belief that if you put out good stuff the audience will buy it, and I only do stuff that I want to watch, and there’s not that much on TV that I want to watch that I don’t make. It sounds terrible, but it’s true.

Jim:: Are you concerned about the trend toward artificial intelligence with regards to crafting stories and scripts?

Dick:: I’m not worried about it because I’m in a unique situation, but if I was a 30-year-old writer I’d be absolutely terrified. Five years from now, machines will be writing Shakespeare.  We should not pretend that the genie can be put back in the bottle. It can’t.

Jim:: Is it still fun for you, or is it more like work?

Dick:: Well, it’s both. The work IS fun. I mean, it’s taken 40 years and not many people say “no” to me anymore [laughs]. That’s not a bad position to be in.

Jim:: What’s changed for you over the years?

Dick:: When I got out here, I was always the youngest person in every meeting, and now I’m always the oldest by much more than a decade.

Jim:: You’ve innovated so many things like the split-format drama and streamlined pace.  What will be your final innovation?

Dick:: My last innovation will be coming up with a show that can’t be cancelled. [both laugh]

Last month Samantha Hutchinson, a 38-year-old bride from Charlotte, and her new husband Aric were leaving their wedding reception in a golf cart, when 25-year-old Jamie Komoroski drove her car into the newlyweds, killing Samantha. The Charleston, South Carolina coroner determined that Samantha died of blunt force injuries. Meanwhile, the Folly Beach police found that Komoroski had a blood alcohol content of .26%, which is three times the legal limit. The circumstance of this tragic incident was sadly unique, but the result was not.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 37 Americans die in drunk-driving crashes every day. That’s one death every 39 minutes. In 2021, a total of 13,384 people died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths, and that was up 14% from 2020.  

In South Carolina where Samantha was killed, over 290 people die each year in alcohol-related crashes. Here in North Carolina, the stats are even worse, with over 420 drunk driving deaths per year. And if you really want to get steamed, consider that according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 4 million American adults say they drive drunk each year, and according to the CDC, intoxicated drivers get behind the wheel no less than 112 million times per year. That means only by the grace of God are millions of motorists not dying because of drunk driving.  

To their credit, national groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving and others are making a difference in terms of education and awareness. SafeHome.org, for example, reports that 78% of Americans are aware of and concerned about the dangers of drunk driving. And here in the Triad, Daggett Shuler has prevented countless numbers of teens from driving drunk through their “Safe Sober” campaign, which is significant considering that nearly 30% of drunk-driving-related fatalities involve young drivers in their early 20s. But education and prevention alone must be accompanied by strict, consistent, and clearly-defined DWI laws. 

As I’ve noted in previous columns, penalties for drunk driving are weak and inconsistent and can vary from county to county. In fact, according to M.A.D.D., over one-third of people convicted of drunk driving are repeat offenders. Translation? They get caught, they get a slap on the wrist, then, after a period of time, they drive drunk again. And it’s no wonder. According to a 2018 investigation by the Charlotte Observer, judges in some North Carolina localities only convict 10% of drunk drivers.

The problem stems from a system of guidelines that allows a judge to weigh three factors in every DWI case. Those include “Mitigating” factors, “Aggravating” factors, and “Grossly Aggravating” factors.

If a drunk driver has had an otherwise safe driving record, that’s a mitigating factor that often results in a small fine and a suspended sentence. If the driver has had two or more drunk-driving convictions within the past five years, that’s an aggravating factor that can result in jail time of from 2 days to six months. If the intoxicated driver is operating a vehicle with a revoked license and causes serious injury to another person, that’s a grossly aggravating factor that can carry a prison sentence of up to three years. 

And yet, even with these guidelines in place, every judge has latitude in sentencing. Take for instance the case involving Taylor Roberts who, in 2018, was driving drunk at high speeds when he crashed his car, killing a female passenger. Taylor reached a plea deal with a Forsyth County assistant district attorney and was only sentenced to three to five years in prison. And that brings me back to Jamie Komoroski who, because she killed Samantha Hutchinson in South Carolina, could only serve a maximum of ten years in prison for DWI homicide. 

The only way to prevent more repeat offenders from driving drunk and possibly killing someone is to pass and enforce stricter laws for a first offense. Beyond that, we need to make sure those laws and guidelines are consistent from county to county and from state to state. Given the current composition of our General Assembly, however, it’s not likely that such reforms would pass. That’s why I support making alcohol-related vehicular manslaughter or homicide a federal crime. Since every state receives federal funds for the maintenance and construction of roads and highways, and since drunk driving-related fatalities occur on those roads, then Congress should have the authority to pass legislation that would codify penalties and enforcement for drunk-driving-related deaths regardless of the state in which the offense occurs. Failure of any state to abide by such a congressional act would result in loss of federal funds.

As it stands now, drunk drivers are a menace to society, but so are the state lawmakers, prosecutors, and judges who allow them to continue to get behind the wheel of a deadly weapon.