Category: Opinion

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Opinion The Last Word

Turn Away No More

Animal cruelty is a “co-occurring crime with violence against humans.” (Photo: Stephanie Zieber | Dreamstime.com)

The most grueling aspect of writing about animal cruelty is having to watch haunting videos of creatures who possess unconditional love being tormented by human beings who do not appear to have a conscience. (Trigger warning: This piece describes one of said videos.)

Last month, a distressing video — that nearly all media outlets wrongly refused to show in its entirety due to its disturbing content — showed a terrified dog in Memphis being dragged like old furniture, beat, and then thrown off a bridge. The perpetrator was unsuccessful in killing the dog during his first attempt, so he repeated his actions. The second time, the helpless creature nose-dived from the bridge to the pavement and died. The coward ran away.

Christopher Triplett was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty for allegedly committing this crime. According to animal advocate and social media influencer Paul Mueller, the precious canine’s body was not picked up for five days. Five days.

This may seem like a trivial detail. Yet it is the nuances in how city officials and/or police officers handle a traumatic event which reveal their level of compassion or detachment. And it gives people a glimpse of the level of advocacy or apathy of its citizens — by how they react.

This, coupled with the high kill rate of adoptable pets at Memphis Animal Services (MAS) — where, in March, 88 dogs aged 0 to 5 months were killed, according to their own statistics — indicates that those in power in Memphis do not prioritize animal welfare.  

Animal cruelty is on the rise in many states. In Tennessee, there was a 40 percent increase in animal cruelty from 2020 to 2022, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, as covered by WKRN. One of the reasons for this animal abuse crime wave in the Volunteer State (and others) is because people who torture animals rarely receive a sentence that directly correlates to the level of cruelty they inflict.

An outlier to this enabling of animal abuse — by lawmakers and judges across our country — happened in a small Texas town, as reported by CBS News. A truly honorable judge and two juries sentenced a man who tortured and/or killed kittens to a 40-year prison sentence.

Christopher Triplett is presumed innocent. But if a court of law convicts him of the aggravated animal cruelty that he is alleged to have committed, he needs to receive the maximum sentence, receive intensive rehabilitation for the entire length of his sentence, and should never be permitted to own an animal for the rest of his life. 

The maverick Texas judge and juries in the kitten abuse cases had something within themselves that far too many lawmakers and judges lack — empathy for animal victims. They also understood that animals feel a mental and physical anguish similar to what human torture victims experience.

Memphis politicians can improve animal welfare in Tennessee with three interventions. First, by increasing the six-year maximum penalty for aggravated animal cruelty. Next, by implementing a no-kill animal shelter system. Last, by creating an animal cruelty task force. Doing so would not only protect defenseless animals but human beings as well.

How so?

In an article on the FBI’s website regarding the connection between animal abuse and crimes against people, the author states, “Historically, animal cruelty has been considered an isolated issue, but recent research shows a well-documented link that it is a predictive or co-occurring crime with violence against humans.”

Dogs are forced to put their lives in danger (willingly) to protect the lives of police officers, soldiers, and citizens. They also help countless Americans heal or find some semblance of closure in tragedy. Yet when canines need these same people to have their back, the two-leggeds often turn away.

I take great care when writing about a specific animal cruelty case to use the pet’s name often to honor their life. It saddened me that I couldn’t find out the name of the dog who was twice thrown over a bridge. Yet I realized that is a painful metaphor for the plight of so many Memphis dogs. 

Memphis, turn away no more. 

Dana Fuchs is a writer and animal advocate living in New York. She can be reached at animalwriter25@mail.com.

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At Large Opinion

Swifty

Bruce and Jerry (Photo: Courtesy Bruce VanWyngarden)

Jerry Swift passed on from this life about a year ago. His wife, Leasa, wanted to keep the news low-key at the time and so I didn’t write about it, but I think now a remembrance is in order. He was a hell of a guy and he deserves his flowers. 

The first thing I’ll say about Jerry is that if he hadn’t taken a job selling ads for the Memphis Flyer in its early days you wouldn’t be reading this. This was some 35 years ago, four years before my own stint at the Flyer began, but I heard lots of Jerry tales — some from those who were working at the paper when publisher Ken Neill founded it, and many more from Jerry himself. He had a million stories and loved to tell them.

Jerry was a singer in a band in his teens and early 20s, but he made his bones in Memphis in the music-club business, most notably by opening the Ritz Theatre on Madison Avenue in 1976. Billy Joel was the club-opening act and there were lines around the block. Jerry managed to bring performers such as Meat Loaf, Joan Armatrading, Al Jarreau, Tom Waits, Roy Buchanan, and others to Memphis to play a 350-seat venue. He had a good eye (and ear) for up-and-coming talent and had a knack for striking a deal.

Jerry knew everybody in the local music business and brought those connections with him to the Flyer. Soon most of the city’s venues were advertising in the upstart little weekly. He even got the no-nonsense Beale Street club owners to start buying ads, a major coup. Jerry also talked the local topless joints into the paper, and they mostly ran full-page ads. Cash only. The bills smelled of sweat and perfume.  

It was a wild and woolly time, and without the advertising dollars that Jerry brought in, it’s unlikely the Flyer would have survived. He gave the paper street cred. And, as he told it, he never sold an ad. “I just tell them what we offer and how much it costs,” he’d say. “If they want to buy an ad, they’ll let me know.” Cool. Whatever his approach was, it worked. Jerry could talk to anyone, and did. And nobody intimidated him, not even his boss.

He loved to tell the story about how an angry Ken Neill was pounding his fist on the table in an ad sales meeting when his metal watchband exploded and flew off in several pieces around the room. There was an awkward silence before Jerry started laughing so hard that the whole room soon joined in. “That was the last time Ken pounded on the table,” Jerry recalled. 

He was a big man, full of gusto and full of ideas. One of those ideas, which he latched onto with a vengeance in the mid-1990s, was that we should start playing golf — “we” being Recording Academy director Jon Hornyak, Flyer photographer Larry Kuzniewski, and me. Jerry was a hard man to resist, so we bought clubs at local thrift stores and met one Sunday morning at Overton Park to embark on a new adventure.

It wasn’t pretty at first, but we got better after a few Sundays. I remember well the first time we all four hit our drives over the dreaded “ditch” on number 7. Usually, at least one of us bounced a pellet into the lovely concrete confines of Lick Creek. It was a funny, joyful, high-fiving moment that has stayed with me through the years. 

That same foursome stayed together for the next 25 years, playing what Jerry dubbed the “Grudge Match,” which pitted Larry and me against Jerry and Jon. We played courses all over the area before finally settling on a weekly game at Galloway after the course was renovated. Jerry and Leasa bought a house nearby, and when Jerry retired, he played there several days a week, until he injured his back in a fall that put him in the hospital and ended his golf career. 

As they will with all of us, the years finally caught up with Jerry last May at the age of 76, a number he would have been proud to have on his scorecard. He is sorely missed. And you wouldn’t be reading these words without him.

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At Large Opinion

A Toenail Is Better

Photo: Spiroview Inc. | Dreamstime.com

“‘Stink for a dime’ is an idiom that means to be extremely bad, unpleasant, or worthless. It’s often used to describe something that is so poor in quality or value that it’s not even worth the low cost of a dime.”

Who among us has not fallen back on that popular saying, “stink for a dime”? It comes in handy now and then, right? What? You’ve never heard anyone say that? Well … okay, you got me. No one ever says that. My friend and former Flyer colleague Chris Davis made it up, along with several other original “idioms,” including “A toenail is better,” “Too foggy to fart,” and “All nines and 14s.” 

Davis decided to challenge Google’s AI capabilities by typing random phrases in the search bar and asking what they meant. Like an unprepared seventh-grader called out in class by his teacher, Google’s AI just started, well, making up total crap. 

Take AI’s response to another of Davis’ invented idioms — “All nines and 14s” — which according to Google’s AI, is “a common expression used to describe a situation where all the digits or a percentage are either 9 or 14. It’s most commonly used in the context of high availability and reliability.” What? A toenail is better!

Imagine relying on this resource to do research or to write a term paper. Unfortunately, it’s being done all the time. Recently, I had a conversation with an Ole Miss professor who told me it’s an endemic practice among students, most of whom soon find out that their professors are easily able to catch them at it. There’s too much “AI slop.”

What’s AI slop? Funny you should ask. I typed that phrase into Google’s search bar and got this: “AI slop is essentially mass-produced, low-quality content that floods online spaces like social media, blogs, and search results. It often lacks substance, is generic or repetitive, and may not be harmful but is of little value. In essence, ‘AI slop’ highlights the potential downsides of relying on AI for content creation, particularly when speed and quantity are prioritized over quality and purpose.” In other words, it’s too foggy to fart.

Even so, it’s projected that $644 billion will be spent globally in 2025 to further develop artificial intelligence technologies. Companies such Meta, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, Google, and xAI are in a frantic race to build and expand AI data centers and infrastructure. Here in Memphis, Elon Musk’s Colossus AI development is using unpermitted gas turbines with little to no pushback from local authorities. And it’s not just in Memphis. Similar construction projects from other AI developers are stressing water resources and power grids all around the planet.

So what is the ultimate prize in this expensive and environmentally destructive contest? Why are companies spending such enormous amounts of money on AI development? AI systems are designed to analyze data, identify patterns, and automate processes, the aim being to create intelligence that can adapt and learn from its environment, much like humans. But where’s the profit going to come from? None of these companies are developing AI for altruistic reasons.

As AI currently exists, it can automate certain tasks and processes and automate customer service (whether the latter is “progress” is debatable), manage inventory, and even drive vehicles. Google says AI has also been useful in the fields of medicine, engineering, and materials science. But costs still far outweigh profits for AI developers.

Some analysts say the big payoff could potentially come from AGI (artificial general intelligence), a still-hypothetical evolution of AI that would have human-level cognitive abilities, allowing it to solve problems in a wide range of domains without specific training and adapt to new situations and contexts — presumably without making up crap, which is what happens now when AI encounters a problem for which it hasn’t been “trained.”

Musk calls his xAI chatbot “Grok,” a term coined by Robert Heinlein in his 1961 novel, Stranger in a Strange Land. It’s from a mythical Martian language and means to “empathize or communicate sympathetically.” Which is ironic, since Musk recently said that “the fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy,” while likening Social Security to a “Ponzi scheme.” That’s also a term some critics have used to describe the burgeoning investments in AI. If you ask me, it all sounds like it might stink for a dime. 

Categories
Opinion The Last Word

Memphis Is My Boyfriend: Clubbing in Memphis

From tasting rum to sewing, these clubs offer fun for everyone. (Photos: Patricia Lockhart)

I am deviating from our regularly scheduled program to tell you all about some fantastic clubs I’m involved in. As an adult, I feel it is extremely important to not give up on the concept of play. Our daily lives can be bombarded with responsibilities and adulting, even to the point of forgetting that we are grown and don’t have to ask our mommies for permission to play with our friends. I refuse to settle for a life that keeps me so busy that I cannot enjoy thriving. So here are a few clubs I’m involved in and a short list of clubs that I wish existed! 

Memphis Rum Club

Yes, you read that right and it is NOT a typo. I am a member of the Memphis RUM Club. We do not run, whatsoever! I was in the middle of a hypnotic scroll on Instagram when I came across one of their posts and was immediately intrigued. I clicked on their profile and soon found myself signing up to join. My first meeting was at Mary’s B.O.T.E. in Midtown. I had an opportunity to sample the highlighted rum of the night, ask a ton of questions (because I knew next to nothing about rum), and even got some really nice swag. Ever since, I have not missed a meeting! And why would I? I get to learn about new rums and sample them. I’ve also made two new friends, Kelly and Michael. Hi, y’all!

The 901 Readers’ Collective, aka Silent Book Club, and the Raleigh Library Book Club

I am a member of several book clubs in Memphis, and I read all of their books. I do not, however, actually attend many book club meetings. I’m easily irked when I attend a book club meeting and we spend less than 15 minutes discussing the book. I’m also easily irked when I am at a book club meeting and end up reading another book or searching for my next book because no one is talking about the book we gathered to discuss. (Oh, and leaving once the book discussion is completed is also frowned upon.) So, yeah, I only actually attend two book clubs: 901 Silent Book Club and the Raleigh Library Book Club. 

At the Raleigh Library Book Club, we actually talk about the book the entire time! A full hour of book discussion! Each member gets a chance to take the lead on selecting our next book and leading the discussion. Recently, we’ve read The Troop by Nick Cutter, Whiskey When We’re Dry by John Larison, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, and Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill. We even had a Book Bachelor event and added 3D-printed roses to our books! This club is awesome. Our next meeting is May 20th. For more information, check out the Memphis Public Libraries website.

Sometimes, I want to be in the presence of people, but not “peopling” with them. I know I’m not alone in feeling like this. The 901 Readers’ Collective, aka Silent Book Club, is the perfect club. This club meets at different locations around the city, and there is no assigned reading. You simply show up with your book, sign in, and begin reading. There’s a brief break where you can share what you’re reading with those around you, but it’s not necessary. It’s the perfect opportunity to be social while quietly reading your book. Heaven.

Sidenote: I also enjoy the Fit4Mom Book Club, but I haven’t been able to attend a meetup due to scheduling. 

Other clubs I’m a part of:

• Sewing and Crochet Club: I love to sew, knit, and crochet. My kids sometimes call them my old lady crafts. We meet on Saturdays at the Raleigh Library. All information can be found on their website. I’m also thinking about hosting a Summer Beginner’s Sewing Club class. Thoughts?

• Supper Club Memphis: I’ve recently joined them and can’t wait until my first meetup. I love a well-dressed, good time with food!

Clubs I wish existed:

• Tea and Biscuits Club: We meet and drink a variety of teas paired with cookies.

• Cozy Video Game Club: We meet and discuss the current cozy video games we’re playing. We also share any tips and tricks we might have. Those with portable gaming devices are welcome to bring them and play, too.

• Nature Walk Club: We take nature walks through the woods. But the walks shouldn’t be too long; otherwise, it’ll become a hiking club and I’ll be tempted to quit.

• Painters’ Club: We bring our painting supplies to a location and paint whatever we want. We can also share techniques with each other. 

• Kickball Club: Let’s be clear, I am not good at kickball. But I will be a freaking delight to have on your team! 

Patricia Lockhart is a native Memphian who loves to read, write, cook, and eat. By day, she’s an assistant principal and writer, but by night … she’s asleep.

Categories
At Large Opinion

Turdus Migratorius

Photo: Petar Kremenarov | Dreamstime.com

I’m sitting on the deck, sipping a fresh-brewed cup of early coffee. It’s Easter, and the air is clear and bright and alive, offering the promise of another glorious Memphis spring day. The earth has resurrected itself and donned its finest vestments: Azaleas, dogwoods, irises, shamrocks, lantana — all manner of flowers large and small are in full bloom, turning the city, and my own backyard, into a celebration of color.

There is a mixed chorus of birdsong coming from the trees above. I listen for awhile and recognize the chirpy stylings of our resident Carolina wrens, cardinals, and mockingbirds, but there’s one persistent call I should know and can’t place. After a check of my Merlin Bird ID app, the mystery is soon revealed. It’s the cheery morning song of a — wait for it — Turdus migratorius, probably the commonest bird of all in these parts, better known as the American robin. Merlin says it’s a “fairly large songbird with round body parts. … Gray above, with warm orange underparts.”

Turdus migratorius? Round body parts? Warm orange underparts? C’mon. How can it be that even Latin bird names are conspiring to divert my brain on this lovely morning and send my thoughts to the unlovely news all too easily located elsewhere on my phone? 

There’s no escaping it. Every day brings a new horror as President Turdus deconstructs our government and tightens his control over We the People. He’s intentionally crippling the pillars of our republic, cutting funding for Social Security, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the IRS, the Department of Energy, our national parks, NPR, Voice of America, the NOAA, the FDIC, Veterans Affairs, the National Science Foundation, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Just last week, he tossed FEMA onto the bonfire of his vanities. Federal disaster relief is now going to be defunded. Cool. 

And it’s not just the government. Trump’s putting the squeeze on law firms, universities, the media, nonprofits, students, and immigrants of every color except white, should they dare to stand up to the mighty American Robbin’. And it gets worse.

As I write this, the president has ignored at least one Supreme Court ruling for more than a week, with more SCOTUS cases to come. A genuine constitutional crisis is brewing, one which stems from the fact that the chief executive of the United States has literally seized power from the other two branches of government before our very eyes — in less than 100 days.

To control the judiciary, Trump began by ignoring the long-standing tradition of appointing an independent attorney general in favor of his pal Pam Bondi, the same woman who engineered a sweetheart “home confinement” deal for known pedophile Jeffrey Epstein when she was Florida’s attorney general. She’s also the woman who declined to prosecute Trump for his Trump University scam after receiving a $25,000 campaign donation from Trump’s “foundation.”

Toss in six conservative Supreme Court justices, three of whom were appointed by Trump, and the odds of the Justice Department stopping Orange Underparts are slim. Plus, they have no enforcement powers except for the U.S. Marshals, which are controlled by Bondi.

And when it comes to the GOP-controlled Congress, it appears Trump has only to breathe the threat of primarying a Republican politician with Elon Musk’s billions and they line up like good little soldiers and head over to Fox News to spew the latest White House drivel.

And lest we forget, there are the incredibly foolish and soon-to-be-costly tariffs and the impetuous destruction of relationships with long-standing allies. Worst of all is the realization that we live in a time in the United States of America where masked, non-uniformed agents are literally abducting people — throwing them into vehicles, taking them from their families and friends, and sending them to prisons here and abroad. No attorneys, no judges, no juries, no court appearances, no sentences. Welcome to the new USA.

Back in Memphis, Turdus migratorius is still singing sweetly above me as I scroll my phone and see that on the Fox News app, the top story on this beautiful Easter Sunday is: “Trump shreds Biden, ‘Radical Left Lunatics’ in Easter message.” Just as Jesus would have done, no doubt. Lord, help us. 

Categories
Opinion The Last Word

Skyrocket in Flight

Space, it seems, is there to be capitalized upon. (Photo: NASA | Unsplash)

On April 14, 2025, Jeff Bezos’ private space startup, Blue Origin, launched six non-astronaut, celebrity women into space. Apparently, the 10-minute flight promoted women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). If anything, though, the so-called “historic” voyage represented little more than that the excesses of capitalism are open to anyone with the cash to spend and celebrity status to launch them to the front of the line. 

It should be noted that before Blue Origin’s recent female-crewed flight, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman to travel to space on a solo mission. She’s not alone, and no thanks to Katy Perry, one of Blue Origin’s celebrity passengers — and passengers are what they were, since no scientific tests were performed during their few minutes of weightlessness. There have been multiple women astronauts from countries across the globe. It’s possible that this recent high-profile instance of space tourism encouraged some young girls to study science, but it seems a roundabout and expensive way of promoting that goal. This is spaceflight in the age of influencer culture, when celebrity status and the cult of personality matter more than education and study. 

How else should we, the public, view that blatant PR stunt when on the same day of the so-called “mission,” Nature reported that “[p]reliminary copies of some of the U.S. government’s spending plans suggest that President Donald Trump’s administration intends to slash climate and space science across some U.S. agencies. At risk is research that would develop next-generation climate models, track the planet’s changing oceans, and explore the solar system. NASA’s science budget for the fiscal year 2026 would be cut nearly in half, to U.S. $3.9 billion.” 

The priorities of the current administration — and the wealthy tech bros underwriting its rise to power — are on clear display. The future forecasted by such frivolous flights is a far cry from one in which scientific advancements are funded equitably and their rewards are shared with all. Instead, a coalition of the famous and filthy-rich will share a TikTok reel of their breathless awe as they experience weightlessness. The very idea of the Blue Origin flight is so out-of-touch that one is tempted to think its crew were already 66 miles above Earth’s surface. 

In March, as part of Trump’s anti-DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) witch hunt, NASA removed two graphic novels featuring a female astronaut — First Woman: NASA’s Promise for Humanity and First Woman: Expanding Our Universe — from its website. So too was a sentence about the Artemis program’s goal heavily edited. The following sentence, rife with the demons of equity and inclusion, was scoured from the organization’s website: “NASA will land the first woman, first person of colour, and first international partner astronaut on the Moon using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.” 

Again, the priorities are plain as day; it’s as though they’ve been written in the sky. Space, like every other natural resource, is there to be capitalized upon to increase the wealth and power of a select few, not to be explored for the betterment of all. As with public education and the United States Postal Service, the plan seems to be to pave the way for private companies like Blue Origin, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic. Whether they’re angling for mining rights to the moon or nearby asteroids or hoping to project advertisements on the night sky via satellite, the future looks bleak. Though regular members of the Earth-bound rabble won’t be able to afford the $150,000 deposit on one of Blue Origin’s future flights, we will probably be able to rent an ad-free stargazing experience for a low monthly rate. Maybe during eclipses or meteor showers whole neighborhoods can pool their discretionary funds together for a light pollution-free weekend as a special treat. See? And they say there’s no way to build community these days! 

Call me a starry-eyed idealist, but Amazon and Bezos should be taxed to fund NASA — and the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health and other institutions working to serve the whole population. If they really want to inspire women to work in STEM careers, they should speak out against funding cuts to organizations that provide those jobs. They could invest in STEM scholarships, fund research institutions — like the University of Memphis, which was last year named an R1 institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. They won’t, though because they want the glory and the financial gains. 

These mega-rich social invalids can’t seem to connect, whether it’s to other humans or the simple awe of the universe around us. They read fictional tech-dystopias like Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash and thought they were user’s guides. We’re a far cry from Gene Roddenberry’s futuristic and egalitarian tech-utopia of Star Trek. What would Captain Janeway think of our poor, backwards society, when breaking the bonds of gravity amounts to no more than a publicity stunt? 

Jesse Davis is a former Flyer staffer; he writes a monthly Books feature for Memphis Magazine. His opinions, such as they are, can’t afford to reserve a ticket on a Blue Origin space tourism flight.

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Opinion The Last Word

A Bad Deal for Memphis

Allen Fossil Plant (Photo: TVA Web Team | Creative Commons | via Wikimedia Commons)

The people of Memphis deserve clean air, affordable power bills, and a reliable energy system that doesn’t come at the cost of their health or future. Instead, TVA is pushing to expand the Allen gas plant in Southwest Memphis with six new methane gas-burning turbines. That means more pollution, higher bills, and more risk for the communities that have already been asked to carry too much. Let’s be clear: This is a bad deal. Memphis deserves better. 

If these gas turbines are built, they will produce large amounts of air pollution that will cause and worsen serious health problems for nearby residents. Southwest Memphis residents already experience high rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses, and adding more pollution to the air from burning methane gas will only deepen public health impacts and worsen the climate crisis. 

This project is deeply unfair for communities in Southwest Memphis, where residents already carry heavy environmental burdens from the decades of pollution from fossil fuel infrastructure: the Allen coal plant, Valero refinery, Allen gas plant, Southaven gas plant, xAI, and now TVA’s Allen plant gas expansion plan. This is what the continuation of environmental injustice looks like.

TVA claims the gas expansion is necessary to meet electricity demand, but they’ve done a poor job of seriously evaluating other options. They haven’t conducted even basic analysis of how clean alternatives could meet power needs in a way that’s less risky and less harmful. TVA has tried to frame this as a binary choice: either build the new methane gas turbines, or do nothing and risk not meeting demand. But that’s a false choice. In reality, TVA could meet energy needs through a mix of proven, affordable solutions — like solar, wind, battery storage, energy efficiency, and demand reduction programs — that don’t come with decades of pollution and health consequences of burning methane gas. 

But TVA is still pouring money into fossil fuel infrastructure that would lock Memphis into another generation of pollution, higher bills, and increased climate risk. At this point, it feels like TVA would rather keep polluting communities than do the work of building a cleaner, more just energy future. This is the same tired playbook: rush the process, sideline the public, and pretend there are no alternatives. That’s not leadership. That’s business as usual — and people are done with it. 

It’s not just about pollution — though that alone should be reason enough to stop this. It’s about the massive opportunities that TVA is choosing to ignore. TVA has a long history of underinvesting in energy efficiency — simple, low-cost solutions like sealing air leaks and adding insulation that could make homes across Memphis healthier, safer, and more affordable to live in. These upgrades are especially important for low-income residents, many of whom want to improve their homes but can’t afford to do it on their own. TVA’s programs are often too limited, too complicated, or just not designed to reach the people who need them most. And while TVA has started to show some progress, it’s unacceptable for them to ignore the lowest cost, most immediate way to reduce energy demand while trying to justify building more gas infrastructure. Instead, TVA should be expanding programs that cut energy use and ease strain on the grid because that’s how you lower bills, improve reliability, and reduce pollution without making vulnerable communities pay the price. 

Memphis has thousands of megawatts of rooftop solar potential, many times over what TVA says it needs from this gas expansion. That’s power from the sun, right here in the city, with no emissions and no added health risks. Shelby County also has tremendous capacity for utility-scale solar. MLGW’s own studies point to local solar as the smartest and most cost-effective choice for meeting power needs. And wind is already being harnessed just across the state line in Tunica County. Battery energy storage makes renewable energy available around the clock, improves the reliability of the grid, and can help bring the grid back online from a power outage. The tools are here. The technology is proven. The moment is now.

As someone working alongside partners in Memphis who are organizing around this issue, I’m proud to support their leadership. The voices coming out of Southwest Memphis are powerful — and they are calling for what every community deserves: transparency, accountability, and a future built on clean energy, not more pollution.

TVA was created to serve the people of the Tennessee Valley — not corporations, not industry. Its mission was public service. But somewhere along the way, that mission got lost. Now is the time to get back to it.

TVA should invest in the communities that have powered this region for generations — not sideline them. It should make real investments in proven, available clean energy that reduces bills, creates long-term, good-paying local jobs, and keeps the lights on without poisoning the air. Southwest Memphis doesn’t need more pollution. Memphis doesn’t need more excuses. And the people of the Tennessee Valley don’t need another generation locked into dirty energy and economic inequality.

TVA can still choose to lead. If they won’t, they’ll be remembered as the ones who stood in the way. Because the future is clean. The future is just. And the future will be powered by the people.

TVA is accepting public comments on this project until April 28th. Now is the time to speak up. Tell TVA to stop the methane gas expansion at the Allen Plant and invest in a clean energy future built on energy efficiency, solar, wind, battery storage, and demand reduction. Tell TVA to do better because Memphis deserves better — and the Tennessee Valley does, too. 

As the decarbonization advocacy coordinator for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE), Tracy O’Neill is a passionate advocate for clean energy and community empowerment.

Categories
At Large Opinion

When It Rains

Just some wacky weather, nothing more. (Photo: Bethany Butler Myers)

Perhaps the nadir of last week for me came Saturday morning, as I was standing in a sudden downpour with my two leashed dogs, imploring them to, well, pee.

“C’mon, Olive! Pee and you get a treat! C’mon, girls, pee! Don’t you want a treat?” 

Their ears always perk when they hear the sacred T-word, but they never seem to make the connection as to how relieving themselves might make the magic happen, and so on we trudged along the flooded Midtown sidewalks until at last the deeds were done and we could return home to shake ourselves dry.

Seriously, can we all agree that last week was insane? Twelve inches of rain in four days? They called it a “generational event.” Maybe, but does anybody remember the great flood of 2011? Seems less than a generation ago.

My rain-crazed friends and I spent the afternoon sending each other flood videos gleaned from social media or local TV websites. Overton Park is under water! Union Avenue is closed! Poplar is shut down! Stay away from East Parkway! Giant tree fell on Cooper! There’s a guy kayaking by Ecco!

There were several images of sad people standing beside their cars in waist-deep water, victims of the kind of foolish optimism that leads someone into thinking their Corolla is a Humvee. We got 5.5 inches in a single day, a record for April. 

By Sunday, we were down to an occasional drizzle, but there’s more moisture to come, folks. That giant anaconda of a storm squatted over the center of the country for several days, and all of that water is headed our way, spilling down the countless rivers, streams, creeks, and ditches that feed into the Ohio, Illinois, Tennessee, and Missouri rivers, and ultimately, the Mississippi. A rise of two feet a day on the lower Mississippi (that’s us), is considered a big deal. The river rose 5.6 feet(!) at Memphis on Monday and is predicted to rise more than 20 feet before it crests at 37 feet on April 14th — three feet above flood stage. The 2011 flood crested at 48 feet, but still, the redesigned Tom Lee Park may be tested. 

But all of this wacky weather was really just background noise as the country was being “looted, pillaged, raped, and plundered by nations near and far” and cruelly denied a “turn to prosper.” Or at least that’s what was happening in the spacious cranium of Donald Trump, as he proclaimed last Wednesday “Liberation Day” and imposed tariffs on, well, every country in the world except Russia. He was like Oprah Winfrey on a bender: “You get a tariff, and you get a tariff, and you get a tariff! And everyone gets a global market collapse.” Good times!

Noted leftist hippie rag, The Economist, described the proceedings thusly: “It’s hard to know which is more unsettling: that the leader of the free world could spout complete drivel about its most successful and admired economy. Or the fact that on April 2nd, spurred on by his delusions, Donald Trump announced the biggest break in America’s trade policy in over a century — and committed the most profound, harmful, and unnecessary economic error in the modern era.”

Out of curiosity, I went around my house checking manufacturing labels. Here’s a partial list of things I own that were made in another country: toaster oven, blender, coffee maker, knife sharpener, microwave, vacuum cleaner, nine lamps, two televisions, stereo and turntable, hair dryer, washer and dryer. If I’d gone out to the garage, I could have kept going, starting with my Subaru and working through all my tools and battery-powered lawn care devices. I do own two American guitars and a Kershaw pocket knife. 

All that stuff is soon going to cost, at minimum, 20 percent more, thanks to Tariff-Boy’s McKinley wet dream. Hope you like the idea of $1,500 iPhones. Not to mention, everyone’s 401(k) is in the toilet and the IRS’ and Social Security’s computer programs are being rewritten by Elon Musk’s unrestrained junior code-hackers. What, me worry?

There was at least some good news. Trump sent out this announcement on Saturday: “The President won his second round matchup of the Senior Club Championship today in Jupiter, FL, and advances to the Championship Round tomorrow.” Priorities! I bet you can’t guess who won. 

Categories
Opinion The Last Word

Honoring Midtown’s Champions

The Mojo of Midtown Awards celebrate those whose actions bettered Midtown — and the city. (Photos: Courtesy Emily Bishop)

Among this year’s Mojo of Midtown Award recipients, two individuals were honored for their outstanding contributions to the stability and revitalization of Midtown neighborhoods. Their efforts have been so transformative that their successes now feel like an inherent part of the community, as if Midtown has always been a collection of thriving neighborhoods. However, when Hershel Lipow and Earlice Taylor received their honors at the Mojo of Midtown Awards Bash, hosted by MidtownMemphis.org on April 7, 2025, we were reminded that the Midtown we know today was shaped by the dedication and vision of individuals who worked tirelessly for its betterment.

Earlice Taylor has long been a pillar of the Glenview neighborhood, where her unwavering commitment to preservation and community-building has earned her widespread recognition. Thanks to her efforts, Glenview has become both a national and local Landmarks District, ensuring its historical integrity while fostering homeownership and neighborhood pride. In a 2010 oral history program, Earlice described herself as a historic preservationist, a landmarks commissioner, and a singer — each role reflecting her deep commitment to safeguarding both the physical and cultural heritage of her community. A gifted communicator, she articulates a vision that inspires others to take action. She also founded the Tennessee Cultural Preservation Society, an organization dedicated to identifying, protecting, and celebrating African-American history and culture. While her ideas and ambitions have been far-reaching, she has always maintained a steadfast focus on the neighborhood just beyond her front door.

As the first administrator of Memphis Housing and Community Development (HCD) in 1975, Hershel Lipow played a pivotal role in shaping Midtown’s trajectory. Under his leadership, HCD developed a comprehensive program of public works, housing initiatives, and community services that laid the foundation for the vibrant neighborhoods we see today. His team of planners worked closely with Midtown residents, educating them on the benefits of organization and helping them form neighborhood associations — one of Midtown’s greatest assets today.

In the 1970s, Midtown neighborhoods faced significant decline. Recognizing the need for change, HCD staff studied existing land use and recommended “downzoning” — a shift from multiunit residences to single-family home zoning. This policy aimed to increase homeownership and instill a sense of pride in the community. Though such changes take time, the results were profound. Midtown neighborhoods became more desirable, experiencing a resurgence in stability and vibrancy. Inspired by the success of neighborhood organizations and improvement efforts led by HCD, many communities, including Annesdale Park, Annesdale-Snowden, Rozelle-Annesdale, and Cooper-Young, saw remarkable revitalization. These efforts spurred other Midtown neighborhoods to follow suit, embracing the model of strong neighborhood associations to drive their own improvements.

Hershel and his team also recognized the importance of preserving Midtown’s architectural and historical significance. Rather than treating Memphis as a blank slate, HCD encouraged historically significant Midtown neighborhoods to seek inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. They provided residents with education and support to facilitate the application process, ensuring that Midtown’s development history remained an asset rather than an obstacle. To further safeguard Midtown’s historic character, Hershel and HCD established the Memphis Landmarks Commission (MLC), which introduced the review process for “Certificates of Appropriateness” in historic districts. By the 1980s, the MLC had initiated a program of locally adopted historic districts, many of which remain active participants in the Landmarks approval process today. Achieving Landmarks historic district status has not only become a source of pride for Midtown neighborhoods but also serves as a protective measure against the indiscriminate destruction of their character and charm.

A recent Smart City article by Tom Jones highlighted the complexities of urban population loss, noting that “if there is a main lesson to be gleaned from other cities, it is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Rather, solutions that work for each city must be organic and appropriate to its distinctive trends and conditions.” This insight aligns closely with the philosophy of Memphis Housing and Community Development under Hershel Lipow’s leadership. Rather than imposing rigid policies, HCD sought to understand and amplify the unique strengths of Memphis neighborhoods, empowering them to shape their own futures.

Earlice Taylor embodied this same spirit of local leadership, fighting tirelessly to preserve and protect Glenview. Her dedication was recognized in November 2000, when the Commercial Appeal reported on Glenview’s groundbreaking achievement: “A measure creating the city’s first predominately Black local historic district won City Council approval without opposition.”

The achievements of Hershel Lipow and Earlice Taylor exemplify the essence of what the Mojo of Midtown Awards seek to celebrate. Their vision, persistence, and commitment to community empowerment have left an indelible mark on Midtown Memphis. As we honor them, we acknowledge not only their past successes but also the lasting impact of their work — an impact that continues to shape and inspire our city today. 

Emily Bishop is a native Memphian and a Midtowner by choice. 

She currently serves as the president of MidtownMemphis.org.

Categories
Letter From The Editor Opinion

I Don’t

Defining success in terms of marriage is misguided. (Photo: Rui G. Santos | Dreamstime.com)

On Monday, the Tennessee state House approved the “success sequence” bill in a 73-20 vote. The bill, which would require the state’s public schools to teach a specific life path to “success,” previously passed the Senate in a 25-5 vote and is now headed to the desk of Governor Bill Lee for signing. That life path: education, marriage, kids. 

In fact, the text of HB0178 focuses heavily on marriage as the crux of a “successful” life: “WHEREAS, children raised by married parents are more likely to flourish compared to children raised in single-parent families; and WHEREAS, children raised in stable, married-parent families are more likely to excel in school, and generally earn higher grade point averages than children who are not; and WHEREAS, children raised by married parents are about twice as likely to graduate from college than children who are not; and WHEREAS, children not raised in a home with married parents are twice as likely to end up in jail or prison before reaching thirty years of age …”

Perhaps data somewhere shows these things are more or less likely for children who had both parents around, but setting curriculum to teach youth that marriage is a required part of a “successful” life is an overstep. Will they, too, teach how to maintain a successful marriage? According to the National Center for Health Statistics, approximately 41 percent of first marriages and 60 percent of second marriages end in divorce. In 2021, the most recent state report showed Tennessee had a divorce rate of 3.3 per 1,000 inhabitants. And in 2024, U.S. News & World Report listed Tennessee among the top 10 states with the highest divorce rate. A crucial piece in teaching marriage as an asset would be teaching people how to navigate the commitments, challenges, and changes of marriage. 

State Senator London Lamar, raised by a single mother, recently commented on the bill, noting it implies single parents are “less than.” “If you are not married, it does not mean that you are less than anybody else. I think this bill is misguided, it’s very offensive, and I’m living proof that this bill has no merit,” Lamar said.

I’m no senator. But I have what some may consider a successful life and career. My parents divorced when I was 5 years old, but I excelled in K-12, graduating with the fourth-highest grade point average in my high school class (a difference of mere tenths from valedictorian). I finished college at University of Memphis summa cum laude, with the highest GPA among all graduating journalism students that year. I held jobs while earning an education, taking an internship here with the Flyer as a working student. Dedicated to this publication, and with immense respect for the talented people with whom I work, I took positions in various departments to stick around — editorial, ad sales, advertorial — and wrote/edited for other magazines published by Contemporary Media. Through the years, I learned the ins and outs of the processes that make this thing work. In 2022, my bosses deemed me fit to run the whole Flyer shebang. I’m grateful and honored. 

I’m also childless (by choice) and have never been married. I knew at a very young age I didn’t want children. And marriage is not for me. Do my life choices make me less than? By not following a rigid “sequence,” did I somehow fail?  

Did my parents parting ways make me a bad kid? A dumb kid? A kid with less potential? No. My mother struggled at times as a single mom. But through her, I learned perseverance, determination, and the value of hard work. I knew that for most people, success (however it’s defined) would be a climb, and not a straight one — and that I was most people. I think the fact that I’m here, writing love notes to my dear city on a regular basis — and that you’re here, reading my words — is, by some measure, success. 

Marriage and kids not required.