Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian | Opinion

Opinion: 'I don’t owe either party my loyalty. Candidates have to earn my vote.’

erica.a.middleton@gmail.com (Erica May) — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 11:34:34 -0600

“I shouldn’t have to defend my racial identity because I don’t support a particular candidate. Nor should anyone assume that because I reject one candidate, I automatically support the other.”

Echols: The naked headlines and the name of Jesus

candaceecholswrites@gmail.com (Candace Echols) — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 11:03:26 -0600

“The hiccup is not the presence of sin in our local news – we all see that. Rather, it is the presence of cunningly subversive sin in my own life, and frankly, in yours.”

Morris: A different kind of Christianity is going to Washington

morriss@churchhealth.org (G. Scott Morris) — Sun, 8 Nov 2026 04:00:02 -0600

“Together, Hamilton and Talarico represent something we haven’t seen nearly enough of in my lifetime: mainline Christian theology at the center of our national conversation.”

Maxey: 'An abiding sense of the precious, and precarious, nature of Earth'

rmaxey@dailymemphian.com (Ron Maxey) — Tue, 10 Nov 2026 14:08:32 -0600

“It was a short-term immersion in a world foreign to my own background, and a reminder that simple interaction with people who haven’t walked the same path can be good for the soul.”

Opinion: A funny thing happened on the way to the end of democracy in Memphis

covington.john@gmail.com (John Covington) — Fri, 6 Nov 2026 06:05:15 -0600

John Covington writes: “A little political hardball, practiced by both sides historically in Tennessee and nationwide, had morphed into a diabolical moral indictment of state and national Republicans.”

Sanford: In congressional races, voter apathy spelled missed opportunities for Democrats

o.sanford@memphis.edu (Otis Sanford) — Fri, 6 Nov 2026 04:00:14 -0600

“For embarrassed local Democrats, the story of this election will be a giant opportunity lost. The numbers bear witness to the apathy.”

Calkins: A last-minute election thought, what to think about the perils of gambling from an expert on the subject and how great are these Grizz?

gcalkins@dailymemphian.com (Geoff Calkins) — Tue, 3 Nov 2026 12:31:28 -0600

The Grizzlies are hot, Mike Norvell got canned and gambling addiction is a rising problem across the country. All that plus a thought about why this election is particularly important for Memphians.

Echols: The DeLorean and the delight of God

candaceecholswrites@gmail.com (Candace Echols) — Sun, 1 Nov 2026 04:00:08 -0600

“There is a youthful ecstasy that accompanies God’s good gifts; playful recreation is a kind of re-creation, and if God is in the business of anything, it is most certainly re-creating.”

Opinion: The soul of Memphis can’t be divided

morriss@churchhealth.org (G. Scott Morris) — Sun, 1 Nov 2026 04:00:08 -0600

“Perhaps these strange new congressional districts offer an opportunity. A rural farmer may come to understand a family in South Memphis. Someone who has never set foot on a farm may come to recognize how the challenges of rural health care resemble those facing uninsured people in Memphis.”

Opinion: Two Democrats, two strategies. The question is who loses by less?

covington.john@gmail.com (John Covington) — Sun, 1 Nov 2026 18:34:03 -0600

One Democrat reaches for the center. The other grabs a bullhorn. Different strategies, same problem: A national party hellbent on charging ever leftward.

Opinion: Innovation isn’t yet a feature of the system in Memphis

editor@dailymemphian.com (Christian Man) — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 04:00:15 -0500

“We have a profound, time-sensitive need for a bold group of public servants who can imagine and operationalize experiments — making creative, rigorous, coordinated policy innovation a permanent modus operandi in Memphis.”

Sanford: Taylor's sexting scandal renders him unfit for Congress. But the voters will ultimately decide.

o.sanford@memphis.edu (Otis Sanford) — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:20:13 -0500

“Inappropriate sexual behavior by elected officials at every level of government has been excused and allowed to fester for far too long.”

Opinion: Protecting affordable housing for people with disabilities

opinion@dailymemphian.com (Earle Schwarz) — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 04:00:13 -0500

“People with disabilities are entitled to lead fulfilled, enriched lives. But an affordable house alone cannot sustain community living when a person also needs daily support.”

Calkins Podcast: Hot start by Grizzlies, a sex therapist on breast cancer and SpaceXAI has jobs for you

gcalkins@dailymemphian.com (Geoff Calkins) — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 04:00:09 -0500

The Grizzlies and Tigers both had surprising, big weeks. Geoff Calkins talks about it with John Martin. Calkins then talks with local sex therapist Jennifer Valli about her own breast cancer diagnosis. And author Charles Fishman shares his thoughts about SpaceXAI.

Opinion: Blackburn’s video was silly. The reaction was even sillier.

covington.john@gmail.com (John Covington) — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:22:32 -0500

“Blackburn’s critics turned a campaign joke into a racial indictment — and treated their outrage as evidence.”

Echols: Garage Adidas and the fragrance of Jesus

candaceecholswrites@gmail.com (Candace Echols) — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 09:04:18 -0500

“I may be on an island with this one, but I would even go so far as to say everybody has their own fragrance. If you stick around someone else’s house long enough, their scent will stay with you for a while.”

Opinion: 'No map drawn for political purposes can change who we are'

morriss@churchhealth.org (G. Scott Morris) — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 04:00:02 -0500

“Lines have been drawn across neighborhoods, separating people who share streets, schools, churches and hopes for their children. But we are still one Memphis. And when the election is over, we will still be neighbors.”

Opinion: Can life be reduced to a suitcase?

rmaxey@dailymemphian.com (Ron Maxey) — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 04:00:02 -0500

“Try packing a suitcase and see what life lessons we can learn from it. Be discerning in what to put in and what to leave out.”

Opinion: Amendment 1 will build safer communities for Tennessee families

opinion@dailymemphian.com (Kevin Vaughan) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 16:27:47 -0500

“When dangerous offenders are released on bond and commit more crimes, innocent Tennesseans pay the price. If Amendment 1 passes in November, judges in our community and statewide will have the authority they need to keep violent offenders in custody.”

Opinion: Amendment 1 would surrender Tennessee’s 230-year right to bail

Sen.Raumesh.Akbari@capitol.tn.gov (Raumesh Akbari) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 16:27:18 -0500

“Amendment 1 would change that balance by allowing people to be detained without bail based solely on an accusation, before a jury has heard the evidence. The question before voters on Nov. 3 is whether we are willing to surrender a constitutional protection that has stood for 230 years.”