Opinion: On economic development, Tennesseans should ask themselves, ‘Why not Japan?’
“Japan has long been a friend in adversity, investing in Memphis amid political and racial turmoil 50 years ago when it became our first Memphis in May guest.”
Topic: Guest Columns
RSSThere are 326 article(s) tagged Guest Columns:
-
September 2026
-
-
Opinion: MATA’s shame is a national shame
“No more excuses. No more fairy tales. No more treating bus riders as pieces on a chessboard. MATA must comply with the city charter and treat bus riders with dignity and respect.”
-
Echols: ‘What do you wish other generations knew about your generation?’
“What do you wish other generations better understood about the Silents or the Boomers or X or the Millennials or Z or Alpha?”
-
Opinion: Rep. Gillespie on his support of the task force and MSCS takeover
Tennessee House Rep. John Gillespie advocates for his reelection to Tennessee House District 97, including highlighting his support of the Memphis Safe Task Force and the takeover of Memphis Shelby County Schools.
-
Opinion: Jesse Huseth on affordability, education and costs in District 97
“I am running for Tennessee State House District 97 because I refuse to accept that our state should rank last when it matters most: for our children, our loved ones, and our working families.”
-
Opinion: Memphis is moving forward. Why are some so angry about it?
“Crime is falling. Investment is surging. The tax base is expanding. Memphis has spent years demanding progress. Now that it’s finally happening, results should matter more than partisan grievance.”
-
Opinion: To fix Memphis mass transit, MATA board members need to get on the bus
“The new MATA board reveals a glaring disconnect. With one exception, they are almost entirely corporate executives and administrators who likely do not use the system they oversee.”
-
Opinion: Now is not the time to let up on gun crime
“Frankly, we have a long way to go to be as safe as we need to be.”
-
Opinion: Germantown Community Library celebrates ‘The Great Gatsby’ turning 100
The Germantown Library is celebrating the anniversary with a community “Big Read” and other events centered on the book.
-
Maxey: Balancing the horror — and the inevitable good things — on Sept. 11
“Everyone above a certain age has memories of the day, of where they were and what they were doing. It was one of those iconic days in history that we knew instinctively — even as it was happening — would stand out and be recalled among the many other days that would make up the story of our lifetimes.”
-
Opinion: Calling partisanship racism doesn’t make it so
John Covington says, “Beyond the incendiary rhetoric, the facts are straightforward: Tennessee Republicans wanted another Republican seat – and said so plainly.”
-
Opinion: ‘Ain’t gonna let nobody … turn my Grizzlies around’
“I’m tired of conspiracy theories about moving the Grizzlies out of Memphis. Not from any true insider have I heard that the intention is to move our team anywhere, especially to Nashville. Wrong sport.”
-
Opinion: Tennessee has never waited for history to happen
“Tennessee’s biggest challenges are deeply connected. Housing affects access to education. Transportation determines access to jobs. Childcare influences workforce participation. Energy shapes our economic competitiveness.”
-
Opinion: MLGW on why Memphis’ water future is secure
“Thanks to natural recharge zones and our local reduction in demand, our water system is sustainably replenishing itself. But we cannot afford to become complacent.”
-
Opinion: Making bail more expensive and unattainable violates human rights
“Advocating against the Anti-Bail Fund Legislation is not to stand for the release of convicted felons, but rather to stand and say that the legislation is flawed at its core.”
-
Echols: In an era of artificiality, we want the real
“I have never been more aware of my desire for those things that counter the putrid assault of soulless artificiality that daily pursues the lives we inhabit.”
-
-
August 2026
-
Opinion: Transparency shouldn’t stop at the DA’s door
“If a serious charge generated through the Memphis Safe Task Force is not prosecuted, citizens have a legitimate interest in knowing what happened. That is not an attack on prosecutors. It is accountability.”
-
Maxey: ‘Your algorithms need to get off my lawn and leave the old man in peace’
“There’s a more serious dialogue to be had over the inter-generational bickering so prevalent these days. Largely fueled by social media, generations seem to be increasingly antagonistic toward one another over society’s ills and who’s to blame.”
-
Opinion: The disparity in public grace extended to different Collierville officials is stark
“Communities thrive on open, civic dialogue, but our leaders also deserve fairness, basic decency, and residents who debate policy instead of tearing down character.”
-
Opinion: Other cities have limited data center development. Memphis can, too.
“Memphians have been given a false choice: either accept AI data center development without safeguards or be left behind. Memphis must treat clean air, clean water and affordable energy as non-negotiable, as other cities and regions have.”
-
Opinion: We can have data centers while also protecting Memphis and Memphians
“Some of my neighbors feel unheard, and that is a gap we have to close. But a blanket moratorium fixes none of the problems. It stops new construction jobs and increases in the tax base while leaving the plants already running exactly where they are.”
-
Opinion: Tackling domestic violence, the hidden part of violent crime
“Addressing the domestic violence part of our violent crime challenge must involve providing more support for domestic violence victims, more accountability for the perpetrators and efforts to change behavior.”
-
Maxey: ‘I’m of Memphis. It’s who I am and what I am.’
“Those who only see the city’s failings — which are real — will never fully understand what we understand and will never fully see what we see. They’ll never understand why some of us don’t give up on it. This is home.”
-
Echols: ‘What would you say is the peak of your life so far?’
“Is the very nature of a peak that there is only one? Does the length of a life have any correlation with the number of peaks it will have?”
-
Opinion: Mayor Young — Data center investment requires new rules for growth
“The communities that succeed in this next economy will be the ones capable of supporting major investment while maintaining the trust of the people who call them home.”
-