Anthony Dean-Harris

Senatorial Slap on the Wrist By Anthony Harris Editorial Staff Writer anthonydeanharris@gmail.com Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) is proposing to censure the president because of his unconstitutional wiretapping program.  To many, this seems like a foreign concept.  The only reason why I probably knew what this was when I read the headline on CNN’s website was because I have a deep, abiding love for Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing. For those of you who aren’t crazy about political drama and whether or not Donna and Josh will ever get together, a censure is a congressional act which is a formal reprimand.  Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin), presidential hopeful for 2008, is putting together a senatorial vote for a formal slap on the wrist. Don’t get me wrong.  I’m actually in favor of the censure.  Something must be done for the president overtly violating the fourth amendment.  This isn’t the best course of action, but this most c...

Cheney: the nonstory By Anthony Harris Editorial Staff Contributing Writer anthonydeanharris@gmail.com As many of us now know, Vice President Dick Cheney recently shot 78-year-old Harry Whittington in a hunting accident.  As engrossing as this is, why do I feel this is a nonstory? This just felt like a piece of information that I should know and then move on.  If Whittington were to die, I’d be concerned about the ramifications to the vice president.  If he were to fall under a grand jury probe, I’d take more notice.  But Whittington isn’t dead.  He’s receiving treatment in Corpus Christi.  All is well in the world.  I no longer care. I can’t keep looking to the nonstories.  I may not be as enthralled as the rest of the world about whether Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are still together.  I’m not outraged that Brittney Spears carried her baby while driving.  To go back to the original stor...

The problem with Thursday nights By Anthony Harris Editorial News Contributing Writer anthonydeanharris@gmail.com By now, I think we’ve established a good relationship and some of you may know me for my serious news stories that may have fallen below your radars.  I’ve written on the West Virginia mine tragedies, Harry Belafonte’s punditry, and voter turnout among other things.  I felt that it’s time for a bit of a change. Some of you may also know me as that loud guy behind the counter at Jazzman’s that gets annoyed when you don’t pick up your drink fast enough.  Yeah, that’s me.  I also serve your coffee.  When I’m not trolling CNN and writing these captivating editorials, I’m working until close at Jazzman’s Café.  (By the way, if any of you really like my work, let me know.  I could use the encouragement.) I just wanted to take a moment and let you know about the pet peeves that I have with my job.  Real...

Whatever Happened to American Miracles? By Anthony Harris Editorial Staff Writer anthonydeanharris@gmail.com      Twice in the month of January, there have been cave-ins at various mines in West Virginia.  Twice in the month of January, those cave-ins have resulted in the deaths of courageous miners thinking of nothing more than working to support their families.  Twice in the month of January, I watched the news during the attempted rescue missions thinking that these miners would have the opportunity to return home.  And twice in the month of January, I was wrong.      I figured that this sort of thing didn’t happen in America.  We have the fairy tales of happily ever after.  In our darkest hour, we always prevail.  No one expects plane crashes into our grand buildings.  No one expects hurricanes to destroy our cities.  These things don’t happen to us, and ...

Harry Belafonte is like the Black Bill O’Reilly By Anthony Harris      I’m getting a little tired of Harry Belafonte.  He makes very valid points quite often as a political activist and as a diplomat to various nations.  He makes sense about the plight with Venezuela and Hugo Chavez’s fight for equality.  He comes from the right place with his criticisms of the Bush administration.  It’s just those moments where he takes it too far that seem to bug me.  I see problems with this administration, just as many other people do.  President Bush’s approval ratings will show that.  But as much as people may not be satisfied with the President’s job performance, the man most certainly isn’t Hitler.  Too often in America, we become so accustomed to speaking our minds that we seem to cast sense to the wind.  George W. Bush is not a powerful orator run by a blinding hatred to eliminate...

Light Turnout By Anthony Harris ’08 I’ve been looking forward to this day for weeks now.  I woke up this morning brimming with anticipation.  At 8:40 this morning, I walked to Archer Hall and cast my vote.  I was filled with anticipation, and then I walked into the gym.  My first thought was surprise.  I figured I was late and I’m be stuck in line for about an hour.  I knew I would still make my 10AM lab, but it turned out that I’d be far ahead of time.  As I sat filling out the necessary paperwork to complete my civic duty, new feeling came over me.  I was upset.  Flabbergasted.  Why was no one else here?   I walked up to the poll worker to check myself in and she said that I was the second vote to vote that day.  The polls have been open for an hour and forty minutes and I had been the second person to vote so far.  I cast my ballot with little problem and ...

A New Nation By Anthony Harris      Last week at a study group for a British Literature midterm (in which very little studying took place, but we all did fairly well anyway), some friends of mine discussed a wide variety of issue ultimately converging on the idea of a new Black nation.  What would happen if the federal government gave to Black people all over America the state of Alabama?  We could do with it what we willed.  We could call it African America (or Negronia, we’re still accepting names).  We’d all set out for this new nation and make it right from the start.  We wouldn’t make the mistakes that Liberia made at its inception.  We’d be the perfect sovereign nation.      That would of course be an absolute lie.      Building a nation is hard work.  One would have to find leadership from practically nothing.  Construct an inf...