Patricia Shoap 
The celebration of our nation’s 250th anniversary should be a time of universal pride for the accomplishments of our country. For many in the current climate, however, that pride is tempered by a deep concern for the state of our democracy. I find myself asking how our country can best protect itself from political lies
What do guns, cars and cigarette smoking have in common? They all have created public health crises. What did we do as a nation to reduce auto deaths and discourage smoking? We took action, such as enacting requirements for seat belts, child car seats and airbags. We required that the Surgeon General’s warning be posted
I’m old enough to remember when Trump promised to “drain the swamp” in his first term. I remember a MAGA relative of mine endorsing that promise. I thought she was, perhaps, naïve, but agreed with the laudable goal. As a retired attorney, I like evidence and facts. Let’s review those in relation to Trump’s promise
Hate crimes and gun violence are back in the news recently with the deadly shooting at a mosque in San Diego. Whether the target is religious, ethnic, racial or marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+, the use of a firearm makes the attacks significantly more deadly. Unfortunately, violent extremists often have no difficulty obtaining lethal weapons in
What has happened to our country? A high-school honors student, Nory Sontay Ramos, and her mother, Estela Ramos Baten, were deported on July 4 to Guatemala after a routine immigration appointment. They had an asylum case pending in our country because Estela had been threatened by a Guatemalan gang before they came to the United
President Trump’s big budget bill includes big, bad news for those of us concerned about gun safety, deaths and violence in our country. The new law repealed a $200 tax on firearm silencers and short-barrel rifles, which was originally enacted by the 1934 National Firearms Act (NFA) and re-codified in 1968. The tax cut totals