Editorial

Editorial | Christopher Columbus statue and the Electoral College – both racist legacies of white supremacy

S.A. Shepler (c) 2020 Community Word

George Floyd’s death set off a global movement for racial justice. In the fervor of this movement, two events should be seen and understood through the frame of white supremacy. The Peoria Park District is evaluating the fate of the…

Editorial | Anti-Racism

S.A. Shepler (c) 2020 Community Word

Racism and anti-racism do not come with on-off switches. Anti-racism is a continual learning process. It requires practice. Everyday offers unique opportunities to learn, understand and embody anti-racist thought and practice. Mistakes happen. Nothing along this journey will be perfect,…

Editorial | Overt voter suppression fails in Wisconsin

S.A. Shepler (c) 2020 Community Word

A perfect storm of voter suppression in the middle of a global pandemic failed in Wisconsin last month. The Democratic governor tried to postpone the election to a later, safer date –– a move many states had already done. The…

Editorial | The press

S.A. Shepler (c) Community Word 2020

We are living in dangerous times for democracy when the press is blamed, pilloried, discredited and barred from public meetings. The national press pool is corralled in at Trump rallies as the crowd chants “Lock them up.” That animosity has…

Editorial | Capitalism, racism, fast food and the Golden Arches

S.A. Shepler (c) 2020 Community Word

Are fast food franchises a valuable mechanism for economic growth in African-American communities or a blight that spreads high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and more? Apparently, depending on your perspective, it can be either or it can be both. Fast…

Editorial | “Eating the planet to death”

S.A. Shepler (c) 2020 Community Word

The most effective way to slow global climate change is with dietary changes, according to Dr. John McDougall. Changes in our diet can be more effective immediately than driving a Prius, turning off the lights, lowering the thermostat and viable…