Rose: Getting Vulnerable With The Smiths
Usually Jada Pinkett Smith and her family members interview a celebrity on their popular Red Table Talk Facebook show. Last Wednesday, they spoke to a local name: 2019 Kentucky Teacher of The Year Jessica Dueñas, who shared her story of recovery from alcoholism. We can’t think of a better Louisvillian to catch the national spotlight. And we appreciate her shedding her own light on a form of addiction that is often dangerously normalized in our culture.
Thorn: The Critical Race Theory Phantom
Republican lawmakers swear that critical race theory is being taught in Kentucky schools, but when they’re given the opportunity to get specific, this “Marxist” specter suddenly becomes hard to locate. At a legislative committee hearing on critical race theory last week, state Rep. Matt Lockett, who is sponsoring a bill that would ban some discussions about race in Kentucky schools, said that in one first grade classroom, a group of students were divided by race, with the white children being told they were oppressors and the Black students being told they were oppressed. He decided not to say where this had occurred, however. Lockett might not be transparent, but his motives are: This is looking more and more like a political stunt designed to play to the fears of his base.
Thorn: The Farcical Rand Paul
Per usual, Sen. Rand Paul had a big week of nonsensically challenging vaccination efforts and — very minimal — preventive COVID measures. First, he dramatically tweeted that when the Senate returns to session that he’s going to introduce a repeal of the mask mandate on planes. Then he tried to frame a door-to-door vaccination effort as fascism. This guy clings to scare tactics, hoping to create enough boogeymen out of popsicle sticks that he gets to stay in power. Probably because he has no real ideas on how to better the country.
Rose: A Ballooning Economy
Last week, Gov. Andy Beshear announced a $1.1 billion dollar general fund surplus to end the fiscal year, and in a video announcement he called the economy “on fire.” Now we just have to rely on the state government to use those funds fairly and correctly to benefit all Kentuckians
