Not long ago I found myself differing— a rare occurrence during the past several decades—- with my friend Keel Hunt’s thoughts about “Who owns downtown Nashville, and what should its future be?” That subject, the centerpiece of his most recent column, totally got my attention. I don’t think I’d be exaggerating in suggesting that downtown Nashville is owned these days,

Tennessee headed for embarrassing Senate representation By Bo Roberts A long, impressive era of noteworthy U.S. senate representation in the Volunteer State is hurtling headlong towards its demise, as was illustrated so pointedly over the July Fourth weekend. It is the end of literate, ethical, non-partisan strain of politics that began with and encompassed the essence of the brilliantly diplomatic

Black and white ESPN hosts have compelling end to SportsCenter By Bo Roberts “There’s never a day off from being black.” That was the essence of a riveting conversation recently on ESPN’s SportsCenter between two young, attractive anchors, who had a three-minute talk about race. It was the most compelling discussion I’ve heard in the hours and hours of remarks

The constant refrains from Mayor David Briley’s challengers highlights the negatives while providing zero solutions. Mayor Briley discusses Nashville’s public schools during his State of Metro address. Mayor David Briley, Facebook.com livestream You know what? I like Nashville and I kinda like living here. Actually, I like living here a lot. Don’t you? It makes me wonder if the candidates

By Bo Roberts As the sand runs out on the Bill Haslam gubernatorial time clock, there were two major accomplishments during his eight years that few recognize, but which will change the culture of state government and higher education. Gov. Haslam’s major achievements, particularly in education, have rightly been praised in these pages and nationally, as well. A prime example

Maybe, just maybe (based on a personal experience years ago), there might be some hope in President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s leader. As one who detests the performance of just about anything Trump does, and as an American, I truly hope this venture is successful beyond the momentous photo opportunity it provided for both

A burning cross in my front yard, and being labeled a communist on the front page of their national publication: these were the results of my first encounter with the Ku Klux five decades ago. As events unfolded recently in Charlottesville, and closer to home in Shelbyville and Murfreesboro, my Klan interaction came flooding back. During my twenties, when I

I couldn’t tell if it was an admonition or a threat when Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s told his GOP cohorts that if they didn’t pass some version of the health care bill, they would……OMG!…..have to work with the Democrats to reach a solution. For some perspective, let’s not lose sight of the fact that eight years ago, Democrats

It was a sweltering August day seven summers ago when my loyalty and allegiance to esteemed state Sen. Douglas Henry (a friend of four decades and a marvelous mentor to many), momentarily turned me from a person of steadfast conviction into a bit of a political hypocrite. This story actually began in early 2009 when I made an appointment to

Was Donald Trump’s election victory America’s “last straw?” The idiom “last straw” comes from the 19th century English proverb: “The final straw that broke the camel’s back.” My answer: I think not. While as many as half of American voters feared this astounding upset, I don’t believe that we have quite reached our limits. Look at how many “last straws”