Columns

In search of a patient joker

I don’t know who Mr. Janin was. All I know about him is that he lived in St. Martin Parish in the 1850s, was a practical joker, and was a very patient man. The evidence is in two newspaper reports. On Oct.

Treat all instances of hatred and bias equally

About a month ago, I was traveling on the subway in Philadelphia when I was attacked by a young African-American male in a hoodie, who was angry that I was filming him after he’d punched me in the head moments before.

A tradition to be thankful for

I love pumpkin pie — but not just any pumpkin pie. It has to be my mother’s pumpkin pie, made with her unique thick and dry crust, and it has to be enjoyed only on Thanksgiving Day. It’s a Purcell family tradition, after all, and tradition is the reason Thanksgiving is my favorite American holiday.

Give thanks for our blessings, big and small

Because life is mostly made up of little experiences, occasionally interrupted by big events, it’s easy to take the little things for granted.

How will you mark the 400th anniversary of Thanksgiving?

Last year the media went into a frenzy over the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s arrival in North America, but the festivities were just beginning.

The other miracle of Grand Coteau?

As the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau began the celebration last month of its 200th year of teaching young ladies of south Louisiana, it caused us to think about the remarkable story of how it has survived war, epidemics, and fire to become the oldest school in America west of the...

Why Kyle Rittenhouse should walk free

If Kyle Rittenhouse is convicted of anything other than, at most, a misdemeanor offense, I will write glowing articles about Nancy Pelosi, make Christine Blasey Ford my social media profile photo, and contribute to NARAL.

Celebrating freedom and the vets who defended it

Did you and your family celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall on Tuesday? Didn’t think so, but it’s not necessarily your fault. “The Fall of the Wall” was a geopolitical earthquake in 1989.

Plan to use technology to prevent the next crisis

It’s time to be honest. Despite all the scientific chatter, nobody yet has a handle on the COVID-19 crisis. No one can pinpoint for certain where or how it started. No one knows when it will end. The possibility COVID may be with us for some time (despite predictions by Dr.

Should churches have a dress code?

Where do you reside on the “holier than thou” versus “holeyer than thou” spectrum?