Commentaries

The word on the street about hipsters is that we’re a bunch of know-it-all jerks. (I say “we” because I ride a bicycle and I write about art for a living, so apparently I’m in the club, too. Whatever. I mean, it’s cool.) Knowing this, however, a recent study surprised me. Conducted last month by […]

Proposition 37 gives Californians the chance to vote for our right to make an informed choice when buying food—specifically the choice of whether to consume food that has been genetically engineered. In polls, more than 90 percent of us want genetically engineered foods labeled. Nearly a million California voters signed petitions to get Proposition 37 […]

It is no less than miraculous what can happen if humans can put aside their differences, get past their egos, and look to the common thread between them. The power of a unified group of individuals is undeniable and a force that can be daunting if focused and successful when implemented. It is this spirit […]

Every year in late September, librarians celebrate Banned Books Week. It is a time to recognize the power that words, ideas, and illustrations in books can have to change lives and perspectives, and make some people and groups uncomfortable. This year, Banned Books Week falls between Sept. 30 and Oct. 6. Library and bookstore visitors […]

Some people don’t have the skills and/or abilities to be parents. We see the evidence in our personal lives and the media. We think, “They should never have had kids.” Most have never known they had a choice. People are pressured by society, right person or not. So I introduce the term “childfree” and other […]

It’s long past time to rein in large corporations and banks, as their activities are driving the U.S. economy into situations that will make the 2008 recession look mild. Today, we see corporations seriously viewed as a “person” by the U.S. Supreme Court, massive amounts of outsourcing of American jobs, banks operating with virtually no […]

Since December of 2010, the Santa Maria-Bonita School District and its Board of Education have been under attack. In the past, attacks on education have generally come from the state and federal governments in the form of budget reductions. It is a shocking situation when a newly elected board member begins his tenure with attacks […]

This November, Californians will vote on Proposition 34, the Savings, Accountability, and Full Enforcement Act (SAFE). The SAFE Act replaces California’s death penalty with a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole, saves California tax payers billions of dollars, and establishes funds to improve rape and murder investigations. California executed 13 people since 1978 […]

Editor’s note: This is an op-ed piece sent to us by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office in response to charges made against former St. Joseph High School principal Joseph Myers and dean of students John Walker. Our office recently filed criminal charges against two school administrators who we alleged failed to fulfill their […]

We appreciated the opportunity to be involved in the recent piece in the Sun, “The 99 percent.” Sustainability and localization of our food are important issues. However, the piece might have given the impression that the Foodbank was changing its core mission of providing food to emergency assistance agencies and individuals who are hungry. This […]