North Carolina is neither a red state, nor blue. It is increasingly becoming a gray state. In 1960 our state’s median age was 25.5 years.
Published: Wednesday, May 4th, 2022 @ 10:05 pm
By: Tom Campbell
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Sure as Christmas falls on December 25th you can count on a legion of political candidates taking to the airwaves declaring they feel compelled to serve the public, pledging to listen to and follow the will of the people.
Published: Thursday, April 21st, 2022 @ 11:53 am
By: Tom Campbell
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Fishing, farming and forestry have historic foundations in our state. We also have a history of migration, moving from easternmost to increasingly westward locations.
Published: Wednesday, April 20th, 2022 @ 8:33 am
By: Tom Campbell
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Our teachers must feel like they are wearing a bullseye on their backs. There aren’t many who have their backs these days, and those who do aren’t speaking loudly in support.
Published: Wednesday, April 6th, 2022 @ 10:28 pm
By: Tom Campbell
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Once again, we see that justice is not blind in North Carolina; it is tainted by partisanship. If it please the court or, more importantly you, let me argue my case.
Published: Wednesday, March 30th, 2022 @ 9:24 am
By: Tom Campbell
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Those of us who live in or regularly spend time along North Carolina’s coast recognize there are five drivers attracting and contributing to the region: tourism, the military, farming, forestry and fishing.
Published: Thursday, March 24th, 2022 @ 9:53 am
By: Tom Campbell
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On March 10th our General Assembly adjourned a session that spanned 14 months, starting in January of 2021.
Published: Monday, March 21st, 2022 @ 9:51 am
By: Tom Campbell
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It should have come as no surprise that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the maps approved by North Carolina’s high court.
Published: Thursday, March 10th, 2022 @ 9:43 am
By: Tom Campbell
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Since 2015 North Carolina has netted more than 110,000 new residents per year, one of the fastest growing of all the states.
Published: Thursday, March 3rd, 2022 @ 9:11 am
By: Tom Campbell
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For more than 20 years the Gallup organization has polled Americans on 29 aspects of life, asking if respondents are very happy, pretty happy or not too happy.
Published: Thursday, February 24th, 2022 @ 9:59 am
By: Tom Campbell
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Public schools have long been under the microscope and deservedly so, since they receive a large amount of our tax dollars and involve our most precious assets - our children
Published: Thursday, February 17th, 2022 @ 11:28 am
By: Tom Campbell
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The Supreme Court decision that redistricting maps be redrawn to more accurately reflect the makeup of our state has five takeaways.
Published: Friday, February 11th, 2022 @ 5:22 am
By: Tom Campbell
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There was a time – admittedly years ago – when North Carolinians would have risen in loud, unified protests over rigged elections.
Published: Friday, February 4th, 2022 @ 1:37 am
By: Tom Campbell
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Who knew I had so many friends worried about my car’s warranty? Before Christmas it felt like a horde calling to warn me.
Published: Thursday, January 27th, 2022 @ 10:42 am
By: Tom Campbell
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Omicron is spreading faster than Kudzu, especially among our children.
Published: Wednesday, January 19th, 2022 @ 3:02 pm
By: Tom Campbell
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If asked to identify a symbol for justice most of us would picture a blindfolded Lady Liberty holding aloft a balance scale in one hand and a sword in the other.
Published: Wednesday, January 12th, 2022 @ 4:29 pm
By: Tom Campbell
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Having lived through the past couple of years, you will no doubt agree with the 1983 Anne Murray song, “We Sure Could Use a Little Good News Today.” I’m happy to oblige with some.
Published: Wednesday, January 5th, 2022 @ 2:46 pm
By: Tom Campbell
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A wearied North Carolina faces a third year of the pandemic with resignation and hope.
Published: Thursday, December 30th, 2021 @ 11:32 am
By: Tom Campbell
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Over the past few days it has felt like we were ending 2021 where we started it, in the throes of a spiking pandemic.
Published: Wednesday, December 22nd, 2021 @ 5:43 pm
By: Tom Campbell
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North Carolina, like the nation, has a political history which can be likened to a huge pendulum.
Published: Thursday, December 16th, 2021 @ 7:06 pm
By: Tom Campbell
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Face it. Everyone has someone on their list for whom it is difficult to shop. What do they like? Is it the right color or size? Do they already have it?
Published: Wednesday, December 8th, 2021 @ 3:57 pm
By: Tom Campbell
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James W. Frick had a head full of Carolina common sense. Born in New Bern, in 1924, he was raised in a Catholic orphanage and graduated from Notre Dame.
Published: Friday, December 3rd, 2021 @ 10:27 am
By: Tom Campbell
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After last year's lockdown it's great to once again gather with family for the holidays.
Published: Tuesday, November 23rd, 2021 @ 1:57 pm
By: Tom Campbell
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Maybe you remember the classic 1975 film, Network, where the anchor Howard Beale, throws open a window and shouts, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore."
Published: Wednesday, November 17th, 2021 @ 5:38 pm
By: Tom Campbell
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You’ve had your eye on a new car and have made logical arguments for why you need it and how it would benefit your life. Problem is, you can’t afford it.
Published: Friday, November 12th, 2021 @ 11:53 am
By: Tom Campbell
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I’ve been following the analysis by pundits, partisans and pollsters about the recent November elections, especially the gubernatorial races in neighboring Virginia and New Jersey.
Published: Wednesday, November 10th, 2021 @ 3:14 pm
By: Tom Campbell
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When drawing congressional and legislative district maps, can we be assured of fair and impartial elections just because lawmakers didn’t use racial or partisan factors in drawing districts?
Published: Wednesday, November 10th, 2021 @ 8:30 am
By: Tom Campbell
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Not since 1942, when women flooded into the workplace in support of the war effort, have we seen a worker revolution such as we are experiencing now.
Published: Tuesday, November 9th, 2021 @ 11:40 am
By: Tom Campbell
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My daily walk to and from school in first grade was past the house of the neighborhood bully. Day after day I came home crying.
Published: Monday, November 8th, 2021 @ 11:08 am
By: Tom Campbell
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Don’t you find it ironic that most of the people making laws and pontificating about women’s abortions are men?
Published: Sunday, November 7th, 2021 @ 8:34 am
By: Tom Campbell
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unday afternoon was perfect for sitting outside, enjoying nature in the balmy weather. It reminded me of my younger days.
Published: Saturday, November 6th, 2021 @ 9:46 am
By: Tom Campbell
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Every columnist keeps a "clip file"- articles, stories or ideas from which to write future pieces. Sometimes that file becomes so full it's hard to choose just one topic on which to write.
Published: Friday, November 5th, 2021 @ 11:13 am
By: Tom Campbell
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There’s no sugarcoating it: More that 50 percent of North Carolina’s school children failed to achieve grade-level expectations last year.
Published: Wednesday, November 3rd, 2021 @ 9:09 pm
By: Tom Campbell
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About this time in the legislative session - when the session runs interminably long and little is happening - the press corps, lobbyists, legislative staffers and even some lawmakers start a pool to predict how long the session might last before adjournment.
Published: Saturday, October 30th, 2021 @ 2:22 pm
By: Tom Campbell
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