Author: James Shearer
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Outrage and a Little Headscratching
On the morning of May 12th I was quietly reading the Boston Globe as I do every morning before descending into this hellish madness of everyday life, when I happened upon a headline that I thought was a belated April Fool’s joke. “Nine accused of mob attack on disabled teen.” As I read on I…
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Illegal: Immigration Reform
James Shearer I, along with the rest of the country, have been following the goings on in Arizona. For those of you living under a rock, Arizona has passed a new immigration law that will take effect in August. The law states that anyone who is suspected of being in the country illegally can be…
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Comfortably Numb
James Shearer The title of today’s column should ring a bell for anyone who is over the age of 30 or has ever listened to Pink Floyd. But this is not a story about heroin addiction. The other night I attended a type of event called a board connection. It’s where non-profits like ours go…
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Cigarettes and Hypocrites
Three items I happened upon this week that I feel the need to rant about: 1. Smoking Ban in Public Housing A recent article in the last issue of this paper talked about a plan in Boston to ban smoking in public housing. Now as a person who has his share of problems quitting smoking,…
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A Pair of Crutches
James Shearer I was supposed to be writing more on panhandling in this column but something else even more important drew my attention: health care. It’s funny how something so simple and personal can actually make you sit up take notice. Last week my better half went into the hospital for knee surgery. Nothing major…
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The Politics of Panhandling: Part 1
Just last week I was reading about how the city of Seattle was thinking about enacting a ban against aggressive panhandling. They wouldn’t be the first to do so, as many cities are either considering or already have such a ban on the books. I am personally torn when it comes to the subject of…
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A Few Items Rolling Around My Mind…
1) Bullies Why is it that in this state—or this country in general for that matter—do we need to have violence or death in order to confront an issue? This week’s crisis: Bullies. Welcome to the real world boys and girls—bullies have been around since the dawn of time, especially in schools where being a…
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Stupid Human Tricks Part Duh
It never, well almost never amazes me at the stupidity of some people when it comes to certain things, take the latest idea around homelessness, The state legislature the same folks who brought us the budget crisis are now considering a bill to ban sex offenders from shelters, Check that homeless sex offenders from homeless shelters…
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A Doll, A Square & Healthcare
James Shearer 1. Gwen, The Homeless Doll When someone first mentioned this story to me I thought they were pulling my leg, but low and behold it’s true. The American Girl Doll collection, which is owned by Mattel, is a big hit for its portrayal of little girls from all walks of life. Their…
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Voices From The Street: October 22 Issue
James Shearer This past week, Gov. Patrick announced that there was a budget shortfall of oh say $600 million or so. Naturally, Joe Taxpayer will have to pay for it with severe cuts to cities and towns already under the knife, (pun intended). Patrick may even cut some 2,000 state jobs before Christmas. Talk about…