Commentary

We welcomed our sassy, goofy, energetic boy Bailey Bernard Bullock to the world on Jan. 14, 2005. May 12, 2021, was the day we lost our beautiful, respectful, humble Bailey to cardiac arrest after a track event at the age of 16. As one can imagine, these are big dates in our family. Days when we remember and honor the impact that Bailey made on his family, his friends and his community in his short time on this earth. But it’s not just two days a year when Bailey’s memory motivates me to turn my grief into action.

It’s a wonderful time to be a Democrat. President Joe Biden stepped aside as the nominee, opening the door for Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. The Democratic National Convention ended and Dems left Chicago on a buoyant cloud of joy. Be forewarned. This is a Dougie Downer kind of column. What goes up must come, well, the opposite of up.

As we seek to confront the overdose crisis, one area too often overlooked is the criminal justice system, which accounts for more than one-third of referrals to addiction treatment programs. Approximately half of individuals incarcerated in the U.S. meet criteria for substance use disorder (SUD). Incarcerated individuals are up to 40 times more likely to die of an overdose within two weeks of release, which is a leading cause of post-release fatality due to loss of tolerance to opioids during incarceration when medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) are not provided.

In her speech at the Democratic National Convention, Angela Alsobrooks told some of her personal stories and had about eight minutes to shine in an eloquent speech. The Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maryland had a giant platform on one of the political world’s biggest stages, where she hailed Kamala Harris for her public safety record and as a friend.

The decision of two Giant grocery stores in Baltimore to prohibit youths under 17 from shopping after 6 p.m. without adult supervision will materially harm young people and their families and is based on misconceptions about rising youth crime. Prohibiting individuals younger than 17 from shopping after 6 p.m. overlooks the reality that families often rely on their teenagers to go grocery shopping, particularly when they have hectic work schedules or child care responsibilities.

In a landmark Supreme Court ruling, New York Times Co. vs United States in 1971, the nation’s highest court defended the freedom of the press and enabled New York’s premier newspaper and The Washington Post to publish the then-classified Pentagon Papers without punishment. Former President Richard Nixon tried to wield executive authority and prevent their reports, acting like a mad king who wanted to silence his mounting critics in newspapers that held him accountable.

When my mother passed peacefully in her sleep at her Baltimore home in July 2006, a hospice facility advised me to call the police. Two police officers arrived. One said that he intended to call the morgue to arrange for her transport. When I cried uncontrollably at the thought of my mother lying in a morgue, the police officer said he’d arrest me if I didn’t stop.