Hall of Shame – February 28, 2021

Posted on February 28, 2021February 28, 2021 by Jenny

I haven't published a Hall of Shame article so far in 2021. Not because Howard County isn't teeming with worthy candidates; I just felt that in-depth, substantive articles were needed for the first couple of months of 2021 more so than pithy jabs at public figures. There's been a lot to talk about. Along with everything else that's been happening in the U.S., I think it's safe to say that COVID-19 is still a tiny bit of an issue, no? I mean, we've lost half a million Americans to the dise...

Hall of Shame – Bama of the Year Award

Posted on December 23, 2020December 23, 2020 by Jenny

My friend the late Jonathan England, being a native of Prince George's County, was famous for his "bama of the day" declarations on social media. For those unfamiliar with the term "bama," this Washington Post article describes the D.C. slang word best: "... it's an insult... if someone calls you a bama, whatever you’re doing, you’re doing it wrong." Yesterday, a group of Howard County parents earned the dubious honor of being named the 2020 Bama of the Year. A small group of Howard Coun...

Hall of Shame – November 12, 2020

Posted on November 12, 2020 by Jenny

COVID-19 is worsening throughout the U.S. as we approach a quarter of a million dead from the virus. In Maryland, the metrics have returned to concerning levels, and Governor Larry Hogan and some local jurisdictions have announced new restrictions to reverse the disquieting trend. Given these circumstances, I found this post from Reopen Howard County yesterday to be... well, read it and choose your own adjective. Wow. I won’t dismiss the very real concerns of parents whose kids are ha...

Hall of Shame – October 17, 2020

Posted on October 17, 2020October 28, 2020 by Jenny

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who will tell you your fly is open, and those who will laugh at you because your fly is open. Yesterday, District 1 Board of Education candidate Matthew Molyett discovered a leak of his internal campaign data and materials. A local organization shared the data and materials with its members to solicit volunteers to assist the campaign. A bad-faith actor then created a fake Facebook profile and posted a link to the data and materials on the p...

Hall of Shame, GOP Edition – October 10, 2020

Posted on October 10, 2020October 28, 2020 by Jenny

During Wednesday night’s vice presidential debate between Senator Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence, I came across a Facebook post by a local GOP activist who is one of the ringleaders of Reopen Howard County, also known as the Christina Delmont-Small, Sezin Palmer, and Yun Lu fan club. The post was a live commentary on the debate, and the misogynoir directed at Senator Harris solidified my view that racism and hatred are a feature, not a bug, of the Republican Party. “Nasty bitch,”...