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Steve Nelson

Steve Nelson is a retired educator, author, and newspaper columnist. He and his wife Wendy moved to Erie from Manhattan in 2017 to be near family. He was a serious violinist and athlete until a catastrophic mountain bike accident in 2020. He now specializes in gratitude and kindness.

http://www.stevenelson.substack.com

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The Dark Ages

June 14, 2023 Like 0 Steve Nelson

Several recent situations suggest just how far and fast conservatives would have us regress, particularly in respect to women’s rights. Perhaps less destructive than the Dobbs decision, these developments nevertheless reveal a pattern of deeply ingrained cultural misogyny. In both…

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Hate the War, Honor the Warrior

May 28, 2023 Like 0 Steve Nelson

Even after 57 years it seems incomprehensible. My high school friend and swimming teammate, Fred West, was killed in Vietnam, only a few weeks into his tour of duty. Fred was a year behind me in high school and, as…

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Pity the Men

May 24, 2023 Like 0 Steve Nelson

With all the social, cultural and political upheaval these days, there is one common thread that goes largely unmentioned – male supremacy. This thread runs through nearly every issue. Perhaps male supremacy’s most acutely troubling manifestation is the unrelenting attack…

Nelson's Crossing

America’s Enduring Hate Crime

May 18, 2023 Like 0 Steve Nelson

“When used in a hate crime law, the word ‘hate’ does not mean rage, anger, or general dislike. In this context ‘hate’ means bias against people or groups with specific characteristics that are defined by the law.” – from the Department…

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Kids Have Rights Too!

April 29, 2023 1 0 Steve Nelson

Talk about closing the barn door after all the horses are romping through the fields! According to news reports, a bipartisan group of Senators have introduced a bill, Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, establishing a minimum age for most…

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Is Free Speech Our Most Important Right?

April 11, 2023 Like 0 Steve Nelson

“So a judge, who had shown contempt for the human rights of others, wants to enjoy free speech as a human right himself? Free speech is an important right. But is it a more important right than those of life…

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Young Folks Will Save Us

March 25, 2023 Like 0 Steve Nelson

My first reaction to the growing conservative campaign to ban or remove books from libraries is that they – sigh – drastically overestimate the number of kids who even know where the library is. This is not to dismiss the…

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March Madness!

March 19, 2023 Like 0 Steve Nelson

March Madness is a display of utter brilliance! “Of course,” you say, but I don’t mean what you may think. When speaking to various groups about education over the years, I would often interject a bit about multiple intelligences. While…

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There’s a Weapon on Campus

March 7, 2023 Like 0 Steve Nelson

This is a partial screenshot from my son’s phone. Last week my granddaughter texted him from her middle school. They were in lockdown and she had learned that it was not a drill. A friend’s mother texted the terrifying…

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Whiny Little Bitches

March 2, 2023 Like 0 Steve Nelson

“Whiny little bitch.” – Bill Maher, describing Donald Trump in May, 2016. “Irrational, pouty, vain, thin-skinned, hysterical and just not that bright, does that sound like anyone we know today?” he added. Aside from the admittedly gratuitous pleasure I take…