Opinion
Walter Backstrom | Press 1 for English, press 2 for ?
I am a patriotic American. Still wanting to do my part for the economy, I bought a watch,…
Walter Backstrom
Opinion
Walter Backstrom | This time, I really mean it
For politicians in Olympia, talking about true educational reform is like the cheating husband who tells his wife,…
Opinion
Walter Backstrom | Republicans give conservatives a bad name
The three most important moments of my life have been: 1. When I became a believer in Jesus…
Opinion
Walter Backstrom | Educational progress and the liberal plantation
When President Barack Obama rolled out a $4.3 billion stimulus package for education, Washington state’s initial share was…
Opinion
Walter Backstrom | Sit down and eat some candy
Dr. Martin Luther King sacrificed his life so this wouldn’t happen in 2009. This is a cautionary tale…
Opinion
Walter Backstrom | Three balls and two strikes
In a baseball game, you have two teams and an umpire. The umpire is like the police. He…
Opinion
Walter Backstrom | I’m mad as hell
Recently, I received several e-mails accusing me of being an angry black man. I will admit to being…
Opinion
Walter Backstrom | The new Republican Party?
Michael Steele, the new chairman of the Republican National Committee, was in Bellevue recently to speak at a…
Opinion
Walter Backstrom | You have got to be kidding
Leave it to the bureaucrats and the politicians to get it wrong again. The state of Alabama has…
Opinion
Walter Backstrom | Tax cuts don’t guarantee you a spot in heaven
Remember your first date? You really liked him. You had a great time. Heck, you thought he might…
Opinion
Walter Backstrom | Cost of unsportsmanlike parents
A woman was once arrested and charged with second-degree assault for throwing a slice of cheese pizza at…
Opinion
Walter Backstrom | How not to teach black children
Black kids score the lowest on standardized tests. I have raised this question to administrators and teachers, and…
Opinion
Walter Backstrom | A light to guide me home
I once spent five days living, sleeping and eating with the homeless. I talked to Metro bus drivers,…
Opinion
Walter Backstrom | Music is the soul of society
To understand the soul of any society, listen to its music. I grew up listening to what is…
Opinion
Walter Backstrom | Letter to a young black man
It seems sometimes I grew up in a different country than you. I grew up in a time…
Opinion
Walter Backstrom | Governor, will you say yes?
I am a pro-life conservative. I believe in lower taxes, less government, etc. This time, I support tax…
Opinion
Only in the darkness can you see the stars
We are in the midst of the holiday season, and for a lot of
Opinion
Schoolchildren need a bailout more than Wall Street
Bill and Melinda Gates recently met with several superintendents of large school districts, including Washington, D.C., New York…
Opinion
Would Martin Luther King hate George Bush? | Walter Backstrom
I was urged not to say a kind word about George Bush. I was even asked, how could…