Florida Archives - Joel Rieves

Good Job, Florida

Recently, The Daily Show aired a piece about the fact that in many states, women do not have the option to terminate the parental rights of their attacker if they become pregnant as a result of rape. Yes, beloved, in 21 states of this great nation, it’s possible that a woman could have to co-parent with […]

Vacation

Yes, I’m writing while I’m on vacation. In fact, while I write this, I’m sitting on a huge screened porch, with the view you see in the picture before me. I realize that may seem weird to some of you, but it seems weird to me when I hear folks say they’re taking a week […]

Recharging

This week, I’m in Florida at the house of the lovely Diana’s parents and the picture you see is the view from there deck as the sun rises. I love this place. Not just the house, but everything around it. Since we’re getting close to the only tropical zone in the continental U.S., coming down […]

Silent No More

I’ve spent quite a few years as a card-carrying Methodist and I can tell you, nothing makes a Methodist more uncomfortable than the disruption of the orderly flow of whatever’s going on. Methodists are obsessed with order and discipline. Hell, the name of the denomination’s rule book is “The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church”. So […]

Why?

On the evening of February 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin was watching a basketball game on television. During halftime, he decided to walk to nearby convenience store to get a snack. After purchasing an Arizona Iced Tea and a pack of Skittles, he was heading home. While talking to his girlfriend on his cell phone, he […]