Gene Robertson

The best way to honor Martin Luther King Jr. is not just taking part in events but supporting his principles as well.

Living icons such as Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela and Harry Belafonte are no greater than anyone else. They experience successes and failures, but they have set big resolutions for their lives and are prepared to conquer them — something we can all learn from.

The secret nature of the presidential search process is unacceptable. Our governor, curators and chancellor owe it to students, taxpayers and faculty to be transparent.

People designated as potential collateral damage, such as veterans and prisoners, are among the vulnerable. These groups are often ignored and misused by prominent individuals, and it's our responsibility to protect the vulnerable.

There needs to be a specific call to regulation and accountability of manipulative financial institutions along with an increase in education and foreclosure reform, and unemployment protection and insurance.

The council's most recent meeting was a great display of Columbia's potential for an engaged citizenry.

Unsavory lending, borrowing and banking practices push vulnerable people further and further into debt. More protective policies and stronger truth-in-lending laws could help limit this, but perpetrators of such practices should be held accountable.

Columbia residents should keep a close eye on what the president and the computer company that opened a service center in town last year promise to do for them.

The best tools in our survival kit aren't Band-Aids or gauze.

The board's process is dramatically flawed because the police chief is the final arbiter. To fix this problem, theColumbia City Council  should receive recommendations from the board.

Citizen participation should be employed as a valued resource, not a facade of community involvement.

Communication, setting short-term and long-term goals, and utilizing resources will help new officials serve constituents fairly.

Had the far right not influenced the Republican Party against Colin Powell's potential candidacy, the U.S. might have had a 2012 presidential race between two capable black men.

We must remind ourselves that there would be no need for special months if we had not made distinctions in how we regarded and treated people.

Public and private institutions should be concerned about a lack of plans in the event an earthquake hits Columbia.

Black History Month is a time for reflection and action. The needs of the black community must be addressed within the context of the larger Columbia community.

Any strategy for improvement must be imbued with rigorous, proactive thought, planning and action. A calendar is a useful resource.

Millions of Americans have been relegated to a financial underclass. It's past time for our political leaders to deliver help and change for them, not just a privileged few.

Take the time to do good in the community and give what you can afford.

Corporate war profiteers, lobbyists, politicians and others encourage a war paradigm for their own self-interest. The loss of life and limb, prestige, integrity and other resources by many is too great a price to pay.