Published Commentaries

Is it time to bring back Democratic Capitalism?      Nov 25, 2024
https://labortribune.com/opinion-is-it-time-to-bring-back-democratic-capitalism/
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Ferguson and Our Conversation on Policing            October 11, 2024
https://stlargusnews.com/opt-ed-ferguson-and-our-conversation-on-policing/

 Trump’s immigration failures and the Republican nomination      Aug 7, 2023
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/column/blake-ashby-trump-s-immigration-failures-and-the-republican-nomination/article_0a16cf58-3092-11ee-9f3f-4f599679e31c.html
 
In Defense of Affirmative Action      Jul 7, 2023
https://www.stltoday.com/print/editorial/blake-ashby-in-defense-of-affirmative-action/article_e03b21c8-1cc5-11ee-b405-6fddcd8bd860.html
 
The Curse of the Dallas Cowboys      Feb 9, 202291
https://yourferguson.org/curse-of-the-cowboys/
 
Opinion: The delicate balancing act of Senator Josh Hawley                      Nov 16, 2021
https://themissouritimes.com/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-senator-josh-hawley/
 
When civil society stops being civil, defunding the police proves unworkable     Oct 21, 2021
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/ashby-when-civil-society-stops-being-civil-defunding-the-police-proves-unworkable/article_0cda1970-7531-50ca-8ca3-f38166bc6b52.html
 
The Cherokee Indian is gone, along with reminder of a rich and diverse history  Sept 21, 2021
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/ashby-the-cherokee-indian-is-gone-along-with-reminder-of-a-rich-and-diverse-history/article_0e0eeec2-55a9-5f06-8e1a-fff0439eea9f.html
 
Churches must not become purveyors of pandemic misinformation        Feb 10, 2021
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/blake-ashby-churches-must-not-become-purveyors-of-pandemic-misinformation/article_9cea2cf0-2bb9-5626-95e3-8643ed17c313.html
 
Keyon Harrold, of the North County Harrolds                     Feb 2, 2021
https://yourferguson.org/keyon-harrold/
 
Make them prove it               Dec 16, 2020
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/blake-ashby-make-them-prove-it/article_a2861869-b64b-5d26-8630-e1a2ea4366ea.html
 
An opportunity missed for Democrats to redeem capitalism         Dec 1, 2020
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/blake-ashby-an-opportunity-missed-for-democrats-to-redeem-capitalism/article_df288fc1-4040-5ab7-b13f-5776aff6e935.html
 
Democratic Capitalism for Democratic Candidates June 29, 2020
https://demcastusa.com/2020/06/29/democratic-capitalism-for-democratic-candidates/
 
Speaking out against protest vandalism doesn’t warrant physical attack June 4, 2020
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/blake-ashby-speaking-out-against-protest-vandalism-doesn-t-warrant-physical-attack/article_49f6bad2-8f00-5680-a55c-3ce1f5f2ce56.html
 
The missing data: What you don't measure, you can't manage     April 11, 2020
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/blake-ashby-the-missing-data-what-you-dont-measure-you-cant-manage/article_0ab2d969-d32d-56fa-99b4-4a366907ad40.html
 
Democratic Capitalism – the Compromise That Made Our Country Great            Jan 18, 2020
https://demcastusa.com/2020/01/17/democratic-capitalism-the-compromise-that-made-our-country-great/
 
Ferguson's 2016 consent decree curtailed code enforcement. Blight ensued       Nov 26, 2019
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/blake-ashby-ferguson-s-consent-decree-curtailed-code-enforcement-blight/article_2e040fb3-a5b7-5bc2-aecf-b6d8f47a8f67.html
 
Will the DOJ live up to its agreement with Ferguson?        July 17, 2019
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/blake-ashby-will-the-doj-live-up-to-its-agreement/article_be267dc3-d7e2-5b05-99a1-fdeda06cb1ad.html
 
The corruption of the social justice movement       Sep 13, 2018
Everything wrong with the social justice movement is currently on display in Ferguson.
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/the-corruption-of-the-social-justice-movement/article_a1451ad7-fc4f-5847-8dc9-0c9636901248.html
 
Oppression, rights and the protesters          Nov 1, 2017
I think the protest movement lost something when it went from fighting for rights to fighting against oppression.
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/oppression-rights-and-the-protesters/article_194aa324-c50e-586c-acbd-ba20d492bc00.html
 
The Stockley verdict, change and the protesters                 Oct 2, 2017
For African-Americans, the Stockley verdict is going to hurt for a long time.
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/the-stockley-verdict-change-and-the-protesters/article_318ce516-b659-544b-ac93-73548e413f45.html
 
We need to stop accusing the police of murder      Aug 2, 2016
Last week, the Baltimore prosecutor’s office ended its efforts to convict six police officers for the death of Freddie Gray, the Baltimore res…
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/we-need-to-stop-accusing-the-police-of-murder/article_cd8fd8f1-2ead-5cd5-adea-8bf927e664a0.html
 
A cancer in the social justice movement                  Feb 21, 2016
Activists' need for constant anger is blinding them to real changes already happening.
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/a-cancer-in-the-social-justice-movement/article_99386d23-c23a-57d6-a04d-0d9c0a19c45c.html
 
Baffled by 'white privilege' in Ferguson                   Jan 28, 2016
The term suggests that what white people have they somehow didn’t earn.
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/baffled-by-white-privilege-in-ferguson/article_8d6fc00b-2117-548b-8287-db3ff7d47849.html
 
All Ferguson residents should see DOJ settlement before it's signed        Dec 22, 2015
By Stefannie and Kenneth Wheat, Tom Claffy and Dara and Blake Ashby
As members of the organization Ferguson Truth, we are concerned that something has gone terribly wrong with the Department of Justice’s negotiations with the city of Ferguson
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/commentary-all-ferguson-residents-should-see-doj-settlement-before-it/article_a6424ebd-9998-5305-8f92-c882950ae851.html
 
 
The sadness in Ferguson        Nov 28, 2014
It seems we consider violence an unavoidable ingredient in the progress toward social justice.
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/the-sadness-in-ferguson/article_2a73ef5f-50c1-5561-8424-23ddb61e79e8.html
 
The tragedy of Grover Norquist                    Sep 27, 2013
Modern conservatives are actively pushing the country toward a government bankruptcy.
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/the-tragedy-of-grover-norquist/article_02260724-7d36-5963-b044-bca3b47e8004.html
 
Bring back Rational Republicanism  Jul 30, 2013
Founders recognized need for a strong federal government.
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/bring-back-rational-republicanism/article_35c995f4-16df-5fbf-9fe9-6b0edfdad4ef.html
 
The Affordable Care Act and health care costs        Apr 4, 2013
We have to discuss how much we can spend to save one person.
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/the-affordable-care-act-and-health-care-costs/article_7d7fcad3-2536-57dd-be8a-e314a42f55c6.html
 
Redistribution and the Republican Party     Nov 29, 2012
Three leading Republican senators have now indicated that they would be open to additional tax revenue to help balance the budget, even if it …
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/redistribution-and-the-republican-party/article_0f80793a-f1e8-5bd7-9055-16f9706b09dc.html
 
Mandating an end to personal irresponsibility       Jun 6, 2012
Sometime soon the Supreme Court will rule on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, in particular its mandate that individuals must…
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/guest-commentary-mandating-an-end-to-personal-irresponsibility/article_97e41ba1-e218-587c-acd7-618ebe151976.html
 
Cost and transparency in end-of-life care    Dec 31, 2010
The quiet reintroduction of end-of-life counseling for Medicare recipients is a good first step toward returning balance to end-of-life decisi…
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/cost-and-transparency-in-end-of-life-care/article_f9af754b-c72c-5799-afff-a8972cfcd6dd.html
 
An outdated view of patriotism                   Aug 12, 2010
It bothers me that the Tea Partiers spend so much time questioning the president's patriotism and love of country. There was a time when Ameri…
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/columnists/an-outdated-view-of-patriotism/article_408ec9c4-c58a-5a4c-8b59-dd8943ba44e1.html
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