Allen Johnson

Editorial Page Editor at Greensboro News & Record

News & Record editorial page editor UNC and Dudley High alum Greensboro native and Green Bay Packer fan

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Articles

Going walkabout in the hairy armpit of Greater Greensboro

4 days ago | greensboro.com | Allen Johnson

At least three times a day I go walkabout in the area near the News & Record. It's not exactly a scenic route. In fact, someone once described this part of town as the hairy armpit of Greater Greensboro. I sorta like it. Like the monstrous warehouses along JJ Drive, it's a place with sharp edges and hard surfaces, loud and industrial and more suited to machinery than people. Many of my co-workers question the wisdom of those walks. Actually, some of them think I'm nuts.
Wyatt Earp pays a visit to set the record straight on guns

1 month ago | greensboro.com | Allen Johnson

Hearing his name invoked on both sides of the issue, the great lawman of the American West made a brief visit from that Big Roundup in the Sky to set some things straight. He didn't have long to be here, but he was gracious enough to spend some time with us. Here's some of what he had to say in his exclusive interview last week with News & Record editorial writers: First things first.
Katherine and Pete

Jan 19, 2025 | greensboro.com | Allen Johnson
RIP. DOE. Good riddance to the Department of Education

Nov 25, 2024 | greensboro.com | Allen Johnson

President-elect Trump has pledged to abolish the Department of Education (DOE), a federal agency with a nearly 50-year record of failure. GOP control of both houses of Congress increases the likelihood that the DOE will bite the dust. Trump should act on his pledge in the first few months of his administration, because this one is a slam dunk. Set aside, for the moment, the question of whether the DOE's performance justifies its existence.
Vote with the interest of your neighbor in mind.

Oct 28, 2024 | greensboro.com | Allen Johnson

Deep into this presidential election season we are once again saying what we have said for at least the last two: This is the most important election in our lives. Most candidates paint a picture of how awful the world will become if their opponent wins. Some also offer a few policy proposals of how wonderful the world will be when they win, but most of the proposals are short on substance. This is not really new. Election campaigns are crafted to appeal to individual desire and personal fear.
Mike Johnson may be the GOP's Clark Kent

Oct 28, 2024 | greensboro.com | Allen Johnson

If Clark Kent had a twin brother he might resemble Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. That includes Johnson's mild-mannered nature.
If Trump loses again can Republicans have their party back?

Sep 6, 2024 | greensboro.com | Allen Johnson

A good friend, a lifelong Republican, was bemoaning the fact that he didn't have a political party he could call home anymore. The bunch that had hijacked the Republican Party didn't come close to traditional Republican values. My friend didn't say he would vote Democratic but he did say there was no way he was voting for Trump. A lot of traditional North Carolina Republicans feel the same.
More IRC fallout

Sep 5, 2024 | greensboro.com | Allen Johnson

You may want to read what follows after you've had your breakfast. During the latest City Council discussion Tuesday night about Greensboro's embattled day room for the homeless there was talk of ... Broken toilets. Broken showers. People defecating outdoors. And men urinating over the side of a bridge. If you should find any of that hard to read, imagine having to live with it as a client of the Interactive Resource Center - or as a neighbor of the IRC.
YES!!!! A summons for jury duty

Aug 27, 2024 | greensboro.com | Allen Johnson

Every year, approximately 30 million Americans receive a summons for jury duty. Based on conversations I've had with family, friends, and coworkers, I'd estimate that 29 million of those recipients react to the summons with disappointment and dread. Many of them feverishly begin to concoct excuses (health problems, child care issues, travel plans, financial hardship, a workplace that would collapse into a smoldering ruin in their absence) that might be sufficient to earn a dismissal from service.
We back the blue

Aug 11, 2024 | greensboro.com | Allen Johnson

We support our police. Those four words set the tone, plainly and powerfully, as National Night Out last week brought local law enforcement into neighborhoods far and wide in a show of solidarity and appreciation. Night Out is an opportunity for police officers and communities to say to each other, "We've got your back."With no sirens screaming and no crisis to address, it's a rare chance for conversation and fellowship and maybe some hot dogs and ice cream.