Author Archives: Dannel McCollum

About Dannel McCollum

Dannel McCollum, a former Champaign mayor and a Democratic candidate for the state Senate in 2002, is a historian and a freelance writer.

The Perverse Effects of the Death Penalty

At the outset, let me note that I oppose the use of the death penalty in all circumstances.  It has no proven deterrent value; it does not save money; and given exonerations in recent years, it has not proven infallible.  Its sole … Continue reading

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“Expert” Opinions and the News Gazette

Some time back I received an email response from John Foreman, editor of the News-Gazette mildly taking me to task for a piece I wrote that appeared in the Public Eye. His problem stemmed from the fact that mention was … Continue reading

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Who Wants War with Iran?

By Dannel McCollum, Dannel McCollum, a former Champaign mayor and a Democratic candidate for the state Senate in 2002, is a historian and a freelance writer.     Increasingly, it looks like the neo-cons who gave us the Iraq and … Continue reading

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A Residency Requirement Might Help Police Situation

A Residency Requirement Might Help Police Situation   Dannel McCollum, a former Champaign mayor and a Democratic candidate for the state Senate in 2002, is a historian and a freelance writer.   This piece originally appeared in the News-Gazette on … Continue reading

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A Civil Liberties Case From Champaign

The story of the PEOPLE of the STATE OF ILLINOIS ex reI. VASHTI McCOLLUM v. BOARD OF EDUCATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 71, CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, ILLINOIS, et al (333 US 203, 1948) has largely been forgotten. The action arose as … Continue reading

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