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Poetry Issue
I N T H E I S S ULEa N ticia
LOCALES - ACTUALIDAD - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJO - SALUD - CULTURA Y ENTRENIMIENTO
GRATIS Septiembre
2026
7
19
16
Año 24 - No. 442
Newspaper Nashville
Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia Newspaper Nashville edición digital bilingüe.
www.lanoticianashville.com
Nashville, Tennessee
“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”
DHS: terminación del TPS ya está en vigor para 12 países
El mes pasado, el
20
Departamento de Seguridad Nacional compartió desde su cuenta oficial en X una actualización de su asesor jurídico general, James Percival, sobre la terminación del Estatus de P r o t e c c i ó n Temporal para Por Gregory W. Welsch Haití, Siria, Yemen, Columnista A f g a n i s t á n , @LaNoticiaNews Camerún, Nepal, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Sudán del Sur, Birmania y Somalia, reiterando que la terminación de esta protección migratoria se encuentra en vigor para ciudadanos de 12 países. La publicación del mensaje de James Percival, asesor jurídico general (General Counsel) del departamento, presentaba una tabla bajo el encabezado “Today’s TPS update” — “Actualización de hoy sobre el TPS”— detallando la situación país por país. Al compartir la actualización de Percival, el DHS agregó un mensaje particularmente directo advirtiendo a las personas cuyo TPS ha terminado: “LEAVE NOW or be DEPORTED”, que en español significa: “SALGA AHORA o sea DEPORTADO”. ¿Qué es el TPS? El Estatus de Protección Temporal es un mecanismo establecido por la ley estadounidense que permite al secretario de Seguridad Nacional designar temporalmente a determinados países cuando existen condiciones que impiden que sus ciudadanos regresen de manera segura, como conflictos armados, desastres naturales u otras circunstancias extraordinarias. Durante el período de designación, las personas elegibles pueden estar protegidas contra la deportación y obtener autorización para trabajar en Estados Unidos. Sin embargo, el TPS es, como su nombre indica, temporal y no concede por sí solo residencia permanente ni ciudadanía. Cabe señalar que la situación en la mayoría de los países enumerados es tal que poner fin al TPS y deportar a las personas amparadas por él entraría en conflicto con el tenor literal de la ley. Haití,
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DHS: TPS Termination Now in Effect for 12 Countries
por ejemplo, se considera un Estado fallido. Está controlado por bandas y se le considera uno de los lugares más violentos del mundo. El gobierno de Estados Unidos ha aconsejado a sus propios ciudadanos que no viajen allí bajo ninguna circunstancia. Sudán del Sur y Somalia se encuentran actualmente inmersos en conflictos armados, con acusaciones de genocidio y frecuentes masacres. Yemen tiene guerra civil y esta envuelta en el conflicto entre los EEUU e Iran. Además, el desastre natural en Venezuela —con los terremotos— hace que devolver allí a los inmigrantes sea muy problemático, si no ilegal. La ley así lo establece. Además, devolver a los inmigrantes a Afganistán —especialmente a aquellos que ayudaron a Estados Unidos durante la guerra en ese país— supondría su encarcelamiento inmediato, tortura y, muy probablemente, su ejecución. Por no hablar de lo que les ocurriría a las mujeres obligadas a regresar. Por tanto, existen fundamentos sólidos para impugnar las deportaciones en el caso de muchas personas, dependiendo de sus circunstancias individuales y de su país de origen.
Etiopía: una situación que cambió posteriormente La tabla original de Percival también incluía a Etiopía, pero, a diferencia de los otros países, en la columna correspondiente no aparecía “Termination in effect”. En su lugar figuraba “Brian Murphy”, en referencia al juez federal que intervenía en el litigio relacionado con esa terminación. Esa distinción era relevante al momento de la publicación del 14 de agosto. Sin embargo, la situación cambió posteriormente: el propio DHS informó que el juez Brian Murphy levantó la suspensión relacionada con Etiopía y declaró que las terminaciones de TPS anunciadas por el gobierno estaban en vigor. La evolución del caso demuestra también la rapidez con la que pueden cambiar estas políticas como consecuencia de decisiones administrativas y judiciales. ¿Qué significa para quienes tenían TPS? La terminación del TPS puede tener consecuencias distintas dependiendo de las circunstancias individuales. Haber sido beneficiario de TPS no significa necesariamente que una persona carezca de otra base legal para permanecer en Estados Unidos. Algunos beneficiarios pueden tener solicitudes de asilo, peticiones familiares, procesos migratorios u otro estatus independiente de su TPS.
Por esa razón, las personas afectadas deben verificar la información oficial correspondiente específicamente a su país y, cuando sea necesario, consultar con un abogado de inmigración calificado o representante acreditado antes de tomar decisiones sobre su situación migratoria. También es importante mantenerse atento a nuevas decisiones judiciales. La página oficial de USCIS sobre TPS continúa actualizándose conforme cambian las designaciones, fechas de terminación y órdenes de los tribunales. La publicación del DHS refleja un cambio de gran alcance en la política estadounidense hacia el TPS y afecta a comunidades inmigrantes que, en muchos casos, han vivido y trabajado durante años en Estados Unidos. Para Tennessee y Nashville, donde residen comunidades procedentes de varios de los países afectados, la recomendación para quienes tengan dudas sobre su situación es buscar información actualizada y asesoramiento individualizado, ya que una publicación general sobre TPS no determina por sí sola la situación migratoria particular de cada persona. Por último, debo decir que, como ciudadano estadounidense que creyó en el "Sueño Americano" y en las palabras inscritas en la Estatua de la Libertad: "¡Dadme a vuestros cansados, a vuestros pobres, / a vuestras masas hacinadas que anhelan respirar en libertad, / el desdichado desecho de vuestras costas abarrotadas! / ¡Enviadme a estos, los sin hogar, los azotados por la tempestad, / que yo alzo mi antorcha junto a la puerta dorada!" Me siento horrorizado y avergonzado por las acciones de este gobierno, que ignora la ley y destruye vidas, poniendo en peligro a mis hermanos y hermanas y a la vez haciendo con eso chistes en actualizaciónes oficiales: “¡Su prueba gratuita de los EEUU ya ha terminado!” De veras? Eso es el gobierno de la tierra de la libertad? Donde todos somos inmigrantes? ¡Qué vergüenza para nosotros! Desde el principio DHS ha afirmado que deportan a "lo peor de lo peor". Esta medida desmiente tal afirmación y demuestra que no se trata más que de una política basada en la raza y de una cifra arbitraria. Este no es el país por el que mi padre, sus hermanos y tantos otros han luchado y muerto. Lloro por mi patria. Envíenos sus sugerencias por correo electrónico: news@hispanicpaper.com|615-582-3757
La Noticia + The Contributor Las fechas y circunstancias de terminación no han sido idénticas para todos los países y algunas medidas han sido objeto de litigios en tribunales federales. Por ejemplo, USCIS confirma que la terminación del TPS de Haití entró en vigor el 27 de julio de 2026, después de diferentes decisiones judiciales relacionadas con su implementación.
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Contributor Board Devin Graham, Chair • Amber DuVentre • Jenny Charles • Wade Nelson • Jim Shulman • Rico X • Drew Morris • Demetria Kalodimos • Yuri Cunza • Kerry Graham Contributors This Issue Norma B. • William B. • Linda Bailey • Chuck C. • Sarah C. • Sarah C. • Mccollonough Ceili • Yuri Cunza • Chris Scott F. • FreePressGma • A.J. G. • Matt H. • Amanda Haggard • S. Lester • Miss Nita • Joe Nolan • Mr. Mysterio • Howard P. • Dawn R. • Shorty R. • Eleanor S. • Stella S. • Harrison Smith • Dennis T. • Judith Tackett • Taz • Carli Tharpe • Lora V. • Jeffrey W. • Wild Bill W. • Melissa Willis Contributor Volunteers
Ann Bourland, Andrew Kuluk, Andy Shapiro, Deborah Narrigan, Jamie Dore, Logan Ebel, Marissa Young, Michael Reilly, Susan Richter Amanda Haggard & Linda Bailey Co-Editors
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A FEW QUESTIONS
Q&A with Contributor Co-Editors Amanda Haggard and Linda Bailey BY JUDITH TACKET T
Amanda Haggard and Linda Bailey are the co-editors of The Contributor. Haggard first started working at the paper in 2013 and currently is contracted to edit the news features, oversee the assignments of all freelance stories and also takes the pen to paper for several lead articles a year — all while working a separate full-time job and taking care of a young daughter. Bailey started in 2011, after a fellow journalist, WPLN’s Blake Farmer, sent her a job posting. With the exception of a one-year hiatus in 2017, Bailey has been editing vendor writing and handling the paper’s design and layout ever since. She recently completed her 300th issue. She also oversees the annual Where To Turn In Nashville booklet and handles a multitude of tasks at the Contributor office to support staff, vendors and volunteers. Both editors have strong backgrounds in journalism: Haggard attended Middle Tennesee State University and Bailey attended Abilene Christian University in Texas, both studying journalism. “A good testament to us working well together is that I always think she’s doing all the hard stuff and I’m doing all the easy stuff, and I think she thinks the opposite,” Bailey said. “We really have a good system down, and I’m just grateful for her.” They have now worked together for more than a dozen years through various iterations of the newspaper. “Having people around [like Linda] with the longevity to be able to give that kind of historical knowledge of the paper is really unheard of in most newsrooms,” Haggard said. “The people who have been around as long as Linda and I are being cut out in almost every other organization.”
The vendors often give us the perspective from the customers who are buying the paper because we don’t always get to hear from them to the same level that the vendors do. A big audience that Amanda and I found out about recently are Spanish speakers, which is why we’ve moved our Spanish page to the back page. It came from vendor input when the vendor leadership team told us that whenever we put Spanish in the paper, they sell more because they have a lot of customers who speak Spanish and then they know that this is for them.
wholeness of people experiencing homelessness and that there’s not just one thing or one person or one type of thing happening. Getting these submissions led to me actually meeting people and developing relationships. Growing up in a southern religious tradition, I had obviously done volunteer work with people experiencing homelessness, but I had never done it long enough to develop relationships with people and learn what life is like. The Contributor vendors helped me grow up because they taught me really everything I know about life. Everything that I care about I learned by reading their work and having friendships. Some I still have today.
What got you interested in homelessness? Amanda: Until I worked with the paper, I don’t know if I really accepted how precarious my childhood living situations were. My family always worked really hard, but we had a lot of challenges. My dad was incarcerated, my brother had a chronic illness that was expensive, and most times were pretty tight for us and I remember feeling the strain of that in our household pretty constantly. Being involved with the paper and around people in active homelessness reiterated what I knew from experience, which is that almost everything is set up against people who are poor. I think I knew most people were trying their very best, but the proximity helped remind me how close we all are. Linda: My very first job here was editorial assistant and that entailed me getting a pile of handwritten vendor submissions, transcribing them digitally, and then sending them to our editor at the time, Andrew Krinks. I had never seen such raw expression on paper, and I learned so much by reading true, uninhibited thoughts of people and what they were feeling and thinking and caring about. They truly covered every range of topic from deep personal essays about trauma to what happened to a sports team or anything Ray [Ponce de Leon, the Contributor’s first ever vendor] wrote that was pure comedy. It really opened my mind to the fullness and
What message do you hope The Contributor newspaper gets across to its readers? Amanda: I don’t attempt to get across a particular message with the issues that we put together. Linda and I over the past few years have come to talking about the paper as a record of what it was like to live in the city during the time that we published the paper. To me, an ideal issue looks like a mix of writing, poetry and artwork from people who sell the paper. We try to make that the dominant portion of the paper over traditional content. I think we would always choose to elevate what the vendors are thinking about and wanting to provide voice to. We also want to provide a record of everything that’s going on in the city as best we can with a small staff. That’s the coverage of major systemic issues in the city, or even in the state or in the nation. For example, what the Trump administration is doing or how SNAP benefits are not administered properly. Both affect our vendors and people outside of the paper. The other thing is, we always want to make sure the paper feels sellable to a vendor. We keep in mind what they might want to hold up and sell on the streets. Things like the coverage of the World Cup might not seem relevant to The Contributor at first glance, but that was appealing to our vendors. We want to make sure the paper is an item they can sell.
We’ve had a couple of brushes with vendors who were not comfortable holding up a paper that said a certain thing. It’s less about the message and more about trying the best way we can to include the vendors and keeping a record of what’s going on in the city. Linda: I agree with all of that. A message I hope people get when they read the paper is that people experiencing homelessness have thoughts and opinions and stories, and they gain a lot from having a place to put those. I think it is important for Nashville to have that voice represented, and we’re really able to do that. That’s special and meaningful. And then I hope that people get the message that print media is super cool and important and matters and should still exist, and that if you are able to hold and read a physical newspaper that you’re lucky and you should want to keep doing that. There is this historical right to have a press and being able to read thoughts and trust people to present you with news and stories. I just think it matters. Who are your main audiences? Amanda: Vendors are definitely our main audience for the paper because we want them to feel represented. We also want the stories we write and have freelancers do to feel relevant to vendors at the time that they’re selling the paper. That’s a good guidepost. I care way more about what Norma thinks when she reads the paper than a Metro Council person, for example. Generally, I think our audience is made up of people who care about homelessness and also about physical media. To the extent that people consider themselves a regular reader or not depends on where our vendors are and where people can get the paper. Linda: I agree with that. When I am thinking about who I care most about to like this issue or respond to it, I think of vendors buying the paper on release day. I also think about whether I am able to explain to a vendor why we are covering something, and if I can’t then we might rethink if we should do it that way or not.
September 9 - 23, 2026 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 3
Readership of hard copies and actual newspapers is declining across the globe. But The Contributor’s concept is based on the physical sales that allow vendors to make an income. How does The Contributor maneuver through this external threat? Amanda: I have to be honest; this question hurt my heart a little bit. Over the years, I’ve occasionally had this internal conversation and struggle about how much longer we can continue printing a paper, particularly during COVID. We were the only street paper still printing a physical copy of the paper. We maintained that throughout almost all of COVID. We weren’t selling as many papers, of course, but vendors really love the paper. I’ll have those thoughts, and then I’ll talk to a vendor I’ve known forever, and it seems they’re not deterred at all. They might talk about being frustrated with sales, but they’re also not convinced that putting the paper online is doing them any good. In some ways I think our paper’s vendors are like the most pure and lasting supporters of physical media we still have out there. They put faith in this thing every day, and that allows me to maneuver any idea of an external threat. Linda: I think our vendors are truly incredible salespeople because they are making selling a printed newspaper work for them to have their income and get the things that they need. It’s a true testament to how good they are with connecting to people. And then, we do really think through the content, and it’s not just things you could get anywhere else. It is unique to us. We’ve also done a lot of good in the last couple of years connecting with other people who really care about physical media and print products. Expanding into Zine creation [through the UnZine Nashville project] is a good example of that and connecting with other artists and creatives who respond to that. We get into their networks of people who appreciate a printed product, and when they see the paper, [they] want to buy it. How do you respond to folks who say they would buy it and read it but cannot find it? Linda: I understand that can be a barrier, but there are certain spots that I know if you go to those places, you will likely find someone like on Music Circle or at the Dickerson Pike Walmart. And we’re trying to do things like getting an interactive map that can give [readers] some ideas of where some of the vendors sell. Amanda: My advice is that when you find a vendor, that’s your vendor. And so it’s about
A FEW QUESTIONS
you, the reader, needing to find a person to build a relationship with. This is not about your convenience, which sounds like a harsh thing to say, but I think whenever somebody tells me they can’t find the paper, what I find out is that they actually didn’t look very hard for it. I see vendors out, but I also know exactly what to look for and what their badge looks like. Some of it is just familiarizing yourself with what our vendors look like and the badge that they should be wearing. If you had all the resources you need, what are some changes you’d like to see? Amanda: When I first started working for the paper, it’d be like, “My goal is for this paper one day to not exist, so homelessness will be gone.” [Now] I don’t really think that we end homelessness by stopping all the efforts we made to build a community over the years. You don’t build something just to take it away once it works. I’m thinking more in terms of how the organization keeps building in a way that supports more people getting into housing but doesn’t necessarily negate the need for a community for people who are struggling. If we had all the resources we needed at the paper, I think we would just build on top of what we already have on the editorial side of things. We do a lot with a little right now, but since Linda and I took over in this iteration in 2018, I feel it’s worked pretty well for
the vendors. Linda: Working in nonprofit and probably journalism in general, we are often flexible around a tight budget and tight resources. It would be really cool to do this work from a place of abundance. It would be really cool for our vendors to live a life of abundance. That’s what I think about with all the resources we need, that we wouldn’t just have to be scrapping all the time. And then, I just want people to care more and demand more for their neighbors [to] help make society better for everyone. But that’s my idealistic view of things. What is one thing about The Contributor that you think would surprise its readers? Amanda: My experience is that people are often pretty surprised to learn that there’s really only a few of us producing the paper regularly. That’s kind of broadly, though, across journalism. It’s often a little bit surprising, particularly with physical media, and we use an incredible copy editor at The Contributor. Laura allows us to have a stop gap, but we don’t have multiple layers of editing. Most newspapers don’t anymore. Readers might also be surprised [to learn] that this is my second job that I mostly do on nights and weekends. Occasionally it comes up because I might not be able to email back at 8 a.m. because I have to do something else as well for work.
Linda: Readers would probably be surprised to know that I get submissions to the paper written on things like napkins or a bag of coffee beans or really any scrap of paper. That’s how important it is for someone to write down what they think and want to express and get it to me. That surprised me when I started. What is one thing about you that you think would surprise the vendors who sell The Contributor? Linda: It’s so hard for me at this point to predict what will surprise people. I’ve been so wrong before. But I mentioned recently at a paper release meeting that I studied journalism in college and Norma, who I’ve known for at least a decade, was like, “I had no idea. That’s really cool.” We’re not just two like nice ladies who decided to start a newspaper, but we have journalism and print media experience and pull from that when we put this paper together. We have thoughtful meetings about it and really put a lot of effort in. But I also get praise for that from people, too. Amanda: It probably depends on the vendor. Folks who have been around a long time know me pretty well. I don’t think much would surprise them about me at this point, but I think newer vendors would probably be surprised to see me in person. They often only know me by name, which is something that I could probably work on at this juncture, but
I’m just not as often in person there as I have been in the past. I think too, when I talk with vendors, most of them tend to be surprised when folks have a background that looks like theirs. And so, it’s been great for relationship building over the years to just be like, “I’ve been there” or, “My parent was also incarcerated” or, “I’ve been behind on my rent by several months before.” And maybe it’s not totally surprising to them as much as I think, maybe it’s just a reminder that they’re not alone in all of this. And going back to readers, I think they would be super surprised to know just how tight knit we are with our vendors to the point that it is a real community. It’s a genuine connection at The Contributor. Nobody expects you to be friends with anyone. But when you spend time with people over a number of years and you see them through struggles, and they see you through struggles, you build those relationships that are necessary to keep going with it from our perspective and from theirs, because I won’t lie that working in homelessness for a number of years can be difficult, too. In terms of the paper being a testament to community, I think anybody can drop in, drop out, come back. We’ve had vendors like Anita who have needed us and then not needed us and found other ways to build community and then come back to us. Seeing her come back and be enveloped again is a good reminder of how important it is that we stay around as a paper.
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September 9 - 23, 2026 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 4
PIECES OF POETRY 85
Keep Your Head Above Water Written by Chris Scott Fieselman, Vendor #0015 Keep those feet a moving, When you’re thinking ‘bout giving up. Keep your eyes on what lies ahead, And remember how far you’ve come. When you’re trying to keep your boat-a-float, And the water keeps coming in. Don’t give up the ship my friend, When it comes down to sink or swim. You’ve got to, Keep Your Head Above Water, When you’re feeling it pull you down. Keep on moving forward, When there’s trouble all around. Keep on flapping those wings my friend, If you want to get off the ground. You’ve got to, Keep Your Head Above Water, When you’re feeling it pull you down. Now, the perfect storm, May be on the horizon, When you feel the wind start to blow. You batten down the hatches, When things get bad, And you grab the end of your rope. When you’re starting to doubt, It will all work out, Everything’s going to be all right. The morning’s coming, A new day’s dawning, If you make it through the night. You’ve got to, Keep Your Head Above Water, When you’re feeling it pull you down. Keep on moving forward, When there’s trouble all around. Keep on flapping those wings my friend, If you want to get off the ground. You’ve got to, Keep Your Head Above Water, When you’re feeling it pull you down. Now, “No Surrender and No Retreat,” Means finish what you began. The only way, You can be defeated’s, When you tell yourself, “You Can’t.” You’ve got to, Keep Your Head Above Water, When you’re feeling it pull you down. Keep on moving forward, When there’s trouble all around. Keep on flapping those wings my friend, If you want to get off the ground. You’ve got to, Keep Your Head Above Water, When you’re feeling it pull you down.
Be Careful Where You Place Your Feet
Written by Chris Scott Fieselman, Vendor #0015 Shuffling along, With your head phones on, In your own little world, To your favorite song. You’re not looking down, And you don’t hear a sound, And the next thing you know, You’re on dangerous ground. SO … Be Careful, Where You Place Your Feet. It gets wet and it gets slippery. Make sure you’re on, The road that’s taking you, Where you want to be. Cause, there are traps to trip you up, And there are obstacles you don’t see. So, every step you take, Be Careful, Where You Place Your Feet. Now, down on the farm, Head out to the barn, And you’ll see what I’m trying to say. Pay attention or you’ll be stepping in, A whole lot more than hay. It’s been a while, since they paved that road, That takes you where you want to be. But if you take your time, And watch for pot-holes, You’ll reach your destiny. SO … Be Careful, Where You Place Your Feet. It gets wet and it gets slippery. Make sure you’re on, The road that’s taking you, Where you want to be? Cause, there are traps to trip you up, And there are obstacles you don’t see. So, every step you take, Be Careful, Where You Place Your Feet. Well, you can bet, You’ll get your share of laughs, When they watch you fall, Flat on your ass. All because you never saw, That you were going down, The wrong path. So sorry, to hear about that. SO … Be Careful, Where You Place Your Feet. It gets wet and it gets slippery. Make sure you’re on, The road that’s taking you, Where you want to be? Cause, there are traps to trip you up, And there are obstacles you don’t see. So, every step you take, Be Careful, Where You Place Your Feet.
THEME: EMM YS ACROSS 70. Biochemistry acr. 27. One-twentieth of a 1. Cut off 71. Scrabble pieces ream 6. “Be quiet!” 72. Editor’s “let it stand” 29. W in VFW. 9. Yellowjacket 73. “____ or nothing” 31. Huck Finn’s escape 13. Brunch offering 74. Kind of peak 32. Embedded design 14. Lawyers’ org. 33. Fur shawl 15. Capital of Vietnam DOWN 34. *Jean Smart’s nomi16. Without illuminanated comedy tion 1. Fish a.k.a. porgy 36. Sitar music 17. Harland David Sand- 2. European sea eagle 38. *Assigned spot in ers’ title, abbr. 3. Velum, pl. #19 Across 18. Abhorrence 4. “The Iliad” and “The 42. Myna, alt. sp. 19. *____ Theater, Em- Odyssey,” e.g. 45. Driver’s license mys venue 5. Did the test again alternative (2 words) 21. *2026 Emmy 6. Quarterback’s down- 49. Sushi sauce Awards host fall 51. Experts 23. Fah follower 7. *Network/streamer 54. “Little House on the 24. Like a certain eagle with most nominations Prairie” protagonist 25. Grill master’s acro- for 2026 Emmys 56. “The rain in ____ nym 8. Chinese Checkers falls mainly on the 28. Aussie’s neighbor predecessor plain” 30. Kick the bucket 9. Dry riverbed 57. Nukes 35. Look angry 10. Type of cuckoos 58. What exhaust pipes 37. Opposite of riches 11. Middle Eastern do 39. Holiday spirit market 59. Opposite of all spreader 12. Type of cotton fiber 60. Simon and Gurfun40. Soprano’s song 15. Vast multitudes kel, e.g. 41. Introduction 20. Bird sound 61. Bluish green 43. Flocculant, for short 22. Matterhorn, e.g. 62. Robinson Crusoe’s 44. Queen Elizabeth’s 24. Biased turf favorite dog breed 25. *Nominee Jason 63. Short for Theodora 46. Dog command Bateman’s “____ Rab64. *Nominated Mark 47. *____ show, like bit” Ruffalo’s drama series nominated “Jimmy 26. B on Mendeleev’s 67. *Connor Storrie’s Kimmel Live!” table nominated show, acr. 48. Works dough 50. Highest volcano in Europe 52. “I agree” 53. Winter woe 55. Publisher’s revenue source, pl. 57. *”Euphoria” Lead Actress nominee 61. *Most nominated series for 2026 Emmys (2 words) 65. Love, in Paris 66. Don’t waste 68. Ottoman Empire VIP 69. Carried a torch
September 9 - 23, 2026 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5
VENDOR WRITING
This Little Light of Mine BY WILLIAM B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
This little light of mine is The Contributor and I’m gonna let it shine. It shines so bright that I can buy food for my house at night. It shines so bring that I can buy my medicine over the counter. It shines so bright that I can buy new clothing when I need it. It shines so bright if my family needs anything I can help them. I just want to say it means the world to me to be a Contributor vendor. If you’re out there and want to be shined on by this little light of mine, join The Contributor. It’s one of the best things that’s ever happened in Nashville.
And, if you are on drugs or alcohol and you need to get off of them, talk to a friend or a preacher if you have one and pray about it and get rehab if you need rehab. I quit cold turkey and I’m so glad I did. I love my Lord Jesus Christ with my whole heart. Goodbye for now. One last thing. We just lost Dolly Parton. I was a big Dolly fan. Well, I still am. I grew up listening to her when she was with the Porter Wagner Show years ago. She was a wonderful, wonderful singer and actress and a lover of all people and we will miss her a lot.
Mickey D’s, Please! BY STELLA S., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
McDonalds chain restaurants bring back such great childhood memories. Mama had three of her children in December so we all had our birthday parities together. We always had a Ronald McDonald cake and ice cream along with Happy Meals. The toy was the best part! And, playing on th playground after we
ate. I’d take my Happy Meal toy with me down the slide. Such wonderful memories. Now, as an adult, I still enjoy McDonalds food and coffee. Something just hits right with that first sip of coffee. As I write this, I think of mom and how proud she is of me. I love you, Mom! In loving memory of Yvette Ehrlich Luderus (my mom).
Invisible in Plain Sight BY STELLA S., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
My Life Since I’ve been in Nashville BY ELEANOR S., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
Well, it’s been an adventure, let me put it that way. I came here to see my oldest sister who lives in Lebanon, Tenn. I got to Nashville and while I was waiting for her to pick me up, I ended up in a women’s shelter. I stayed for a month couldn’t handle being there for reasons I only know. Now I’m on the streets. Before I came on the streets of Nashville I started selling the papers for The Contributor.
I still am and loving it. I’ve put in over 20 applications for a job. The other day I went to a job hiring event and they said they are going to be calling me in a couple of days hopefully I get a job as a house keeper or laundry attendant at the Moxy Hotel. That way I can get off the streets and get my own place. I will still work for the newspaper though. That way I can still be here for the rest of the homeless people.
Kid’s Corner Created by Mccollonough Ceili
Out of sight, don’t pay me no mind. It’s clear to see that I am invisible in plain sight. Naked eyes cannot see the hurt I feel inside nor do they want to. To feel with tough is one of the senses but looking directly at someone and still not actually seeing them is so painful. Can you still feel loved when you clearly aren’t seen? Eyes sense light too, so is my presence dark that your vision sees past me? Clear your mind and your thoughts and really look at me. Do the windows to my soul scare you? My window pains me from time to time, but I’m grateful I have a screen to filter the
light and the darkness. Invisible in plain sight? No. Nope. Not I. I can see clearly with my little eye and I see the hurt and happiness through your words even if you cannot speak. The shadows around me cast as pell over me and then I truly see the light out of the darkness. Even the darkness has stories to tell and needs an ear to listen. Ultimately, it’s my light that conquers and prevails because I will not let you see me in the light if you choose to really see me through your foggy lenses. The light lenses better than water and air lets you breath through it.
COLOR BY NUMBER WITH A TWIST Roll a dice and whichever number it lands on is what you label the first color. Keep going until all six colors have a number. Then color the picture according to your chart and see how it looks.
September 9 - 23, 2026 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 6
IN MEMORIAM
Rodeo Clown
BY WILD BILL, CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR oh to be a rodeo clown wearing a smile happy upside down willing to protect the the cowboys there in baggy pants so savoir faire all the time is valuable you see a rodeo clown I’d love to be once upon a time I found a dollar not a dime my per diem carpe diem I heard you won a Pulitzer Prize! no thanks what’s for supper
Contributor Vendor and Local Musician “Wild” Bill Warmath Remembered as Artist BY AMANDA HAGGARD
Longtime Contributor vendor and musician “Wild” Bill Warmath died in late August. He was 74 years old. Warmath was known to folks at The Contributor as a warm and engaging person who loved to play and hear and talk about live music. Warmath often wrote for The Contributor, poems and lyrics as well as a beloved-by-staff cartoon called Eyeballs about a pair of eyeballs who talk to each other. “Wild Bill spoke with a peaceful Southern drawl. He was deeply creative and if you ever had the pleasure of seeing him perform music you saw his entire face light up like he was doing what he loved most,” said Linda Bailey, The Contributor’s co-editor. “We will miss him around the office and in the pages of the paper. “ His son, Trey Kauerz, was largely estranged from Warmath most of his childhood, but during periods of his adulthood, Kauerz came to understand more about his father. He spent a portion of time helping his dad record an album in Nashville with local musician and educator Shannon Williford. Warmath had a rockabilly sensibility and a playful sense of humor — songs on the album include “Midget
Tossing” and “She Wants Your Money.” “There were periods of adulthood where I did try to connect with him, normally unsuccessfully,” he said. “But there were some notable and memorable moments: I helped him record his music. I helped him to produce an album with some of his friends. He would get copies of the album and sell them alongside the paper to his clients of the paper. That was probably the most time I ever spent with him.” Warmath’s longtime friend Williford told Kauerz Warmath was locked into his teenage years, and often had the energy and maturity of someone much younger. Warmath lived with addiction struggles and bipolar disorder. He’d also been in a car accident as a young child that left him in a monthlong coma that subsequently affected his ability to learn. He’d played music in venues in the ‘70s until disco and djs took many of the spots he’d played. He had a hard time rebounding from it and often lived in a state of “eternal rebellion.” Kauerz’s mother provided stability, and Warmath’s brother Van was also a presence in his life and was also his pediatrician growing up. “[Bill] was living a very disruptive life, my mom tried to maintain some kind of connection
and it never worked out,” he said. “His life was sort of inconsistent with being a parent, father or in a relationship with my mother.” Born in Knoxville, Warmath was the son of a preacher and his family relocated often because of being in the ministry. His parents both died the same year when Warmath was still in his 20s, but his childhood had been mostly stable in terms of family. “Given what I know about his living conditions and health problems, it was miraculous that he was able to survive the many setbacks that life gave him,” Kauerz wrote in an email to The Contributor. “I think his resilience was owed to his positive traits like being gregarious and creative, which helped him win friendships with those around him who in turn supported him when he was down.” Before working for The Contributor, Warmath was a stagehand for Local Union #69 from the 1970s through the 1990s, a painter, builder, drywall contractor, warehouse worker, worker at Amro Music Store and Banker’s Life & Casualty Insurance and an apartment maintenance supervisor. As a musician he traveled and performed all over the Southeast, working
September 9 - 23, 2026 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7
with many Memphis musicians. He preferred to play music, but tried to make money any way he could manage. Kauerz said he learned enough about him through working with him on his music to understand a lot of what he couldn’t understand as a child. He found out that while Warmath may not have been able to be a good parent, that he had qualities Kauerz could appreciate. Warmath was an artist who liked to and wanted to create beautiful things, make people laugh and play music. “Now I see the same outgoing and funny traits in my own son, telling jokes and making friends,” Kauerz said. “I’m realizing now that deep inside, Bill had a juvenile innocence held in place by his circumstances. Even though he didn’t have an opportunity to grow up to fight the world or his own demons, he always made it a point to be playful and have positive interactions with friends and strangers alike.” Kauerz says the family will hold a private, casual gathering at a Memphis bar to celebrate Warmath’s life. As Kauerz wrote to The Contributor about his father, Warmath “would’ve wanted to keep the party going.”
POETRY
ISSUE
Sidewalk Sofas & Concrete Couches
A Poem In Remembrance Of My Dad NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
S. LESTER, CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR As each day brings new business, signs aglare, horns that beep;
This is the time of year when many people think of their
There’s a man on the sidewalk,
Fathers with love and affection.
laid out, fast asleep.
I, too, give attention to my dad, as I try to imagine
No thing at all seems to stir this pro-snoozer.
what he would’ve been like as an older man,
Not even the lights of the watching cop cruiser!
though it’s hard since he died at only 37.
Maybe things got too hard.
I wonder would his dark brown hair have
Could be “Out of his head.”
more of a salt and pepper look today?
What made such a poor soul call a sidewalk his bed?
Or would it be gray?
And what of the rest of Society’s kin?
Would his bright blue eyes still sparkle and shine the same way
Should we all feel ashamed
when something special caught his gaze
as we walk through his den?
I close my eyes as I strain to hear the sound
Something must now be done, though surely not by me.
of his voice whispering in my ear.
Let’s blame Life for his plight;
Oh how I would love to see his smile of approval
Better yet, Poverty!
looking back at me.
Either way, he’ll be right there,
But sadly for me those things are a part of the distant past.
Sun-up ‘til Sun-down.
But my memories of him will forever last.
He looks like the comfy-est person in town!
Readers, please take a lesson from me
I’ve just got to keep stepping,
and learn from my mistakes.
There’ll be two if I’m tardy.
Show and tell your dad how much you love him
I’m in no mood to join the Sidewalk Slumber-party!
before it is too late
Yet, as tonight comes
and all you have left are memories
and my prayers have been said,
that with the passing of time tend to fade away.
I’ll pray also for him with concrete under head.
September 9 - 23, 2026 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 8
POETRY
ISSUE
One Number Away
SARAH C., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR Thought no one wanted to be my friend. In fact, the only sign of kindness toward me was the people who supported our charity. Yes, even the bus drivers became enemies as they witnessed me load the bus carrying huge bags of clothing as full of heavy blankets. They also assumed that I did not hold any fear and they rushed me to pay. Screams and cries of strangers filled the air as all I could do was slay the insults in spirit. Up the street was a Publix. I did purchase a $2 lottery ticket, which had all ten numbers except one, the number 8. You should have seen the look upon my face.
Gibbous Moon
FREEPRESSGMA, CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR I wake to light that glimmers blue like Dawn. Gibbous moon glides beside me as I wade the aquamarine mists She is in a talkative mood, sharing all the visions of the night. As I turn to return home, she keeps step with me a while until the liquid gold of sun begins to rise. Then gracefully like a lady at a tea party, she bids me well, for she is off to wake the armadillos, the rolling hills and marshlands, the desert, and the western Sea. Once I had a lover who walked this path with me.
I was a homeless person and helpless as some may say and in need of housing, yet I was only one number away from $300,000.
September 9 - 23, 2026 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 9
POETRY
ISSUE
The Letter C
CHRIS SCOTT F., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR When they see the letter C? Courteousy & Charity start with the letter C. So, does Courage and Creativity. Compromise and Common Sense. And, the Cornerstone of Cowardice? Confessing and Claiming… I Can’t … Calm … Cool … And … Collected … Convinced that the Calling and the Cause, Are well worth the Cost and Commitment. You Can Conquer or you Can Care less. I consider my words, Being heard in “The Contributor” A Constant Confession, Of what it feels like? To be Continuously Blessed? When it comes down to being? Comfortable and Content? I Consider it a Challenge, A Contest, And / Or a Welcome Conquest. Thank God I’ve got Consistency. When it Comes down to, Carrying on a Conversation? There are people out there, That I Care about, Who are Counting on me, And my Correspondence,
The Singer, The Songwriter and Her Wardrobe STELLA S., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR T-shirts, jeans covered in jelly beans, twizzler socks and Crocs. Shorts, squats for sports, socks and slides. Khakis a bit wacky with a baby doll top. Hats, scarves, holders of the pony kind. Ribbons and pearls and that hair she twirls as her eyes light up like stars in the sky. Microphone mascara in hand waving in anticipation of her future crowd. Quivering lips with gloss, matte and poise, the singer, the songwriter and her wardrobe. By day she writes and by nightfall she’s on a mission to make someone happy. Emotionally drained but in the mood to strike a pose — I suppose she’s not Vogue. The singer, the songwriter and her wardrobe. Dedicated to all the magical people.
September 9 - 23, 2026 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 10
Coming out regularly, In “The Contributor” Every Couple of weeks.
POETRY
ISSUE
When Life Feels Like It’s Coming to an End MISS NITA, CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
So much to do and so little time to do it in, Problems, battles, addiction and rejections.
Neon Lights
DAWN R., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
When do we ever win? I keep fighting even with my back against the wall. I keep struggling to get up every time I fall. Some of my hopes and dreams just whisk right on by. Then, God sends several baby cardinals. This catches my eye. Of all the places they could build their nest and visit each day, God knew that I would enjoy them so he sent them my way. How angelic are the songs that they sing? Happiness and joy is what they bring. Bright and early in the morning, and always they resist in the evening.
I’m sleeping under Neon Lights sometimes it feels so perfectly right Knowing you have no home tonight Sleeping under Neon Lights Praying everything goes right Still sleeping under Neon Lights City’s full of music And Neon Lights Still trying to make things right Still sleeping under Neon Lights
Always happy and content as they want to be. I get to be a part of their lives as they fl y from tree to tree. It started from them gathering particles from my dead, lifeless plant. I know more than ever to stop sayin I can’t. I will. I can. They did. We win. This is a true poem about cardinals making my home their home. It was the medicine and healing I needed for another painful time in my life. Thank you, God. I hope this poem blesses you.
Artwork by Melissa Willis
September 9 - 23, 2026 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11
VENDOR WRITING
Living on the Streets With Schizophrenia BY MAT T H., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
I live with schizophrenia. My parents refused to get me treatment when I was a kid and it got even worse when I was homeless. When you have a safe place to live, the paranoia is still there, but when you’re out on the street you don’t have a safe zone. We had to find places to put our tent where nobody else would go. It’s hard to live with paranoid thoughts all the time, but it’s especially hard when your homeless. When I was homeless I had a lot of sleepless nights, fearful someone would come into my tent to hurt me. That’s a valid fear in that situation, but the paranoia made it even worse. Not everybody can stay in overnight shelters. I wouldn’t wish the Nashville Rescue Mission on my worst enemy. I couldn’t stay there because of my paranoia. Shelters are not always the safest place for people like me because it made my symptoms worse. When I was homeless I was without men-
“There was a time when we first moved into our home that I wouldn’t even take my shoes off to sleep because I was so afraid we would get kicked out at any minute.” tal health care for a while. I ended up going to the Behavioral Care Center (BCC) twice for psychotic breaks. They kept me for 30 days, and it was helpful. They got me on regimented medicine that got me doing pretty good there. Usually I don’t talk in groups, but I could talk in groups there. They got me my social
security the second time I was in there. The SOAR program through Park Center came in and interviewed me and I got disability about two months later when I got out. I got health insurance and I don’t have psychotic breaks anymore. Medication doesn’t fix everything but it has helped me so much.
I’ve now been in housing for a while, which has helped me a lot. There was a time when we first moved into our home that I wouldn’t even take my shoes off to sleep because I was so afraid we would get kicked out at any minute. It took me at least a year until I was able to put any pictures on the walls or curtains on the windows because in the past every time we’d gotten comfortable, we ended up back on the streets. It’s still a fear, but not as much. Some people don’t understand that being homeless is traumatic. People are quick to judge. Not everybody on the street is a drug addict or alcoholic. Don’t judge somebody just because they’re homeless. If you don’t have insurance Mental Health Coop can help you. They even helped me with transportation. It’s been on my mind recently how much of a struggle this was for me and I’m always thinking about how far I’ve come to feel safe in my home.
The Painful Dreamer BY JEFFRE Y W., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
Several years ago I was given a spiritual gift of dreams. These dreams are not what I would call normal by any stretch of the imagination. For example, when I was traveling alone on a bicycle from Iowa to an unknown to me destination, I had a funny dream. I was very concerned about my ability to take care of myself, and this dream was the answer I was given. In the dream, movers showed up to get this really big wooden crate that was in front of me. They loaded it up into a truck and delivered it to an unknown destination. When it got to the destination, the movers opened it up. All I could see was this really big safe. They opened up the safe and all that was inside was an old, upright piano. One of the movers decided to play this piano. It would not play because the keys would not move properly. So they opened up the bottom compartment to this piano and inside was me!! One of the movers got a towel and removed a lot of dust that was all over me. Then he opened up my shirt pocket and there was a full deck of cards. He showed me three aces and a full house. Then he looked in the other pocket and there was some money. I was smiling really big as this was going on. All during this day I pondered this dream. Then I had to laugh as the answer came to me: If I played my cards just right, God was going to have me delivered to my destination safe, sound and dry and I would still have money left over when I arrived. It gave me great peace and this is exactly what happened weeks later when some men picked me up and delivered me to the destination that unfolded before me. I was raised in a poverty stricken household as the youngest of five children. There were no trips to the doctor or things that could cost money. I loved to spend the day with my older brothers and their friends, but this meant that I would shove to keep up with them and keep my mouth shut if I got injured in the process. If I complained about
an owie I could count on getting hit in a different spot that would take the pain away from the first spot with the laughter to go with it. Not to mention that if my Mom found out, they would be in trouble and then I would not be allowed to go with them any longer. I learned to deal with pain at a very early age. This continued all throughout my adult life as well. I stay away from doctors and hospitals unless I am visiting someone else. I thought going to the doctor would be a sign of weakness. (This all changed not too long ago, but that’s a different story and the final outcome is still hanging in the balance.) Some time ago, I was visiting my sister for the first time in years in the St. Louis area. While I was there, I got a new 29” bicycle. I was happy because this one was just the right size. I really wanted to ride down the Mississippi River Valley to Memphis and then back to Nashville and camp along the way. Only a few days after I had this wonderful bike, I was getting off of it as usual when something happened and I felt a really weird feeling in my back and groin area of my leg. I thought nothing about this until the next morning when I woke up in what I can only describe as the most pain that I have ever felt in my life. Both sides on my back felt like a hot garden rake was pulling off every muscle that I had in my back and buttocks. It took about 20 minutes to simply stand up. Over the next two weeks there was only a very slight improvement. I knew that I was really injured, but I had no real idea just how much. The only relief I got was when I would walk and ride my bike short distances. I knew that I was not interested in letting this heal while laying in bed. I got a feeling and a short dream that this needed to heal while in motion. So I made the decision to continue with my plans and deal with the pain by mentally doing what I had to do. This was going to be the most challenging thing that I had ever done. I was sure that this is what God wanted
me to do. It took three weeks for me to traverse the hills of southern Missouri to get to Memphis. I knew I had to hop a bus from there. The bike developed some problems and I could not take any chances. Once again, a dream let me know. I thought that everything was going great and that I had gotten on the path to wellness. The pain lessened, but never left me. It kept on changing locations. Nothing I did would help and soon the only thing I could do was barely get to a place for the day and then lay down flat on my back all day, pull my legs to my chest and only then would the relief from the pain show up. Walking became almost impossible. Still I kept on keeping on. I had no answer to this pain that was getting bigger than my ability to keep it manageable. No one really knew. I still acted like my normal self. I didn’t realize that I had lost my ability to be rational. I could only hear the cynical side of everything and kept this all inside. I was not going to show any weakness at all and that was all there was to it, not to mention that I have no insurance. I could not really communicate properly at all. I hurt a person that I really cared about and that was when I realized that I was in way over my head. Still, I kept on and made amends with this wonderful person who is still with The Contributor. I had no control even over my thought process any longer and knew that I had to be more reclusive until I was better. One day I passed out from the pain. A great person that I call a friend talked me into getting into an ambulance. I was still trying to play this whole thing off. The only thing that I really wanted was to walk out of the emergency room. I remember being told about my condition but threw the papers away in disgust. I was still fighting for the ability to walk and deal with the roaring lion of pain that would not go away. This lion grew bigger and bigger until I found myself in the emergency room twice in the same week. The diagnosis fit perfectly with the symp-
September 9 - 23, 2026 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 12
toms. In the meantime, I went to the same people for help at The Contributor that I had been pushing away. I can’t tell you how grateful I was when they were all there at the same time when I showed up on the steps. Perhaps when they read this they will understand a little more about what was happening to me. It’s really no excuse but they all deserve to know what I was hiding from them and everyone else. The pain was so bad that I forgot to tell the doctor a very important thing. Once I got back to Nashville and I would lie down on a piece of cardboard to ease the pain, I could feel a section of my spine being pressed back into place each time that I would lie down. The Bicentennial State Park is where I would lay all day afraid to move and knowing that this would eventually heal my spine if I would tough it out. I still can’t do things such as sit in a chair and the pain is a reminder that I need help. I am getting help and getting an MRI soon and have the attention of a wonderful doctor at Neighborhood Health. I was asking God for a dream so I could get the right information to the doctor. He provided a dream and I was able to convey to her all my symptoms with total honesty and completeness so that hopefully all will go well and I will not be paralyzed. I have already cried the tears and shouldered the pain alone and it is a better feeling to have people that know. That means that I am no longer alone. At times it is very hard to deal with it all, but I am ready to go right after this and take whatever comes. I have had many dreams of my future that all are going to come to pass. A few nights ago during Chapel at the Mission they played an old tape of Rev. Graham asking the question: are you ready to die today? I smiled at this knowing that yes I am however the real question to me is: are you going to be ready to live in your future no matter what? That is an easy one!! I really wanted to thank the people of The Contributor for being there when I knock on that door.
FEATURE
A Musical Tribute To A True Tennessee Megastar BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
As a music lover, I often write about different musical moments that have a significant impact on my day while selling the paper. Aug. 25, 2026 proved to be one of those days. While there were a few notable experiences that day, one was far more poignant than the others: the death of Dolly Parton. It DEFINITELY changed the trajectory of my day. Dolly had such a remarkable way of bringing people together from various backgrounds. This can be seen all over the world, no doubt, that’s why the tributes continue to pour in from all over the world. For example, even the typically extremely formal and precise military ceremony known as the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace paid tribute to her by playing “9 to 5” the day after her death. Part of what makes her story impressive is that she came from such humble beginnings, and even with all her success she never forgot where she came from. She was always giving back to her Tennessee home and to others. She wrote her first song, “Little Tiny Tasseltop” around age 5 or 6 about her favorite toy, a homemade doll. She began performing publicly at age 10 and in 1959, at age 13, she made her Grand Ole Opry debut. She left her East Tennessee home and came to Nashville the day after she graduated high school. Soon after her arrival, she met Carl Dean at a local laundromat. They married two years later, and they remained married for nearly 60 years until his death in 2025. In 1967, she made her first record, “Hello, I’m Dolly” and joined the Porter Waggoner Show. Although she left the show in 1974 to pursue a solo career, she had many successful collaborations with other artists including Kenny Rogers, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris to name a few. Dolly was far more than the many awards and accolades she received in her 70-plus year career including: • 11 Grammys (She won the recording academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 and her hits “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” are in the Grammy Hall of Fame.) • 49 Top 10 Albums • 26 No. 1 Songs • 120 Career Charted Singles • 10 CMA Awards • Five American Country Music Awards • Four People’s Choice Awards • Three American Music Awards • In 1999, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame • In 2022, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (She initially declined, but was selected anyway.) She even wrote a song for the occasion fittingly titled, “Rockin’.” Many of the rock stars in attendance
IL L US TR ATION BY HARRISON SMITH came together to honor her with their rendition of her song “Jolene.” • She sold more than 100 million records throughout her career. These accomplishments alone would represent a lifetime of work and then some for most people, but music was only part of what made Dolly so special. She also became a well-respected actress proving she could hold her own with stars like Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlinson, Sally Field, Julia Roberts and Queen Latifah in movies like: 9 to 5, Steel Magnolias and Joyful Noise. She even got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on June 14, 1984. But wait, there’s more! She was also known as a philanthropist, always giving to others. One unique way she did this is through her Imagination Library, a charity she founded to honor her father who couldn’t read or write. Thankfully, he lived long enough to see its success. To date, the program has distributed approximately 300 million books to children from birth to age 5. (Including my own grandchildren!) Since 1995, the program has expanded to other countries like Canada, Ireland, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Parton said in the interview with NPR News, “I think if you can read, it gives you wings to f ly anywhere you want to go.” For the record, I agree. She further showed her generosity by giving families affected by the wildfires in Gatlinburg in 2016. Her My People
relief campaign raised nearly $9 million and gave $1,000 per month to families that were affected by the tragedy for up to six months. Dolly also gave $1 million dollars to Vanderbilt help develop the Moderna vaccine for Covid-19, and her businesses donated $2 million dollars to Hurricane Helene relief for those affected in East Tennessee in 2024. Local reporting referred to her as a “catalyst for kindness” and a “beacon of light and relief ’ to those who were affected. On Nov. 16, 2025, at age 79, Dolly received an honorary Oscar- the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for her charitable work. As if that’s not enough, she also became quite an astute businesswoman when on May 3, 1986 she opened Dollywood, a theme park that bears her name and continues to grow. She also collaborated with James Patterson on the bestselling book “Run Rose Run” in 2021. It was accompanied by an album written entirely by Parton and they both proved to be a commercial success. In 2022, Dolly entered a partnership with Duncan Hines featuring a variety of southern-inspired box dessert mixes, and it should come as no surprise that this too is flourishing. Dolly herself once said in an interview with Barbara Walters, “I want people to know there is a brain underneath this wig, and a heart underneath these boobs.”
September 9 - 23, 2026 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 13
Well, Dolly your first charted single may have been “Dumb Blonde’,” but I think you’ve proven to EVERYONE you’re ANYTHING but that! Though Dolly may be gone physically, her legacy will carry on in a number of ways. The exhibit Dolly Parton: Journey of A Seeker Runs through September 2026 at The Country Music Hall of Fame in downtown Nashville. Her SongTeller Hotel is set to open later this month along with her Life of Many Colors Museum on the third floor. Dolly: A True Original Musical is expected to open on Broadway on Jan. 19, on what would’ve been her 81st birthday. There is even a plan by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to rename the Nashville International Airport after her! A petition supporting this change received more than 130,000 signatures! In a WKRN News 2 tribute I watched shortly after her death when asked how she wanted to be remembered, she said, “I want to be remembered as someone who uplifted people, someone who tried.” I also read that she often ended her show with her iconic song “I Will Always Love You” in gratitude for her fans, though we all know that it was written for different reasons. Well Dolly, I think it’s safe to say people all over the world will ALWAYS love you too, not only for the life you lived, but also the many lives you’ve changed for the better! Yes, she set the bar of excellence we should ALL strive for! I’d like to thank the customer who stopped to share the news of her passing with me. She even shared the song, “My Tennessee Mountain Home” that I wasn’t familiar with. In just a few words I knew it was unmistakably Dolly. On a lighter note, her passing also reminded me of an experience I had with one of my customers when Dolly herself appeared on the cover of The Contributor. An older lady pulled into the parking lot and asked me to sing “I Will Always Love You,” but when I started to sing, she quickly interrupted saying, “No, dear, NOT Dolly. Whitney!” I said, “You do realize I’m a poor white chick, right?” She just smiled and said she knew I could do it. I told her, “Well, I think I’m gonna need something to drink in order to do that.” She went into the store and bought me a beer! I told her I didn’t drink beer, I just wanted some water. She went back and exchanged it, and I gave it my best shot. When I finished, she said, “Now if you wanna do my favorite Dolly song, that would be “Coat Of Many Colors.” After I sang that, she gave me a nice tip and away she went. Thanks for the memory Dolly!
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FUN
HOBOSCOPES VIRGO
Did you see that new list of the 25 most influential people in America? I don’t recognize anybody on this whole thing! It makes me feel so old and out of touch. Mostly just streamers and gamers and grammers and — hey, wait, is that you, Virgo? You made the list! I mean, I knew you were influential, I just didn’t realize the level you’ve been operating at. And to think, you did it all by just showing up every day for the people who depend on you and letting the people you care about most know that you care. Oh, wait, hang on. This is actually next year’s list. I guess I got an early copy. Well, you’d better get to work.
LIBRA
I’ve recently learned that this time of year is considered “harvest season.” Naturally, I went out into the fields to bring in my crops. Libra, I was shocked. There was nothing there to harvest at all. I stood in disbelief until I realized that the nearby little-league umpire who was shouting and waving his arms in the air wasn’t just yelling, he was yelling at me. “Get off the field! These kids are trying to play!” I started to explain about the missing crops and he shook his head and put a hand on my shoulder. He walked me over to the dugout and said, “Son, you’re not gonna have much of a harvest if you don’t put down any seeds. Now get out of here. These kids are getting mad and they’ve got bats.” He was right, Libra, there’s always another chance to sow something new. See you next season.
SCORPIO
Have you ever considered writing a book, Scorpio? It’s just, you’ve got so many amazing experiences and I think people might like to read about them. Here’s what you do. When you wake up tomorrow, before you start your day, roll three regular dice. This should give you a number between three and 18. Now set a timer for 30 minutes. Write something you know about your life from when you were that age. Get as specific as you can. A birthday party from when you were six? A fight with a friend when you were 15? Repeat this activity every day for as long as you can stand it. Then start adding 10 to your dice total. This gets you between ages 13 and 28. Do this daily for five years or so. Then, throw all those pages out and write your book. Sometimes you need to practice for a while before you know what your story really is.
SAGITTA R IUS
CAPRICORN
As I learned growing up, first there’s an egg. Then comes the caterpillar. The caterpillar crawls and eats and grows and eats and crawls and eats and then it makes a chrysalis. That’s where the magic happens. I always heard the story as a transformation. Lose some weight. Gain some wings. Maybe learn Spanish or Piano. But I think it’s more than that, Capricorn. I think it’s a death. The caterpillar mostly dissolves in there. And that liquid goo somehow resurrects as something completely new. “Soft and gentle as a sigh,” the sages say. But temporary, too. What can we feel but wonder and gratitude for what was, what is, and what lives on and on.
AQUA RIUS
There is some evidence that the earliest humans buried their dead alongside flowers. And here we are, hundreds of thousands of years later, doing the same. Is it tradition or the collective unconscious? In any case we are an animal who craves ritual. We find ways to mark passages: weddings, graduations, births. But as we become increasingly individualistic and seemingly self-sufficient, it’s hard for many of us to identify with our families and neighbors, (much less our ancestors) in a way that allows community and ritual to come together. If you need to mark a passage in your own life, Aquarius, you don’t have to do it alone. Grab whoever is close by, find a flower or a forest or an empty parking lot and make the moment mean something.
PISCES
As the end of summer dries out and starts to blow away I always get a little melancholy. What did I do with the wet, green vibrancy that the earth was offering these past few months? I mostly avoided it indoors and complained about the heat. And now it’s like the world is saying “Maybe you can try again next year?” Sure, Pisces, nature has cycles and we’re bound to be a part of those. But the good thing about being human is you don’t have to wait till the world fills up with green again to bring your plans back to life. You can try again today, tomorrow, or whatever day you feel like. Watch the leaves start to fall and plan your own blossoming for later this afternoon. The tilt of the earth can’t tell you what to do.
ARIES
I needed some extra money, so I installed one of those signs in my driveway where you have to scan a QR code and enter your license plate number to park there. ParkGobilns said I could make a little passive income while I’m at work. The problem is, every time I get home I’m either tired or in a huge rush and I forget to scan and enter my code. I now owe ParkGobilns $788 in unpaid parking tickets. The good news is, once I pay it, I get 14 percent back! I’m hoping somebody else will start parking there while I’m out so I can start chipping away at the principal. Are you paying yourself what you owe yourself, Sagittarius? Are you giving yourself the time you need? If you’re feeling behind, you can forgive that debt. You can start fresh tomorrow.
An auger is a tool for boring holes in wood, ice, or earth. It’s a helical shaft that drills inward while pushing loose material out. An augur, on the other hand, is a one who can foretell events by divining omens, particularly the habits of birds. I’ve usually tried to be an augur, Aries, but today I’m feeling more like an auger. Maybe instead of looking outward to guess what a crow’s flight-path means about the future, it’s a good day to drill inward and examine those bits of the past that rise to the surface. For me lately, those bits that I thought were anger turn out to be untilled grief. Digging in can be uncomfortable, Aries, but what comes back up may be the thing you’ve been searching the skies for.
TAURUS
I heard that Greg Griggs built a bike ramp out of the boards in front of his house but he angled the boards too high and when he jumped the ramp he was going really, really fast and it shot him up in the air so far that while he was falling the earth kept spinning underneath him and he ended up landing way out in Briarsville and his family couldn’t afford to send him a bus ticket home so his dad had to get a job in Briarsville and then his family moved to Briarsville and that’s why Greg Griggs isn’t in our class anymore. Anyway, Taurus, sometimes our brains make up stories to explain why things are the way they are and sometimes those stories aren’t even a little bit true. So when you notice you’re telling yourself a story it’s good to check and see which parts are facts and which parts you’re making up. Greg Griggs told me that.
GEMINI
What are we supposed to plant in the fall, Gemini? Carrots, maybe? Chard? Onions, I think? I can’t remember what vegetables have frost-resistance and drought resilience. But I know you’ve got some things starting to grow, Gemini. I can tell you’re just getting ready to put some ideas in the soil and go to work on feeding them and protecting them from whatever this season brings. I have a feeling you’ll be harvesting some new goodnesses before too long.
CANCER
You ever eat Pop Rocks, Cancer? When I was a kid you could just walk into a 7-11 and buy a pack of Pop Rocks and they didn’t even check your ID or anything. If those things are still around, I hope they added, like, a background check and a seven-day waiting period to the process. Candy shouldn’t explode when you eat it, Cancer. But I guess that’s just one man’s opinion. And another thing, opinions used to stay in diners and bowling alleys and the curbs outside of 7-11s. But now they go out into the world via vertical video and Substack posts and people act like they actually mean something. I think you should be telling your opinions to the people in the same room as you and using the internet for important things like finding tips on what to do if you eat too many Pop Rocks and you can see them wriggling around in your throat and chest. But, again, that’s just my opinion.
LEO
What did you bring for lunch today, Leo? Oh, really? I just saw on the news that there’s a massive national recall on that. Did you bring anything else? Hmmm. I hate to tell you, but they just put out a big warning on those too. Maybe we should just order a pizza? There’s never a recall on pizza. They bake those things at, like, 800 degrees, or something. Pizza ovens are clinically proven to zap 100% of the bad stuff. Also, they cut them in slices so they’re super-easy to share. Go ahead and put the order in and I’ll meet you in, maybe, 30 minutes? Check and see if anybody else wants to get in on this, too. I think the work day is pretty-well wrapped, Leo. Maybe just order it to your place and we can all meet up there and split a couple pies and play Monopoly or something. I think this is the safest thing we can do right now.
Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a registered bike-ramp technician, or a trained writing coach. Want more? Visit mrmysterio.com Or just give him a call at 707-VHS-TAN1. September 9 - 23, 2026 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 15
VENDOR WRITING
“Un-Churched” BY CHUCK C., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
Having spent a dozen or so years in the unhoused community here in Nashville, I have encountered many different individuals who have reached out to the homeless community in one way or another. Many times sack lunches would be distributed with religious tracts in them or the “Are you saved?” pamphlets. In my opinion it is very unfair to assume that the homeless or
unhoused have had no religious training or background. Many of us who have backgrounds with religious affiliations and church membership are still very active in our respective congregations. The Christian organizations seem to be the group that always try trading “food for God” or similar practices. Our Muslim and Jewish and Hindu brothers and sisters seem to have
This is a Story About Gun Safety BY TAZ, CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
I honestly think they need to ban guns all over the world. There are way too many kids getting shot and families having to bury their babies and also their other children, grown or not. I know a family who had to bury their nephew at the age of 30 for a total accident over a gun. And now her brother is sitting in prison for two years over this accident. He got charged with reckless homicide. Now he is missing
two years of his family and friends over something stupid. Now his sister is stuck in the middle of this because this it is her brother and also her nephew. She cares for the both of them. So she blames herself for it all. Everyone tells her it is not her fault. On top of that, the apartment where she lives got shot up over people being stupid. She has two boys with her and it was too close to home
the “live and let live” attitude, which is much more attractive to me as an individual. Most unhoused individuals, including me at the time, were much more open to religion based on attraction rather than promotion. Assuming someone is unchurched or “not saved” is unfair and can be very hurtful to some. The purpose of this short article is to reflect on and illustrate how your actions and
deeds, in many cases, will attract folks to your church or organization and “word and deed” rings true to me in many cases. As we strive to get along with each other and be tolerant of each other’s views, beliefs and opinions, I believe that living the “golden rule” and treating each other with kindness, respect and tolerance will produce a greater good that we all can see. Until next time, keep on reading.
Joke of the Issue
S U B M I T T E D B Y H O W A R D P. , C O N T R I B U T O R V E N D O R A former Marine Corps Sergeant took a job as a high school teacher. Right before the school year started, he injured his back and had to wear a plaster cast under his shirt. The students didn’t know. On the first day of school, he walked into the noisiest, rowdiest class — the kind that eats new teachers alive. The kids, knowing he was a former Marine, were already planning to test him. The Sergeant calmly opened the window, sat at his desk, and when a breeze blew his tie around, he casually picked up a stapler and stapled the tie to his chest. The room went dead silent. The rest of the year? Let’s just say discipline was never an issue again.
COMIC BY DENNIS T., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR September 9 - 23, 2026 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 16
VENDOR WRITING
Rockin to my Own Beat BY A.J. G., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
Mother of mothers
BY FREEPRESSGMA, CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
escaped goat
Skippin’ to my Lou like I got the flu, bug eyed and boogey but, hey, I got the look of I don’t care, but I’d like to share anyway. Earbuds in place, music top notch but why my AC plug dangling near my crothch? Walking with swagger without my dagger with my buzz cut in tha wind making pollen, now, that’s for the birds! Feedin tha ducks, kids in tha dirt with master trucks and their mama thinks they gonna get a disease, please, honey I drink water from tha hose, it’s absurd, I suppose but I’m rockin to my own beat. People stare, people glance, but they stop and talk to me when they have the chance. I’m quick like the wind and smooth in the night — oh, what a fright. Big hair, don’t care — no more — I rock the buzz cut like no other and I’m still ya brotha!
Look at the birds Pink and reptilian. Snaking their necks downward Into the fire and the salt. Searching for flecks of our ancestors’ blood Under the magenta moon their wings unfold, and then. Embrace, embrace me with the boiling air. Tiny feathers down amongst the fire and the salt. The ground is heaving, shifting. She is a great cracking open. All the souls flee up out of her fissures. We are the pink of birds swifter than thought
escaped goat escaped goat ran off chewing on my sins like cud ruminate regurgitate repent - I mean repeat forgive me Father add it to the pile for the next beast to carry a gap-toothed giant once pulled a god resplendent chariot now laden by confessions tumbling in the wind like letters from a postal bag hooves off the cliff all akimbo except our salvation
Blue
BY SHORTY R., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
I love blue skies. I can see for miles and miles away. I like people with blue eyes. There are different shades of blue eyes. Blue is one of the color of clothes I like wearing the most. Blue jeans, t-shirts. Don’t get in a blue mood. It can mean depression. The blue moon is cool. Blue moon of Kentucky Keep on Shining. Some beaches have blue water where you can watch the grand babies swim and splash. Blue is a soothing color. It is relaxing color. I just love the blue!
Come on, Soul
BY CARLI THARPE, HOUSING STABILITY GUIDE
I love the song “Praise” By Brandon Lake. But when I first heard it, things were rough, and I did not have all the energy present in the song. This is what I imagined. I look down in the dirt at the pile of me. That’s my being, my essence, my self that I see. I grab the nearest thing, a long, pokey stick. I nudge my lump of self. I’m sore, weary, sick. “Come on, Soul,” I say, “Praise the Lord.” I twitch in the dirt. My voice groans a twisted chord. “Get up, Soul,” I say, “Praise the Lord.” I drag my form up to sit. I look around, my problems, a hoard. “Come on, Soul,” I say, “Praise the Lord.” I stand, stumbly, slowly. “Praise the Lord,” I say, “Praise the Lord.” I walk, and say, “I Praise the Lord.” “I Praise the Lord.” “I Praise the Lord.” “I Praise the Lord.”
The Bones of my mother’s child fall into the fire. An ancient child falls out of my skeleton. Like a hologram. On her way out, she is screaming for life. The bones of my mother’s child fallen down down down. Down down into the fire. I am a collection of mineral and salt. wandering in search of the flecks of my grandmother‘s blood. I call on my mother before her and my mother before her and my mother before her and my mother before her and my great mother, mother of strength. She was the one who beat the dragons away from her young whose bleeding womb drew nature’s creatures from their fissures, hungry for life down amongst the fire and the salt. Her tangled mass of filthy hair. Her close wrapped leathers. Flecks of her blood absorbed into the salt beneath her feet And the heat of birth upon the land, the bitter freeze in the wind. A flurry of pink As she licks her baby clean, flecks of my ancestors’ blood down amongst the fire and the salt spilt as she beat the dragons away from her young. We are the pink of birds swifter than thought
Listening
BY FREEPRESSGMA, CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
The trash dolly galumphs across the hall Pens scritch, Breaths exhale Footsteps hug the floor Breaths inhale Dogs panting in the hallway People call to each other, Longing for connection. Like a spiderweb vibrating in the wind, we harmonize.
September 9 - 23, 2026 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 17
BY SARAH C.
Dawn
BY LORA V., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
I love waking up before it is light outside. The sky is cool to look at whether it’s cloudy or the moon is still out. Maybe the stars are out. It is so peaceful, I just sit and smoke and drink my little cold drinks. I say a little prayer. I meditate. I think about what I have to do for the day. I’m thankful for being able to move my legs and arms. It is so peaceful before the sun comes up. It is so quiet without people talking to you and wanting things from you. It is my time just for me to talk to God. I enjoy myself tremendously.
Human Kindness Exists BY STELLA S., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
Be gentle, be kind, stay woke, never blind. One blind eye can feel better than the other eye can see. Human kindness exists when your spirit is full. Knowing a small gesture could brighten someone’s face up knowing they have a reason to smile now. Someone loved on them if even just for a split second. You just changed a life, a mind or a decision. One smile, one glance, a simple yellow can really impact a human’s existence and future. Please be the reason someone smiles today.
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September 9 - 23, 2026 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 18
MOVING PICTURES
It Ends finds the finish line, but it gets lost first BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC Writer-director Alexander Ullom makes his feature debut with It Ends, a SXSW premiere generating some buzz as another entry in the trending liminal horror genre among Backrooms and Exit 8. Four friends are meeting up on a routine late-night food run. Day (Akira Jackson), Fisher (Noah Toth), and James (Phinehas Yoon) are longtime friends reuniting with former classmate Tyler (Mitchell Cole). Day tells Tyler they need to pick up another friend at his house. Day is glancing at a navigator screen giving Tyler directions. She tells him to look for an upcoming turn, but it never materializes. Tyler backtracks, but inexplicably hits a dead end on the road they were just driving on. That’s when the first attack happens. The four barely escape, and then they realize the road rolls without end through a forest with no border. Their Jeep Cherokee runs without gas. Nobody gets hungry or thirsty. They don’t really need sleep, even
though the endless travel and emotional strain has everybody looking pretty exhausted along the way. The group can stop and stretch their legs for 90 seconds at a time before they can hear their attackers catching up and have to hit the road again. The four friends take turns driving in shifts. Cinematographers Jazleana Jones and Evan Draper manage to make the inside of a Jeep Cherokee, endless green woods, and a single black ribbon of road look interesting over almost 90 minutes. There’s a violet sunset, trees swaying in the breeze, a closeup on a doodle made by a greasy finger on a car window, the nighttime road unspooling endlessly in the headlights. One upside-down shot reminded me of the opening of Ari Aster’s Midsommar, and the repetitive rushing by of the trees outside the jeep’s windows serves as a ticking clock in this film about space and time, existential meaning, and pure absurdity.
Trapped in this liminal highway with no exits, no turns, and no explanation, the friends cycle through denial, bargaining, rage and resignation. Is this purgatory? A curse? Are they already dead? The film shifts gears after its horror-movie first act, transforming from a monster movie in a parallel dimension to a meditation on the meaning of life and the absurdity of the human condition. The four friends debate philosophy, rehash old grievances, explore the woods for clues, and slowly reckon with the possibility that the road is all there is. This movie is totally dependent on its script and the actors’ performances. The writing is mostly to blame for the fact that this film is sometimes as stone-cold boring as being trapped in a car with these characters forever. Ullom’s dialogue varies from conversations that aren’t as clever as he may think to emotional releases that feel forced and unearned. They often fit the har-
September 9 - 23, 2026 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 19
rowing situation, but the characters and the plot don’t bring the audience along. As a result, viewers can’t really connect to the only dynamic aspect of the film besides the car — the characters themselves. Mitchell Cole is the strongest actor of the bunch but has limited screen time. Noah Toth is game as Fisher, but between his whining and panic attacks audiences might rather see Fischer left in the woods. We’re never given any reason to like him or his flatly rendered friends and their annoying conversations. If It Ends wanted to be a horror film it would have to be scary. It’s not. If it wants to be a deep philosophical film it has to be smart. It isn’t. The horror. It Ends opened in theaters Aug. 21. Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www.joenolan.com.
“The Contributor” está trabajando con uno de los principales periódicos en español La Noticia para llevar contenido a más lectores en Middle Tennessee. Nuestros vendedores de periódicos han pedido durante mucho tiempo que nuestra publicación incluya contenido que apele al interés de residentes de habla hispana en nuestra comunidad.
“The Contributor” is working with one of the leading Spanish-language newspapers La Noticia to bring content to more readers in Middle Tennessee. Our newspaper vendors have long requested that our publication include content that appeals to the interest of Spanish-speaking residents in our community.
LOCALES - ACTUALIDAD - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJO - SALUD - CULTURA Y ENTRENIMIENTO
L a N t i cia 2026
GRATIS Septiembre
Newspaper Nashville
Año 24 - No. 442
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“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”
Nashville, Tennessee
DHS: terminación del TPS ya está en vigor para 12 países
El mes pasado, el
Departamento de Seguridad Nacional compartió desde su cuenta oficial en X una actualización de su asesor jurídico general, James Percival, sobre la terminación del Estatus de P r o t e c c i ó n Temporal para Por Gregory W. Welsch Haití, Siria, Yemen, Columnista A f g a n i s t á n , @LaNoticiaNews Camerún, Nepal, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Sudán del Sur, Birmania y Somalia, reiterando que la terminación de esta protección migratoria se encuentra en vigor para ciudadanos de 12 países. La publicación del mensaje de James Percival, asesor jurídico general (General Counsel) del departamento, presentaba una tabla bajo el encabezado “Today’s TPS update” — “Actualización de hoy sobre el TPS”— detallando la situación país por país. Al compartir la actualización de Percival, el DHS agregó un mensaje particularmente directo advirtiendo a las personas cuyo TPS ha terminado: “LEAVE NOW or be DEPORTED”, que en español significa: “SALGA AHORA o sea DEPORTADO”. ¿Qué es el TPS? El Estatus de Protección Temporal es un mecanismo establecido por la ley estadounidense que permite al secretario de Seguridad Nacional designar temporalmente a determinados países cuando existen condiciones que impiden que sus ciudadanos regresen de manera segura, como conflictos armados, desastres naturales u otras circunstancias extraordinarias. Durante el período de designación, las personas elegibles pueden estar protegidas contra la deportación y obtener autorización para trabajar en Estados Unidos. Sin embargo, el TPS es, como su nombre indica, temporal y no concede por sí solo residencia permanente ni ciudadanía. Cabe señalar que la situación en la mayoría de los países enumerados es tal que poner fin al TPS y deportar a las personas amparadas por él entraría en conflicto con el tenor literal de la ley. Haití,
Ilustración: La Noticia Newspaper Nashville
DHS: TPS Termination Now in Effect for 12 Countries
por ejemplo, se considera un Estado fallido. Está controlado por bandas y se le considera uno de los lugares más violentos del mundo. El gobierno de Estados Unidos ha aconsejado a sus propios ciudadanos que no viajen allí bajo ninguna circunstancia. Sudán del Sur y Somalia se encuentran actualmente inmersos en conflictos armados, con acusaciones de genocidio y frecuentes masacres. Yemen tiene guerra civil y esta envuelta en el conflicto entre los EEUU e Iran. Además, el desastre natural en Venezuela —con los terremotos— hace que devolver allí a los inmigrantes sea muy problemático, si no ilegal. La ley así lo establece. Además, devolver a los inmigrantes a Afganistán —especialmente a aquellos que ayudaron a Estados Unidos durante la guerra en ese país— supondría su encarcelamiento inmediato, tortura y, muy probablemente, su ejecución. Por no hablar de lo que les ocurriría a las mujeres obligadas a regresar. Por tanto, existen fundamentos sólidos para impugnar las deportaciones en el caso de muchas personas, dependiendo de sus circunstancias individuales y de su país de origen. Las fechas y circunstancias de terminación no han sido idénticas para todos los países y algunas medidas han sido objeto de litigios en tribunales federales. Por ejemplo, USCIS confirma que la terminación del TPS de Haití entró en vigor el 27 de julio de 2026, después de diferentes decisiones judiciales relacionadas con su implementación.
Etiopía: una situación que cambió posteriormente La tabla original de Percival también incluía a Etiopía, pero, a diferencia de los otros países, en la columna correspondiente no aparecía “Termination in effect”. En su lugar figuraba “Brian Murphy”, en referencia al juez federal que intervenía en el litigio relacionado con esa terminación. Esa distinción era relevante al momento de la publicación del 14 de agosto. Sin embargo, la situación cambió posteriormente: el propio DHS informó que el juez Brian Murphy levantó la suspensión relacionada con Etiopía y declaró que las terminaciones de TPS anunciadas por el gobierno estaban en vigor. La evolución del caso demuestra también la rapidez con la que pueden cambiar estas políticas como consecuencia de decisiones administrativas y judiciales. ¿Qué significa para quienes tenían TPS? La terminación del TPS puede tener consecuencias distintas dependiendo de las circunstancias individuales. Haber sido beneficiario de TPS no significa necesariamente que una persona carezca de otra base legal para permanecer en Estados Unidos. Algunos beneficiarios pueden tener solicitudes de asilo, peticiones familiares, procesos migratorios u otro estatus independiente de su TPS.
Por esa razón, las personas afectadas deben verificar la información oficial correspondiente específicamente a su país y, cuando sea necesario, consultar con un abogado de inmigración calificado o representante acreditado antes de tomar decisiones sobre su situación migratoria. También es importante mantenerse atento a nuevas decisiones judiciales. La página oficial de USCIS sobre TPS continúa actualizándose conforme cambian las designaciones, fechas de terminación y órdenes de los tribunales. La publicación del DHS refleja un cambio de gran alcance en la política estadounidense hacia el TPS y afecta a comunidades inmigrantes que, en muchos casos, han vivido y trabajado durante años en Estados Unidos. Para Tennessee y Nashville, donde residen comunidades procedentes de varios de los países afectados, la recomendación para quienes tengan dudas sobre su situación es buscar información actualizada y asesoramiento individualizado, ya que una publicación general sobre TPS no determina por sí sola la situación migratoria particular de cada persona. Por último, debo decir que, como ciudadano estadounidense que creyó en el "Sueño Americano" y en las palabras inscritas en la Estatua de la Libertad: "¡Dadme a vuestros cansados, a vuestros pobres, / a vuestras masas hacinadas que anhelan respirar en libertad, / el desdichado desecho de vuestras costas abarrotadas! / ¡Enviadme a estos, los sin hogar, los azotados por la tempestad, / que yo alzo mi antorcha junto a la puerta dorada!" Me siento horrorizado y avergonzado por las acciones de este gobierno, que ignora la ley y destruye vidas, poniendo en peligro a mis hermanos y hermanas y a la vez haciendo con eso chistes en actualizaciónes oficiales: “¡Su prueba gratuita de los EEUU ya ha terminado!” De veras? Eso es el gobierno de la tierra de la libertad? Donde todos somos inmigrantes? ¡Qué vergüenza para nosotros! Desde el principio DHS ha afirmado que deportan a "lo peor de lo peor". Esta medida desmiente tal afirmación y demuestra que no se trata más que de una política basada en la raza y de una cifra arbitraria. Este no es el país por el que mi padre, sus hermanos y tantos otros han luchado y muerto. Lloro por mi patria. Envíenos sus sugerencias por correo electrónico: news@hispanicpaper.com|615-582-3757