Latest news with #Mauldin
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
The hidden danger of kratom: Two grieving mothers expose the deadly truth behind the 'natural' supplement
In recent years, kratom has emerged as a popular so-called 'natural' remedy, praised by its users for easing anxiety, pain, and even aiding in recovery from opioid addiction. Available in gas stations, wellness shops, and online stores across the United States, it is sold in the form of powders, capsules, gummies, and drinks. Its appeal lies in its plant-based origin and accessibility. But behind the glossy marketing and herbal branding lies a darker truth, one that two grieving mothers are now fighting to expose. Pam Mauldin's son, 37-year-old Jordan McKibban, died in April 2022 after consuming kratom in a seemingly harmless way by mixing a spoonful of the powder into a glass of lemonade after work. A resident of Washington state, Jordan was a health-conscious man who worked at an organic food distributor and avoided even ibuprofen for his arthritis. He loved cooking, being outdoors, and was planning a future with a woman he had fallen in love with. He dreamed of starting a family. But that dream ended abruptly in his bathroom. His mother found him lifeless, the result of mitragynine toxicity an active compound in kratom that behaves like an opioid. She performed CPR on her son, but it was too late. 'He shouldn't be in the cemetery,' Mauldin told The New York Post in an exclusive report published August 6, 2025. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Unsold 2021 Cars Now Almost Free - Prices May Surprise You Unsold Cars | Search Ads Learn More Undo 'I've lost my son. I've lost the grandchildren I could have had. I've lost the joy of watching him grow into the man he was becoming. ' Mauldin is now part of a growing number of Americans pushing for stricter regulation or an outright ban on kratom. Her wrongful death lawsuit claims that kratom is 63 times more deadly than other natural supplements legally sold to consumers. She finds it deeply frustrating that products like lettuce or potato chips are pulled from shelves over minor safety concerns, yet kratom remains widely available despite documented fatalities. Kratom is made from the leaves of a tree native to Southeast Asia. In lower doses, it stimulates the body. In higher doses, it acts as a sedative—just like opioids. According to the FDA, kratom is not legally marketed in the U.S. as a dietary supplement or food additive, yet it continues to thrive in the gray zones of commerce. One major concern is that kratom products are not required to go through quality control checks, meaning consumers have no assurance about what they are actually ingesting. Doctors like Dr. Robert Levy, an addiction specialist and professor at the University of Minnesota, warn that kratom's addictive potential is dangerously underestimated. 'People can become addicted to it, have withdrawal from it, and overdose on it,' Levy told The Post. 'There's a belief that because something is 'natural,' it must be safe. But arsenic is natural too.' The problem is amplified by a newer, more potent version of kratom circulating in the market: 7-hydroxymitragynine, commonly known as 7-OH. This synthetic kratom variant is more powerful than morphine and even more addictive. The FDA has recently recommended classifying 7-OH as an illicit substance. Dr. Marty Makary, the FDA Commissioner, stated, 'We need regulation and public education to prevent another wave of the opioid epidemic. ' Jennifer Young, a mother from Columbus, Ohio, also knows the pain kratom can inflict. Her 27-year-old son, Johnny Loring, began using kratom for anxiety. Like many others, Young didn't think much of it after reading online that it was a 'natural, safe alternative.' Loring was a delivery driver who loved fishing and playing guitar. 'Everybody loved Johnny,' she said. 'He was the kind of guy who would give you the last dollar in his pocket. ' Then he started having seizures. Doctors didn't connect them to kratom and referred him to a seizure clinic. He never made it. During a family mushroom-hunting trip, he collapsed and died. The toxicology report revealed high levels of mitragynine and gabapentin in his system. After his death, Young found nearly 20 packs of kratom hidden in his room. He would mix the powder into orange juice. She had no idea how addicted he had become. 'The level of kratom shocked me,' she said. 'It made my gut sick.' Young, too, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. But her focus is not on the financial settlement. 'There's no amount of money I could put on my child's life,' she said. After losing Johnny, she spent a year in bed and began taking antidepressants. Her other children have struggled with mental health in the aftermath. Christmas was 'miserable,' she said. 'Our house is silent now. The void of Johnny is just loud.' Despite these tragic stories, kratom remains largely unregulated. From 2011 to 2017, poison control centers recorded over 1,800 calls related to kratom. Physicians say that number has only gone up. Dr. Michael Greco, an emergency medicine doctor, told The Post that patients on kratom often arrive at the hospital with agitation, psychosis, dizziness, elevated blood pressure, or are completely unresponsive. For now, grieving families are doing what the federal government has not: warning the public. They want parents, teenagers, and health-conscious consumers to understand that 'natural' does not mean harmless. Both Mauldin and Young believed their sons were making responsible choices. Both were wrong. As these cases show, kratom is not the safe, plant-based wonder product it is made out to be. It is an addictive substance with the potential to destroy lives. Regulation is long overdue. Until that happens, awareness is the only defense parents and families have. As Mauldin put it: 'He didn't even like to take ibuprofen. That's the kind of man he was. He trusted what was on the label. And now he's gone.' How does kratom affect the body? The wisdom Kratom, a lush tree native to Southeast Asia, has come a content of heated discussion in heartiness circles, indispensable drug forums, and nonsupervisory debates. In regions like Thailand and Indonesia, the factory's leaves have long been used by sloggers seeking relief from physical strain or internal fatigue. Over the once decade, its dried or pulverized form has gained traction in Western requests, frequently promoted as a natural remedy for pain, anxiety, and low energy. Yet, the line between benefit and detriment is thin. Kratom's impact on the mortal body isn't only complex, it's also changeable, especially in the absence of regulation. How the body responds? Kratom generally begins working within half an hour of ingestion. The peak of its goods generally hits within two hours and may last up to five or six. During this time, the body may suffer a conspicuous shift in energy or mood. Common short- term goods include Increased energy and talkativeness( low boluses) Muscle relaxation and pain relief( high boluses) A calmer or further balanced mood Mild swoon or internal clarity jacked focus or bettered work performance Not all gests are positive. Indeed moderate use has touched off side goods in some individualities Nausea or puking Dizziness or blurred vision Sot mouth or sweating Trouble concentrating Fatigue after the goods wear off These symptoms may vary depending on body weight, general health, former exposure to instigations, and whether kratom is taken alone or with other substances. The current medical station Kratom's legal status varies across regions. In the U.S., it remains legal under civil law but is confined or banned in certain countries. The FDA has expressed concern about its eventuality for abuse, while others argue that banning kratom outright could push druggies toward more dangerous synthetic opioids. Medical professionals generally advise caution. Until large- scale studies clarify kratom's long- term impact, especially on the liver, brain, and heart, it's wise to treat the factory as a serious pharmacological agent not just a herbal tea. Kratom is neither a panacea nor a substance to be taken smoothly. Its goods on the mortal body can be remedial in some cases and dangerous in others. As the heartiness assiduity continues to experiment with natural druthers, kratom sits at a critical crossroads, promising for some, problematic for numerous. Anyone considering its use should speak to a certified healthcare provider and insure they're sourcing it from a estimable supplier, if at all. Source of the case: The New York Post, "Our sons died taking an 'all-natural' supplement you can buy at gas stations people don't realize it's so addictive and dangerous", August 6, 2025. ( source of image Pinterest) Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Our sons died taking an ‘all-natural' supplement you can buy at gas stations — people don't realize it's so addictive and dangerous
Months before Jordan McKibban collapsed in his bathroom and never woke up, the 37-year-old prepared smoked salmon and home-grown canned peppers to entertain his big, blended family in their quiet Washington state community. Weeks before, he told his mom, Pam Mauldin, things were getting serious with the woman he was dating — his 'one big desire' to have kids was finally in reach, Mauldin recalled. Days before, he helped a friend plant a flower garden for a baby shower. 'He loved life. He loved doing things outdoors,' Mauldin told The Post. Then, on the day of his death, McKibban went to his longtime job at an organic food distributor. When he got home, he mixed a tablespoon of a powdered kratom supplement into his lemonade. Marketed as an 'all-natural' way to ease pain, anxiety, depression and more, kratom can appeal to health-conscious people like McKibban, who Mauldin says wouldn't even take ibuprofen for the arthritis in his hands. But on that Tuesday in April 2022, a compound in the substance called mitragynine took McKibban's life, an autopsy report later showed. When Mauldin broke into his bathroom after a call from her grandson that day, she found McKibban lifeless. She performed CPR on her own son and shielded her eyes when medics carried his gray body away. 'I've lost my son. I've lost my grandchildren that I could have had, I've lost watching him walk down that aisle, watching him have a life that I get to watch with my other kids. I've lost enjoying these years with him,' Mauldin said. 'I have to go to the cemetery, and I hate going to the cemetery. He shouldn't be there,' she added. From dizziness to nonresponsiveness Kratom products — sold in powders, gummies and energy-looking drinks — come from a plant native to Southeast Asia and can act like a stimulant at lower doses and a sedative at higher ones. While they're readily found online, in brick-and-mortar stores and even gas stations as catch-all solutions to everything from fatigue to opioid withdrawal, the Food and Drug Administration says kratom and its key components are 'not lawfully marketed' in the US as a drug product, dietary supplement or food additive. The products, though, are gaining attention on social media, as TikTokers reveal disturbing interactions with teens going great lengths to get their hands on drinks like Feel Free. The shot-like capsules of kratom and other 'botanic' ingredients look innocent enough and line some gas station checkouts. National poison control centers documented 1,807 calls about kratom exposures between 2011 and 2017, and 'it's only been increasing since then,' Dr. Michael Greco, an emergency medicine physician in Florida, said. Patients on kratom 'can have a lot of agitation, sometimes even psychosis,' he added. 'You get sweating, you get dizziness, you get very high blood pressure or elevated heart rate.' On the other end of the spectrum, he noted, 'people might be totally unresponsive or just extremely drowsy and out of it.' While documented deaths from kratom are rare and typically involve other substances like fentanyl, critics say consumers are unaware of kratom's potential dangers. Manufacturers aren't required to verify if what is listed on the label accurately reflects what's inside the product. McKibban, for one, was told it was impossible to overdose on kratom; that he'd just throw up if he took too much, Mauldin said. The green cellophane bags he left behind had no instructions or warnings. 'I find it so frustrating when I get a recall from Costco over lettuce or they have a recall over some potato chip … and they pull it all off the market,' Mauldin, whose lawsuit alleges kratom is 63 times more deadly than other 'natural' products sold to consumers, noted. 'There have been hundreds of people killed from this, and they don't pull it. The government doesn't step in,' she added. An even more potent danger Experts are especially concerned with a highly potent, highly addictive kratom offshoot called 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, which seems to have infiltrated the market in the past few years, said Dr. Robert Levy, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota who's board-certified in both addiction and family medicine. Many people don't know the difference. 'There's always been concern around kratom because if you take enough of it, kratom does act like an opioid, and people can become addicted to it and have withdrawal from it and overdose on it and ruin their lives on it, like anybody else that has a substance use disorder,' Levy said. 7-hydroxymitragynine, though, 'is much more addicting and much more problematic.' In fact, just last week, the FDA recommended classifying 7-OH as an illicit substance. '7-OH is an opioid that can be more potent than morphine,' FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, said in a press release. 'We need regulation and public education to prevent another wave of the opioid epidemic.' In the meantime, according to Levy, parents should be having open conversations with their kids about the appeals, dangers and addictive potential of kratom — and the fact that 'all-natural' or 'plant-based' doesn't necessarily mean safe. 'Arsenic is also from a plant,' he says. As for people who say kratom helps them wean off other substances 'and they can control their use and they're getting their life back together, then who am I to judge?' Levy said. 'I just worry that because they can't control the use of something, the part of their brain that controls the use of psychoactive drugs is fundamentally broken, and I worry they'll continue to take more and more of it until they develop a kratom use disorder.' '[If] the part of their brain that controls the use of psychoactive drugs is fundamentally broken, I worry they'll continue to take more and more of it until they develop a kratom use disorder,' he said. 'If your child or you or whoever is suffering from a substance disorder, you're not alone,' Levy added. 'Lots of people suffer from substance disorder. There is help, treatment works.' 'No money on my child's life' For Jennifer Young, that message came too late. The mom in Columbus, Ohio, first googled kratom a few years ago after her son, Johnny Loring, mentioned he was using it for anxiety. What she found didn't alarm her. 'I saw it's this 'all-natural, safe alternative,' and then people are like, 'It's wonderful, it saved my life, helps with my anxiety, helps with my pain, it's a cure-all,'' Young remembered. 'So I didn't really think it was that bad.' Plus, Loring, a delivery driver for a flooring company who loved fishing and playing guitar, found kratom helped him stay alert and communicate with his customers. He valued those relationships. 'Everybody loved Johnny,' Young said. 'He was the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back, the last dollar in his pocket. He didn't care if you needed a ride, he'd give it to you. Anything you needed, he would be there for you in a heartbeat.' Even when Loring started having seizures, neither Young nor clinicians traced them back to kratom. At the hospital, 'they told me that everything was fine and they referred me to a seizure clinic,' Young added. Loring never got the chance to go. Weeks later, at age 27, he collapsed during an annual mushroom hunting trip with the men in his family and his new girlfriend. By the time the ambulance got to him, he was dead. A toxicology report revealed deadly levels of mitragynine and gabapentin, a prescription painkiller, in his system. 'The level of kratom shocked me. It overwhelmed me. It made my gut sick,' said Young, who later found about 20 packs of kratom, which he drank with orange juice, around Loring's room. 'I didn't realize it was so addicting.' Like Mauldin, Young is pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit. But, she added, 'there's no amount of money I could put on my child's life.' After Loring's death last spring, she spent a year in bed and got on antidepressants for the first time. One of her other children has been hospitalized for panic attacks. Christmas was 'miserable,' she said. 'Our house is silent now. The void of Johnny is just loud,' Young added. 'I just hope that someday I can get back to enjoying things, because I know he would want me to. But right now, I don't enjoy anything.' Solve the daily Crossword
New York Post
5 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
Our sons died on kratom — people don't realize it's so dangerous
Months before Jordan McKibban collapsed in his bathroom and never woke up, the 37-year-old prepared smoked salmon and home-grown canned peppers to entertain his big, blended family in their quiet Washington state community. Weeks before, he told his mom, Pam Mauldin, things were getting serious with the woman he was dating — his 'one big desire' to have kids was finally in reach, Mauldin recalled. Days before, he helped a friend plant a flower garden for a baby shower. 'He loved life. He loved doing things outdoors,' Mauldin told The Post. Advertisement Then, on the day of his death, McKibban went to his longtime job at an organic food distributor. When he got home, he mixed a tablespoon of a powdered kratom supplement into his lemonade. 11 Jordan McKibban died at age 37 while taking kratom, an 'all-natural' supplement available online and in stores. Courtesy Pam Mauldin 11 Jordan's mom, Pam Mauldin (second from right), spoke to The Post to warn other parents — and thinks kratom should be pulled from shelves. Courtesy Pam Mauldin Marketed as an 'all-natural' way to ease pain, anxiety, depression and more, kratom can appeal to health-conscious people like McKibban, who Mauldin says wouldn't even take ibuprofen for the arthritis in his hands. Advertisement But on that Tuesday in April 2022, a compound in the substance called mitragynine took McKibban's life, an autopsy report later showed. When Mauldin broke into his bathroom after a call from her grandson that day, she found McKibban lifeless. She performed CPR on her own son and shielded her eyes when medics carried his gray body away. 'I've lost my son. I've lost my grandchildren that I could have had, I've lost watching him walk down that aisle, watching him have a life that I get to watch with my other kids. I've lost enjoying these years with him,' Mauldin said. Advertisement 'I have to go to the cemetery, and I hate going to the cemetery. He shouldn't be there,' she added. From dizziness to nonresponsiveness Kratom products — sold in powders, gummies and energy-looking drinks — come from a plant native to Southeast Asia and can act like a stimulant at lower doses and a sedative at higher ones. 'Kratom does act like an opioid, and people can become addicted to it and have withdrawal from it and overdose on it.' Dr. Robert Levy, addiction and family medicine doctor While they're readily found online, in brick-and-mortar stores and even gas stations as catch-all solutions to everything from fatigue to opioid withdrawal, the Food and Drug Administration says kratom and its key components are 'not lawfully marketed' in the US as a drug product, dietary supplement or food additive. Advertisement 11 Kratom, which comes in powders, gummies and drinks, can have serious side effects. AP The products, though, are gaining attention on social media, as TikTokers reveal disturbing interactions with teens going great lengths to get their hands on drinks like Feel Free. The shot-like capsules of kratom and other 'botanic' ingredients look innocent enough and line some gas station checkouts. National poison control centers documented 1,807 calls about kratom exposures between 2011 and 2017, and 'it's only been increasing since then,' Dr. Michael Greco, an emergency medicine physician in Florida, said. Patients on kratom 'can have a lot of agitation, sometimes even psychosis,' he added. 'You get sweating, you get dizziness, you get very high blood pressure or elevated heart rate.' On the other end of the spectrum, he noted, 'people might be totally unresponsive or just extremely drowsy and out of it.' 11 Feel Free, shot-like capsules of kratom and other 'botanic' ingredients, have recently earned attention on TikTok. Feel Free Tonics While documented deaths from kratom are rare and typically involve other substances like fentanyl, critics say consumers are unaware of kratom's potential dangers. Manufacturers aren't required to verify if what is listed on the label accurately reflects what's inside the product. McKibban, for one, was told it was impossible to overdose on kratom; that he'd just throw up if he took too much, Mauldin said. The green cellophane bags he left behind had no instructions or warnings. Advertisement 'I find it so frustrating when I get a recall from Costco over lettuce or they have a recall over some potato chip … and they pull it all off the market,' Mauldin, whose lawsuit alleges kratom is 63 times more deadly than other 'natural' products sold to consumers, noted. 'There have been hundreds of people killed from this, and they don't pull it. The government doesn't step in,' she added. 11 'I've lost my son. I've lost my grandchildren that I could have had, I've lost watching him walk down that aisle, watching him have a life,' Mauldin said. Courtesy Pam Mauldin 11 'I have to go to the cemetery, and I hate going to the cemetery. He shouldn't be there,' Mauldin said. Courtesy Pam Mauldin An even more potent danger Experts are especially concerned with a highly potent, highly addictive kratom offshoot called 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, which seems to have infiltrated the market in the past few years, said Dr. Robert Levy, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota who's board-certified in both addiction and family medicine. Advertisement Many people don't know the difference. 'There's always been concern around kratom because if you take enough of it, kratom does act like an opioid, and people can become addicted to it and have withdrawal from it and overdose on it and ruin their lives on it, like anybody else that has a substance use disorder,' Levy said. 7-hydroxymitragynine, though, 'is much more addicting and much more problematic.' Advertisement In fact, just last week, the FDA recommended classifying 7-OH as an illicit substance. '7-OH is an opioid that can be more potent than morphine,' FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, said in a press release. 'We need regulation and public education to prevent another wave of the opioid epidemic.' 11 People on kratom can experience agitation, psychosis, sweating, dizziness, hypertension and elevated heart rate. Courtesy Pam Mauldin In the meantime, according to Levy, parents should be having open conversations with their kids about the appeals, dangers and addictive potential of kratom — and the fact that 'all-natural' or 'plant-based' doesn't necessarily mean safe. 'Arsenic is also from a plant,' he says. Advertisement As for people who say kratom helps them wean off other substances 'and they can control their use and they're getting their life back together, then who am I to judge?' Levy said. 'I just worry that because they can't control the use of something, the part of their brain that controls the use of psychoactive drugs is fundamentally broken, and I worry they'll continue to take more and more of it until they develop a kratom use disorder.' 'The level of kratom shocked me. It overwhelmed me. It made my gut sick. I didn't realize it was so addicting.' Jennifer Young '[If] the part of their brain that controls the use of psychoactive drugs is fundamentally broken, I worry they'll continue to take more and more of it until they develop a kratom use disorder,' he said. 'If your child or you or whoever is suffering from a substance disorder, you're not alone,' Levy added. 'Lots of people suffer from substance disorder. There is help, treatment works.' 11 Jennifer Young's son, Johnny Loring, was taking kratom — and she didn't worry because it's marketed as an 'all-natural, safe alternative.' Courtesy Jennifer Young 'No money on my child's life' For Jennifer Young, that message came too late. The mom in Columbus, Ohio, first googled kratom a few years ago after her son, Johnny Loring, mentioned he was using it for anxiety. What she found didn't alarm her. 'I saw it's this 'all-natural, safe alternative,' and then people are like, 'It's wonderful, it saved my life, helps with my anxiety, helps with my pain, it's a cure-all,'' Young remembered. 'So I didn't really think it was that bad.' 11 'Everybody loved Johnny,' Young says. 'He was the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back, the last dollar in his pocket.' Courtesy Jennifer Young Plus, Loring, a delivery driver for a flooring company who loved fishing and playing guitar, found kratom helped him stay alert and communicate with his customers. He valued those relationships. 'Everybody loved Johnny,' Young said. 'He was the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back, the last dollar in his pocket. He didn't care if you needed a ride, he'd give it to you. Anything you needed, he would be there for you in a heartbeat.' Even when Loring started having seizures, neither Young nor clinicians traced them back to kratom. At the hospital, 'they told me that everything was fine and they referred me to a seizure clinic,' Young added. Loring never got the chance to go. Weeks later, at age 27, he collapsed during an annual mushroom hunting trip with the men in his family and his new girlfriend. By the time the ambulance got to him, he was dead. A toxicology report revealed deadly levels of mitragynine and gabapentin, a prescription painkiller, in his system. 11 At age 27, Loring collapsed during an annual mushroom hunting trip with the men in his family and his new girlfriend. By the time the ambulance got to him, he was dead. Courtesy Jennifer Young 11 'Our house is silent now. The void of Johnny is just loud,' Young says. 'I just hope that someday I can get back to enjoying things, because I know he would want me to. But right now, I don't enjoy anything.' Courtesy Jennifer Young 'The level of kratom shocked me. It overwhelmed me. It made my gut sick,' said Young, who later found about 20 packs of kratom, which he drank with orange juice, around Loring's room. 'I didn't realize it was so addicting.' Like Mauldin, Young is pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit. But, she added, 'there's no amount of money I could put on my child's life.' After Loring's death last spring, she spent a year in bed and got on antidepressants for the first time. One of her other children has been hospitalized for panic attacks. Christmas was 'miserable,' she said. 'Our house is silent now. The void of Johnny is just loud,' Young added. 'I just hope that someday I can get back to enjoying things, because I know he would want me to. But right now, I don't enjoy anything.'
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
The Voting Rights Act is turning 60. Civil rights marchers recall a hard-won struggle
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Facing a sea of state troopers, Charles Mauldin was near the front line of voting rights marchers who strode across the now-infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on March 7, 1965. The violence that awaited them shocked the nation and galvanized support for the passage of the U.S. Voting Rights Act a few months later. Wednesday marks the 60th anniversary of the landmark legislation becoming law. Those at the epicenter of the fight for voting rights for Black Americans recalled their memories of the struggle, and expressed fear that those hard-won rights are being eroded. Bloody Sunday in Alabama, 1965 Mauldin was 17 when he joined the ill-fated 'Bloody Sunday' march. John Lewis, who became a longtime Georgia congressman, and Hosea Williams were the first pair of marchers. Mauldin was in the third pair. 'We had gotten past being afraid at that point. What was happening in Selma and to us was so unjust that we were determined to fight it regardless of the consequences,' Mauldin, now 77, said. The head of the state troopers told them that they were in an illegal gathering and had two minutes to disperse. Williams asked for a moment to pray, Mauldin recalled. Immediately, state troopers in gas masks and helmets, as well as deputies and men on horseback, attacked the marchers — men, women, children. They lashed out with billy clubs and tear gas, with stomping horse hooves and cattle prods. A cause worth dying for Richard Smiley, then 16, was also among the marchers. He stashed candy in his pockets so he would have something to eat in case they went to jail. As they approached the bridge, he saw about 100 white men on horseback. 'The only qualification they needed was to hate Blacks,' Smiley said. 'Our knees were knocking. We didn't know whether we were going to get killed. We were afraid but we weren't going to let fear stop us,' Smiley, 76, recalled. 'At that point we would've gave up our life for the right to vote. That's just how important it was.' Selma in 1965 was a 'very poor city and a racist city,' he said. He said there were some 'white people in the town that supported our cause, but they couldn't stand up' because of what would happen to them. Echoes of the past The Voting Rights Act led to sweeping change across the American South as discriminatory voting practices were dismantled and Black voter turnout surged. Democratic President Lyndon Johnson called the act 'a triumph for freedom as huge as any victory won on any battlefield,' when he signed it on Aug. 6, 1965. However, both Mauldin and Smiley see echoes of the past in the current political climate. While not as extreme as the policies of the Jim Crow South, Mauldin said there are attacks on the rights of Black and brown voters. 'The same struggle we had 61 years ago is the same struggle we had today,' Mauldin said. Some states have enacted laws that make it harder not easier to vote, with voter ID requirements, limits to mail voting and other changes. President Donald Trump and Republican-led states have pushed sweeping rollbacks of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives with Trump declaring he 'ended the tyranny' of such programs. The Justice Department, once focused on protecting access to voting, is taking steps to investigate alleged voter fraud and noncitizen voting. The department is joining Alabama in opposing a request to require the state to get future congressional maps precleared for use, calling it 'a dramatic intrusion on principles of federalism.' A long, unfinished struggle The fight for voting rights was a long struggle, as is the struggle to maintain those rights, said Hank Sanders, a former state senator who helped organize the annual Bloody Sunday commemoration in Selma. Two weeks after Bloody Sunday, the Rev. Martin Luther King led marchers out on the walk to Montgomery, Alabama, to continue the fight for voting rights. Sanders was among the thousands who completed the last legs of the march and listened as King's famous words 'How long, not long' thundered down over the crowd. 'That was a very powerful moment because I left there convinced that it wouldn't be long before people would have the full voting rights,' Sanders, 82, recalled. He said the reality it would be a longer fight set in the next year when a slate of Black candidates lost in an overwhelmingly Black county The Voting Rights Act for decades required that states with a history of discrimination — including many in the South — get federal approval before changing the way they hold elections. The requirement of preclearance effectively went away in 2013 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in a case arising from Alabama, that the provision determining which states are covered was outdated and unconstitutional. That led to a flood of legislation in states impacting voting, Sanders said. 'It's no longer a shower, t's a storm,' Sanders said. 'I never thought that 50 years later, we'd still be fighting,' Sanders said, 'not just to expand voting right but to be able to maintain some of the rights that we had already obtained.'
Vancouver Sun
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Why Redblacks' career sacks leader Lorenzo Mauldin IV is not looking like his old self
Like his team as a whole, Lorenzo Mauldin's numbers are way down. Through one-third of the 2025 CFL season, the Ottawa Redblacks' career sacks leader has yet to put a quarterback on the ground. Along with having a zero in the sacks column, Mauldin has just eight tackles in six games. It's an uncharacteristic stat line for the 32-year-old defensive end, who is one of the team's top-paid and generally most productive players. Mired in a three-game losing slump that has dragged them to the basement of the CFL standings, the Redblacks believe they are much better than the 1-5 record indicates. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Mauldin believes a turnaround is imminent. 'We're out there putting in our work, and of course it's not showing, but it's semi-early,' the former New York Jet and Hamilton Tiger-Cat said Thursday after the team's practice at TD Place. 'We're definitely going to find our way, and we're going to go on a tear.' After recording 30 sacks over the last three seasons — including a CFL-leading 17 in 2022 and a league co-leading eight last year — Mauldin is also confident he'll find his way to the quarterback again. 'The numbers will be there,' he said. 'I have to go out there and continue to do what I'm doing. I'm getting there, it's just that the ball is either out (of the QB's hand) or on the way. It's going to happen. It's just a matter of when.' Age is not one of them. In fact, Mauldin is in tip-top shape since shaving almost 20 pounds from his 6-foot-4 frame in the off-season. 'I feel like I haven't lost a step,' said Mauldin, who dropped from 285 pounds to 266. 'I've lost weight. That's the only thing lost. In the off-season I made sure I was not losing muscle but focusing on the fat. I came out here a lot faster, and definitely feel like I'm able to keep my strength and everything. At the end of the day, I'm just out there working within this game and making sure that I do my job so that the defence can prosper.' The defence did throw a speed bump in front of the fast-moving Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday. After scoring 86 points in their previous two games, the Tiger-Cats managed just 23 against Ottawa. But getting to the quarterback remains a problem for the Redblacks, who, under new defensive coordinator Will Fields, have just seven sacks in six games. After setting the high bar with eight each in 2024, Mauldin and Michael Wakefield have combined for just one. 'I'm not tooting my horn or anything, but with me being the type of caliber player I am and with Bryce (Carter) on the other end, (opponents) have to double team and triple team us, and bring in receivers to take us off the edge,' said Mauldin. 'There's no excuse for why I don't have a sack or anything yet. I'm doing what I can, when I can, and whatever I have to do to help the defence.' Asked about the challenges of having a new DC, he added: 'With any team, with any defence, with any offence, you get a new coordinator and you're definitely doing some different things that you were doing in the last scheme. But it's for the better. You're definitely learning new things. I'm learning new things at the position that I'm playing, and again, we're going to go on a tear here soon. We just have to have everybody get comfortable.' It's too early, or as Mauldin calls it, 'semi-early', to say that. They have the same number of wins as the Argos, who hold a game in hand. But remember, three teams from each division don't necessarily qualify for post-season play. The fourth-place team in the West will cross over if it has a better record than the third-place team on this side, and right now that's the 3-3 B.C. Lions. However, the slope the Redbacks are currently sliding down will get slipperier if they lose again to the Tiger-Cats — who have won three straight and now sit first in the East — when the teams meet again Sunday at TD Place. 'Every game is a must-win, obviously, but at the same time, every game you (lose) takes down your opportunities as you move forward,' said head coach Bob Dyce. 'So yeah, you have to have a sense of urgency. (Hamilton) is an Eastern team, team that's ahead of us in the standings, and so we have to tighten up. We know where we want to get to. It's an important game. You can't say it's a must game, a playoff game is a must-win game, but you can be of the mindset that we have to be at our best this week to do everything that we can that will result in a victory.' The concerning news is that cornerback Adrian Frye (shoulder) is likely going back on the shelf two games after he missed one with a knee injury. His spot in the secondary could be filled by fellow American Deandre Lamont, who has practiced in full this week after being out with a hamstring issue. Better news, as far as the ratio goes, is that former Carleton Raven Justin Howell looks like he'll play his first game of the season after being out with a foot injury. It also looks like former Mount Allison Mounties linebacker Lucas Cormier will make his first start at the WILL position, giving the Redblacks more ratio flexibility. Cormier had three defensive tackles and a tackle for a loss while seeing spot duty last week. 'Lucas is a fantastic player,' said Dyce. 'How we looked at practice is likely how we'll go.' Former St. Mary's Huskies defensive lineman Aidan John (knee) was also practicing in full and could return, while Global player Tyron Vrede suffered an ankle injury in Hamilton that has prevented him from practising so far this week. Dyce prefers to look ahead rather than in the past, especially at a game that was played so recently, but did take a glance over his shoulder with references on this occasion. 'We're focused on making sure we have our best performance this week, and attack this week, and play great football in critical situations,' he said. 'One of the things we talk about is maximizing opportunities, whether that's a drive starting at the 30-yard line or 40-yard line, we've got to score touchdowns. Conversely, like the defence did last week. They're in tough field position. They've got to go out there, and they've got to deny touchdowns. We have to be focused and more consistent throughout the whole game.' Mauldin admitted the loss in Hamilton was extremely frustrating. 'We have to realize as a team that we need to finish,' he said. 'We've had plenty of close games in the past, and that was definitely one of those times where we didn't finish and we had to capitalize on it.' Sunday will mark the 100th career game for both starting middle linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox and fullback/special teamer Anthony Gosselin, who played his college ball with the Sherbrooke Vert et Or. While Santos-Knox is well known for his leadership and defensive impact (he's second on the team in tackles), Gosselin's contributions are understated. 'It's a big game for both of them … it says a lot about individuals to get to that mark,' said Dyce, a former special-teams coach who was asked specifically about Gosselin. 'We talk about who he is as a person and why he's been able to last this long. It's funny, when he came in early in his career, he was a guy who was on the roster and off. He was always on special teams and he'd always be in my office, persistent, saying, 'This is what I could do, this is what I want to do, what do I need to do better?' And he has continued in that vein throughout his whole career. He is one of the rare guys that you will see who, in his 30s, continues to get better. He is the ultimate in what you would want in a team player. He was willing to do anything possible for the team. It's not about him, it's about how he can help the team. The effort and work he puts in, in the off-season …. He's a phenomenal family man, and he's a great team man. You could talk to anyone on this team, and I don't think you would find anyone who would say anything bad about Anthony. He is not a vocal leader, but he leads by example, and sometimes those are the best leaders you can possibly have, because anything that you ask him to do, he's going to do it 100 percent. And like I said, he's not doing it for himself, he's doing it for the team.'
