“The public school is the greatest discovery made by man.” Horace Mann, son of a poor farmer who rose to Congress on the strength of his education, uttered those words in the early 19th century because he realized the truth of what Plato expounded roughly 22 centuries before him — education is the cornerstone of … Continue reading The not-so-hidden dangers of school vouchers
Donald Trump
We need to retake America from our Racist-in-Chief
The president of the United States is racist. Notwithstanding the justified outrage over the president’s latest romp in the white supremacist sandbox, this fact should come as no surprise — the president is racist. When the president tells four congresswomen, all U.S. citizens, they should “go back” to the “places from which they came,” we … Continue reading We need to retake America from our Racist-in-Chief
This Fourth, let’s declare independence from nationalism
We’re less than a week from the Fourth of July, which means most of us here in ‘Muricaland are getting ready for our annual red-white-and-blue orgy of food, fireworks and unbridled patriotism. I love Independence Day. But, before we indulge in too many hot dogs, blow up a little piece of this country we love … Continue reading This Fourth, let’s declare independence from nationalism
History begs us to avoid another bloody war
We, in the United States, are not very good at learning from history. After our protracted, bloody and ultimately pointless war in Vietnam, the United States adopted the Weinberger Doctrine, designed to prevent wars not vital to our interests, and the kind of aimless blood-letting that carved more than 58,000 names on the Vietnam Memorial … Continue reading History begs us to avoid another bloody war
‘Tis tax season, Christmas for plutocrats
It’s tax season, which means it’s time for hard-working Americans to donate to our favorite philanthropic cause: corporate welfare. I know, after four decades of real-wage stagnation for working-class Americans, you’ve all been hand-wringing over the plight of our country’s bloated billionaire class. After all, according to the Economic Policy Institute, the top 1 … Continue reading ‘Tis tax season, Christmas for plutocrats
Razors, babies and racists, oh my! The week in an America ruled by fear
The absence Tuesday of Martin Luther King Jr., on what should have been his 90th birthday, was made sadder by how far we continue to fall short of his dream. An obvious example came Jan. 10, when Rep. Steve King of Iowa wondered aloud how white supremacy and white nationalism became offensive. Less obvious, but … Continue reading Razors, babies and racists, oh my! The week in an America ruled by fear
The U.S. remains a world leader — we’re just leading in the wrong direction
The United States has long prided itself on being a leader in international affairs. Unfortunately, American influence today is driving us, and many of our allies, off the path of our ideals. Reagan’s “shining city upon a hill” has become a leader in the ideology of nationalism. The multilateral approach that raised us from … Continue reading The U.S. remains a world leader — we’re just leading in the wrong direction
Guns, greed and our spiritual death
“If we do not act we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality and strength without sight.” When Martin Luther King Jr. uttered those words, he was warning us of the greed and undue power surrounding America’s … Continue reading Guns, greed and our spiritual death
The bigger issue with Kavanaugh: We don’t even care if he did it
It’s highly unlikely, even if an FBI investigation materializes, we’ll ever know the full truth surrounding Brett Kavanaugh and his accusers. But, there is a bigger issue than Kavanaugh and his alleged misdeeds: As a society, we don’t seem to care if he assaulted these women. I don't know if Brett Kavanaugh is guilty … Continue reading The bigger issue with Kavanaugh: We don’t even care if he did it
Political expedience is no reason to ignore rape
This piece originally was published as an opinion column in the Enid News & Eagle on Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. Our national attention once again is captivated by the all-too-predictable pattern of hypocrisy and chicanery that surfaces when a woman makes an accusation against a powerful man in America. First, let’s settle one point: … Continue reading Political expedience is no reason to ignore rape
