IMPORTANT READS

SCOTUS-Though it may seem almost passé at this point under our ever-churning news cycle, over the last few weeks, one of the hottest topics discussed in the national news was the issue of “packing” the U.S. Supreme Court.

ELECTION 2020-The irony on Thursday morning cable news was too delicious not to savor.

GUEST WORDS--I’m of the generation that was born during World War II.

ELECTION 2020-We are only two weeks out from election day and the picture looks quite grim for Donald Trump and the Republican party.

THE COLOR OF OUR ELECTIONS--There have been fifty-six presidential elections in the United States since the first in 1788. In each of them, two white men (with one exception) have competed for the privilege of leading this country, and, (without exception), each and every pair of them has been dedicated to this nation’s not-so-hidden agenda–the maintenance of white-male supremacy–a system of oppression first established by Columbus, in 1492. 

PERSPECTIVE--This weekend's Women's March, like those that came before, brimmed with hope, rage, resolve and fabulous signs:

HOW RACIST IS AMERICA?-Republican Sen. David Perdue willfully mispronounced the name of his Senate colleague and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris on Friday,

DEMOCRACY ON THE PRECIPICE-- On September 1, 2020, I received a direct message (DM) on Twitter from a reporter working with a mainstream outlet requesting comment.

DECISION 2020-Our president has openly said he might not respect the outcome of our election. Is it a sign of things to come, or just tough talk? Either way, it’s good to plan ahead. 

GUEST WORDS--Nobody flocked to see the 1986 summer blockbuster Howard the Duck, which laid an egg at local theaters.

COUNTER PUNCH-As bad as conditions have traditionally been for labor worldwide, 2020 has seen conditions deteriorate even more.

POWER CAUSES BRAIN DAMAGE-Where, oh where, is the United States of America — global leader, creator of democracy, hope of humankind? It certainly wasn’t up there on the debate stage last night. 

WORLD WATCH-Like many Americans, I have been observing Trump’s rise to power with some perplexity, often asking myself how and why a man of his character became the President of the United States, which is viewed as the most powerful political office in the world.

GUEST WORDS--Yes, when he was running for president, he did indeed say: "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK? It's, like, incredible."

WORLD WATCH-On Wednesday Trump yet again refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power following the election: “Well, we’re going to have to see what happens.

VOICES-My newsfeed turned into a sea of black squares over the last couple of days, as I’m sure is the case for many of you, reading this. 

DEJA VOUX-It may be small comfort as we watch Donald Trump try to cheat and bully his way to a second term, but a recent study of his demagogic predecessor, Senator Joseph McCarthy, offers one.

OTHER WORDS-This year marks the 100-year anniversary of the 19th Amendment, when women got the right to vote in all 50 states.

VIEW FROM HERE-As a counselor and social worker, I often collaborate with the police on emergency calls to support victims of intimate partner violence.

GUEST WORDS--The inadequate response of both the federal and state governments to the Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the United States, creating what could only be called a national security crisis.

WAR POLITICS-Let’s be honest about America’s wars and the men (overwhelmingly) and women who have fought them.