VOICES

POLITICAL COMMENTARY - On Sept. 1 of this year, President Joe Biden stood at the podium at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the very place where the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed and delivered a blistering primetime speech aimed at the former president.

THE BRITISH MONARCHY - The death of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch of British royalty, has sparked global fascination and spawned thousands of clickbait reports of the details of her funeral.

EDUCATION - I will never forget the afternoon before my very first day as a middle school teacher in central New Jersey.

GUEST COMMENTARY - On 8th September, 2022, a 96-year old woman died. Nothing unusual there.

ENVIRONMENT - The United States uses about 100 billion plastic bags every year. By 2050, a report at the World Economic Forum predicted there will be as much plastic in the world’s oceans as fish. 

GUEST COMMENTARY - Three local elected United States representatives turned their backs on the protection of Women's rights namely the right of Choice which led up to the recent decision by the United States Supreme Court to overturn Roe vs Wade. 

MID TERM ELECTION - Prospects for Democrats winning in November in the House and Senate have picked up recently.

ELECTION POLITICS - Two-thirds of the way through 2022, the political situation is quite different than it appeared to be on January 1.

GUEST COMMENTARY - Barak Obama’s presidential portrait will finally hang in the White House after the traditional, official ceremony.

THE DOCTOR IS IN - Contrary to current popular media groupthink and echo chambers, no one in their right mind wants to live in an unhealthy environment.

GUEST COMMENTARY - In the 1970s, I met one of Hitler’s leading propagandists, Leni Riefenstahl, whose epic films glorified the Nazis.

GUEST COMMENTARY - Before I even get into the guts of this argument, just ask yourself:

MY THOUGHTS - Before I start this week’s column, I want to say a few words about my late departed friend CW Publisher, Ken Draper. 

OP-ED - It was the honor of my life to serve the people of Los Angeles and the State of California over a 20-year public service career.

GUEST COMMENTARY - There was no leader in the twentieth century who did more to end the Cold War, the over-militarization of his country, and the reliance on nuclear weaponry than Mikhail S. Gorbachev. 

THE VIEW FROM HERE - Two factors precede most civil wars: (1) The breaking of established cultural norms based on shared values, and (2) division along ethnic, religious or race lines. 

ACCORDING TO LIZ - Labor sounds awfully intense in this Trumpian era of self-indulgence. Do people really want to celebrate work? 

DRUG OVERDOSES - In February 2021, 16-year-old, straight-A student Sammy Berman Chapman asked his dad for a cheeseburger. 

GUEST COMMENTARY - The last few decades have seen the emergence of two rival economies:

STUDENT LOANS - President Biden’s student loan debt forgiveness plan is like a dirty band-aid on a festering wound.

THE VIEW FROM HERE - On Sunday, August 27, 2022, 60 Minutes ran a story about terrorist attacks on the power grid.