Archive
Arm the Teachers
Racism is Literally Killing African-American Mothers
At first glance, tennis star Serena Williams and the late activist Erica Garner don't have much in common. They lived different lives on different ends of the socioeconomic spectrum. But as black women in America, they both shared horrifying stories due to...
I’m an Eagle Scout, and I Don’t Want Pipelines in My Wilderness
I’m an Eagle Scout from Virginia. Troop 149, an enthusiastic and lively troop from Arlington, made me the person I am today. Being a member of Troop 149 meant a lot of things, but most importantly it meant incredible outdoor expeditions on the Appalachian Trail. The...
Mass Shootings Shouldn’t Be the Only Time We Talk About Mental Illness
After every mass shooting, we repeat all of the same things. Some call for gun control. Those against gun control say this isn't the time to talk about it. The Onion reprints its story titled, "‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens,"...
Long Live the Jersey Tomato
Food corporations and their academic cohorts keep trying to "make" an industrial tomato to rival Mother Nature’s product. And they keep failing. They might consider this instead: the Rutgers 250. It’s a revived version of the classic hybrid tomato bred in 1934 by...
Caught Her Red-Handed
In OtherWords: February 21, 2018
Another week, another mass shooting, another gun control debate. With brave survivors from Florida pushing hard against politicians in thrall to the gun lobby, maybe this time will be different. But one familiar element is the inevitable discussion of mental illness....
In OtherWords: February 14, 2018
The White House released its budget proposal this week, and the numbers are more of the same: huge cuts to popular programs like food stamps, Medicare, and Social Security, and a huge boost for military contractors — all while driving up the deficit. Policies like...
Tips Are for Servers, Not CEOs
When we give someone a tip, we expect the money will go to the workers who provided us with service. We might leave a little extra because someone went above and beyond for us. Or because we want that person to have a slightly easier time getting by. Whatever the...
The Attorney General Thinks Aspirin Helps Severe Pain. He’s Wrong.
Recently Attorney General Jeff Sessions gave Americans suffering severe pain some advice: "People need to take some aspirin sometimes and tough it out a little." As someone who has suffered chronic pain for over 20 years, his remarks make me very angry. Sessions was...
