Archive
Hating in Harmony
A Model for Democracy at the Grassroots Level
American democracy is the gritty history of workaday folks who get fed up with the stuffed suits, get organized, and get moving to stop the thievery. Gutsy, grassroots confrontation is necessary for reclaiming, maintaining, and advancing our democratic values. To see...
In OtherWords: September 23, 2015
This week in OtherWords, Kathleen Turner weighs in on the war against Planned Parenthood and Olivia Alperstein calls on Washington to welcome more Syrian refugees. Do you want to make sure you don’t miss the latest from OtherWords? Please subscribe to our free weekly...
Mending Our Welcome Mat
My great grandmother Rose was just 10 when she traveled to the United States with her family. They fled from Poland to England, took a boat to Canada, and crossed the border. The trip was long, but not nearly as treacherous as the journey many refugees are taking...
The Real Target of the Planned Parenthood Attacks
In the first two Republican presidential debates, the candidates slugged it out over who hated Planned Parenthood the most. Virtually every hopeful promised to defund the organization. Some of them, including Senator Ted Cruz, are vowing to force the issue — even if...
Nuts to First Class
I recently had the occasion to fly first class. As a poet and director of a small non-profit organization, this was a rare treat indeed. So why couldn’t I enjoy myself? It started with the warm nuts. I’d settled in with my free cocktail, having mastered the...
Taking it Lying Down vs. Plain Old Lying
The Republicans have finally found someone to man up to Donald Trump, who's threatening to turn their presidential primaries into a Saturday Night Live skit. She’s a woman. At the latest Republican debate, with a stage-full of candidates straining at the leash to...
The GOP’s Can’t-Do Attitude
The second Republican presidential debate shed light on why the GOP doesn’t want to do anything about climate change. Senator Marco Rubio led the way, misconstruing the shift toward green energy — which even Royal Dutch Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden says is in...
A Racist Wake-Up Call
I worked proudly with Muslim CIA officers in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. I used to think most Americans understood that Muslim Americans are patriots, too. Ahmed Mohamed’s recent ordeal proved how wrong I was. He’s the 14-year-old who was recently interrogated,...
Your Weed Killer Might Kill You
When I began writing about agriculture nearly a decade ago, I learned quickly that people generally believed that Roundup, the best-selling weed killer made by Monsanto, was relatively harmless. Roundup breaks down quickly, everyone said — and into non-toxic...
