Archive
In OtherWords: June 24, 2015
This week in OtherWords, John Cavanagh, Jill Richardson, Clara Summers, and I weigh in on the recent letter Pope Francis sent the world about pressing environmental questions. And Sarah Browning, John Kiriakou, and Khalil Bendib offer their takes on racist violence...
Francis vs. Washington
Pope Francis, the humble yet bold leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, has offered an inspiring 21st century vision to all people. It's a vision that's been sorely missing in the halls of power. In an encyclical focused on the environment, he details how we...
A Crime Against Humanity Sent Me to Harvard
When I say publicly that I'm descended from slave owners, I almost always hear a gasp. I let the tension hang a moment and then I break it: "Well, someone has to be, right?" This usually gets a laugh, or at least a humph of recognition. Because many of us white...
Putting ‘Independence’ Back in Independence Day
When we fire up the grill on the Fourth of July, few of us take time to consider what "independence" is all about. We live in the land of liberty. We celebrate freedom. But independence? The Declaration of Independence, approved by Congress on July 4, 1776, stated the...
Solar-Powered Friars
If you visit the Franciscan Friars Conventual of Ellicott City, Maryland, you’ll notice a large solar array standing in one of their fields. The friars have dramatically reduced their electricity bill, but that’s not the primary reason they invested in renewable...
Donald Trump Distinguishes Himself
We live in a time of stunning transformations. In recent weeks we’ve seen Bruce Jenner transition from a male Olympic medalist to Caitlyn Jenner, a self-assured woman gracing the cover of Vanity Fair. Then there’s Rachel Dolezal, the ex-president of the Spokane,...
How Would Francis Invest?
When Pope Francis unveiled his letter to the world about how we must stop trashing the planet, he nearly broke the Internet. The pithy document included hundreds of zingers, including this line: “Whatever is fragile, like the environment, is defenseless before the...
What Caused the Charleston Massacre?
The recent mass murder of worshippers in an African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina raises troubling questions for all Americans. First among them: How could this have happened? I think the answer to that one is easy. We live in a heavily armed society....
Pope Francis Weighs In on Newfangled Crops
Does genetically engineering crops — creating seeds with the DNA of other species inserted in them, like a tomato with DNA that includes genes from a fish — violate religious principles? People with a vested interest have tried for years to speak on the Vatican’s...
The Wheels Come off Jeb’s Victory Wagon
A funny thing happened to Jeb Bush on his way to the White House. He was rolling assuredly toward his coronation as the next GOP presidential nominee. He was sacking up millions of dollars in campaign cash from his dynastic family's extensive coterie of reliable...
