Rights and Democracy
A U.S. Soldier Died in Niger. What on Earth Are We Doing There?
In our military-revering culture, it’s a strange thing for a president to start a war of words with the grieving families of slain soldiers. Strange, yes. But from Donald Trump’s campaign season feud with the parents of Humayun Khan, who died protecting fellow...
Leading Democrats Are Way Behind the Public on Health Care
Good news, people — at last, congressional Democrats have gotten a clue, grown some spine, and are beginning to act like… well, like progressives. In particular, a majority of Dems in the U.S. House are responding to the rising public demand that decent health care be...
There’s No Defending Founding Fathers Who Practiced Slavery
This summer, on the very day that white supremacists rioted in Charlottesville, Virginia, I was down the road visiting Montpelier — the home of James Madison, our fourth president. On the house tour, we stopped in Madison's upstairs library, where he spent hundreds of...
Grabbing ‘Em
Learning to Love Who We Love
Two weeks ago, the equivalent of a bomb exploded in my life. I've had personal problems of various sorts for 30 years, and daily migraines for 22 of them. Three years ago, I finally realized my symptoms were those of trauma. I didn't know what happened to me, but...
The NFL Should Do More Than Just Take A Knee
When Colin Kaepernick began to protest during the national anthem at NFL games last year, he made his intent very clear. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL Media. “To...
We’re Failing the U.S. Citizens of Puerto Rico
Hurricane-struck Puerto Rico wants "everything done for them," says President Trump. Puerto Rico, an island of 3.5 million inhabitants — all of whom are U.S. citizens — gets nearly nothing done for it. Puerto Rico, a colony of the United States, has gotten a whole lot...
Trump Wants $1.6 Billion for the Border Wall. That Covers Just 74 Miles.
How much of your money does Donald Trump want to pour into his xenophobic fantasy of erecting an impenetrable wall on our Mexican border? The big-businessman-turned-president insists he doesn't care about costs — just build it! That seems to be a very un-businesslike...
Help Is on the Way!
White Folks Need to Stop Assuming We Know Everything About Race
As white people across the nation criticize Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players who "take a knee" for the national anthem, they ought to know something first. White people in America have no idea what life is like for black people in America. How can I make such a...
