Rights and Democracy
The Rise and Fall of America’s Middle Class
Ever since 1776, the "common yeoman" — America's middle class — has been hailed as the virtuous heart and backbone of our nation. How ironic, since it took 150 years before we actually created a broad middle class. Before the 1930s, most Americans were poor, or near...
Putting the Heat on What Takes the Edge Off
A New Year’s Resolution: Time to Speak Up
As we go into a new year, I have a resolution. I'm going to speak up more when men do things that make me uneasy. Take the other day, for example. I really like my neighbor. I also have no interest in dating him. It's nothing against him, really. But I don't know him...
America’s Farmworkers Face Poverty, Neglect, and Now Deportation
Every decade or so, America’s mass media are surprised to discover that migrant farmworkers are being miserably paid and despicably treated by the industry that profits from their labor. Stories run, the public is outraged, assorted officials pledge action, then…...
Hurricane #MeToo
Remembering Joseph and Mary on the U.S.-Mexico Border
This weekend in San Diego and Tijuana, I gathered with hundreds at Friendship Park, which spans both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. We came together for the 24th annual Posada Without Borders, to remember those who lost their lives crossing the border, and to call...
After Moore, the Deluge
The defeat of Roy Moore in the Alabama senate race tells us something about voters. Women — especially black women — made the difference. Some 57 percent of Alabamian women voted against Moore, while 56 percent of mostly white men stuck with him. That also tells us...
Corporate Interests Are Warping the Internet
My identity was stolen this year. The perpetrator didn't open credit cards in my name or gain access to my finances. Instead, they used my name to submit a comment to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in support of repealing net neutrality rules. Those...
A Cruel Holiday Gift for Refugee Families
Two months after experiencing the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti in January 2010, my dad finally made it back home to Boston. What had started as a holiday vacation turned into weeks of sleeping outside the family home in Haiti, fearful that it...
We Agree Assault Is Bad. Let’s Agree on How to Punish It.
Our national debate about sexual harassment and assault seems to be missing a bit of nuance. As a woman who's been sexually harassed and assaulted many times, here's how I see it. Sexual predators aren't the same as pigs. Roy Moore is a predator. His systematic,...
