Rights and Democracy
This Election Puts Women in the Driver’s Seat
Let's be clear. As the majority of the population, the majority of registered voters, and the majority of those who actually show up at the polls, women can determine the outcome of any election. In a year when abortion restrictions were piled on at the state level,...
What’s Ahead for Ferguson
The funeral is over. The protests have subsided. The lax and listless wheels of justice in Ferguson, Missouri are beginning to turn. A St. Louis County grand jury recently convened to consider whether to bring charges against police officer Darren Wilson for fatally...
Staving Off Traffic Jams Along the Information Super-Highway
There was no vacation for the Internet this summer. While many Americans slipped away to the beach, Internet users were busy defending the openness of a network that has become this era's engine for free expression, ingenuity and just about everything else. The threat...
How to Save the Life of the Next Michael Brown
Michael Brown. Jordan Davis. Sean Bell. Trayvon Martin. The list of African-American boys and men gunned down at the hands of police officers and vigilantes just gets longer and longer. It makes me numb. I don't want to feel the full weight of grief and turmoil from...
Perry Hams It Up
Lawyers will tell you that any good prosecutor could convince a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich. Well, meet that ham sandwich: Governor Rick Perry. He's a real ham — only not as smart. A Texas grand jury indicted Perry, charging the Republican with official abuse...
As Mississippi Moves on, a New Struggle Arises
Fifty years ago, shortly after the Ku Klux Klan abducted and murdered civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, James Chaney, and Andrew Goodman, I was sitting in one of Starkville, Mississippi's few black-owned cafes when Police Chief Thomas Josey stormed in and...
Port Truck Drivers Draw a Line in the Sand
Imagine your boss suddenly told you that from now on you were going to be considered an independent contractor. You'd have to pay for your office space, supplies, and equipment. Your employer would deduct those expenses from your paycheck. And you'd have to pay all...
A Ticket to Sarah Palin’s Funhouse
I figured the Texas lineup of Sen. Ted Cruz, Gov. Rick Perry, and a carnival sideshow of far-right Congress critters assured my state the glory of being the hands-down winner of the 2014 blue-ribbon prize for "Goofiest Politicos in America." But now, a former winner...
John Boehner’s Kabuki Dance
If John Boehner is so worried about the president's executive orders, why didn't he sue George W. Bush? What a hoot to see House Speaker John Boehner up on his hind legs, braying like a goofy mule as he declares that by golly he's filing a lawsuit against President...
Donald Kaul Watergate Sampler Plate (Part 2)
Many of OtherWords columnist Donald Kaul's most memorable and insightful commentaries skewered the Watergate scandal and its architects. Kaul, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, remains on medical leave after writing a weekly column for this editorial service for...
