Rights and Democracy
Georgia’s Educational Neglect
I worked as a substitute teacher in a Newton, Massachusetts middle school a few months ago. I taught a wide range of kids, including some with behavior-related disabilities. A few of these children needed in-class aides and extra academic support, but they met their...
Hurricane Francis
Battles are raging over whether local government officials have a religious right to refuse to marry same-sex couples. And the federal government may shut down over a dispute concerning funding for Planned Parenthood’s non-abortion reproductive health services. As if...
Fiorina’s Dubious Cheerleader
You know your presidential campaign is in a heap of hurt when you need Tom Perkins to defend your "abilities, intellect, and talent." But there Perkins was in The New York Times recently, having bought a full-page ad attesting to the presidential worthiness of Carly...
When Unions and Civil Rights Activists Worked Together
Rick Smith hosts a daily radio talk show based in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, which bills itself as the place "where working people come to talk." Smith makes it his business to know the pulse of the labor movement. But he admits to one area where his knowledge was...
Creating a Constituency for the News
There’s a crisis in journalism. Rapidly changing consumer habits have slashed demand for the print editions of newspapers and magazines, squeezed advertising dollars, and made thousands of media jobs vanish. The news industry’s downturn has created another crisis:...
Julian Bond Never Stopped Agitating
The late civil rights activist Julian Bond, who passed away this month, lived his life as a tireless champion of the oppressed and maligned, a battle-worn warrior for civil rights, equality, and social justice. Bond fought the good fight, and at the still-youthful age...
Who’s the Real Troublemaker in the Middle East?
Except for maybe the Affordable Care Act, nothing gets Republican politicians fired up like Iran. In the first GOP debate alone, Scott Walker promised that he’d tear up the Iran nuclear deal on day one of his presidency. Carly Fiorina blamed the country for "most of...
Scapegoating Immigrants Isn’t the Answer
About three years ago, my dad was driving the truck he uses for his landscaping business in Phoenix, Arizona when he was pulled over. Two patrol cars cornered him for making a wide right turn. Yes, you read that right: Multiple police officers went out of their way to...
Byline Inequality Matters
Anna Quindlen relayed an eye-opening and hair-raising experience to her readers in 1990. “A newspaper editor said to me not long ago, with no hint of self-consciousness, ‘I'd love to run your column, but we already run Ellen Goodman,’” the New York Times columnist...
Still No Justice for Military Women
The Senate has done it again — blocked a vote on a bill that would make it safer for sexual assault survivors in the military to report their attackers. Introduced by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the Military Justice Improvement Act would take the decision about...
