Rights and Democracy
Head in the Tar Sands
Revealing Corporate Largesse
Some people have a recurring nightmare of rising to give a speech, but realizing they know nothing about the topic — and then discovering they're naked. It turns out that corporations also have such nightmares. OK, corporations aren't people, no matter what the...
We’re All in This Together
Lolita Lledo spends all day talking on her cell phone, texting, and checking her Facebook page, though not for the reasons you might think. As the associate director of the Pilipino Workers Center in Los Angeles, she relies on social networking to keep in touch with...
Restoring Government by the People, for the People
One of the many privileges of living in a democracy is the ability of each of us to have an equal say about how we are governed. Through elections, our lawmakers can be held accountable for how well they fight for the interests of the people they represent. In theory,...
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...
