Rights and Democracy
Five Years after Katrina
Five years after the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the botched recovery effort that followed, Congress has yet to ensure that survivors of future disasters on the Gulf Coast or elsewhere won’t face the nightmare that still prevents tens of thousands of former residents from returning to the Gulf states. The BP oil disaster is further compounding the consequences of that inept response.
Mosque of Liberty
We would do well to remember why America as a nation exists at all: The early colonists from Europe fled the tyranny of monarchs who could tell them whom, how, whether, when, and where they could worship.
Addressing the Scourge of Rape on Tribal Lands
More than one in three Native women will be raped in their lifetime–86 percent of them by non-Native perpetrators. Indigenous women are 2.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than other women in the United States.
We’re Not Colorblind
Tea partiers get upset when you call them racists. “We’re not racists,” they yell. “We’re God-fearing Americans who don’t like Obama’s socialist, affirmative-action ways. We just want freedom from government interference in a colorblind society.”
Whistleblowers Get a Refuge
Iceland certainly needed a PR boost. It has never received proper credit for its strict and sustainable management of fisheries. Other nations would do well to follow suit. Instead, it’s more publicized for its shame as one of the world’s few remaining nations that won’t stop hunting whales. It scored low on global popularity polls for whaling. Then it proceeded to lose its shirt in the international banking meltdown. Followed by that annoying volcano, which devastated air travel for weeks. Plainly, Iceland isn’t a place to emulate.
The Lineup: Week of August 9-15, 2010
Here’s what you’ll find in the latest OtherWords editorial package.
Dishonoring MLK’s Legacy
This year’s anniversary of the historic 1963 March on Washington promises to be memorable.Though big commemorations aren’t typical for 47th anniversaries, thousands will be in the streets on August 28 commemorating the march, including many people advancing a social agenda that would make Martin Luther King Jr. roll over in his grave.
Remembering George Steinbrenner
Do we really have to say nice things about George Steinbrenner just because he’s…you know…dead?
Our Grandchildren Deserve Better Politicians
We live in grim times, which is why you have to take your laughs where you can get them. For example, in Washington, where Republican congresspeople keep talking about their concern for their grandchildren as an excuse for voting against…well, practically everything: economic stimulus packages, financial reform, immigration reform, etc.
GOP Goes ‘Grassroots,’ Washington-Style
Congressional Republicans have spent the first two years of the Obama administration as the rock-solid party of “no,” “uh-uh,” “no way,” “forget about it,” “nothing doing,” “we’re-agin-it-and-we’ll-kill-it.” This is one reason their job approval rating is in the ditch.
