(12 comments) SHARE        Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Full Bumpers And Empty Gestures Most everyone in America "supports the troops". But what does that really mean? Does displaying a $3 magnetic ribbon made in China really support the troops? Does countering with anti-war bumper stickers really support the troops? Or do both actions simply make the drivers feel good about themselves as if they are "doing their part" to support or resist this war?

(7 comments) SHARE        Thursday, July 19, 2007
Bush's Views On Health Care Make Me Sick Mr. Bush apparently has no philosophical objections to the number of children equivalent to the entire population of the state of Oregon going without health care. Why should he? We all know that he also has no philosophical objections to the number of Iraqis he's killed equivalent to the entire population of Austin, Texas.

(3 comments) SHARE        Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Listening To Voices Sometimes I find it comforting to step outside of our own immediate historical experience into the past, to learn about problems that never change, remember what wiser men and women before us have said, and bring back some of that inheritance.

(7 comments) SHARE        Sunday, July 15, 2007
Doctoring Science Last Tuesday, former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona gave testimony to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. During his testimony, Dr. Carmona, who served as Surgeon General from 2002 until 2006, spoke of his experience working within the Bush administration.

(4 comments) SHARE        Friday, July 13, 2007
A Nation Of Heroes In the aftermath of September 11th America became, to itself, a nation of heroes. Six years on we still fling the word hero around amply, carelessly, in every direction.

(6 comments) SHARE        Sunday, July 8, 2007
Intelligently Designing Politicians These are heady days in the world of science. Rapid advances in robotics, computers, and nanotechnology all promise less work and better living. Genetic engineers tell us we can expect designer children and designer pets within the decade. And perhaps best of all, scientists are offering cautious hope of designer politicians.

(4 comments) SHARE        Saturday, July 7, 2007
Do Parents Matter? In our incessant media world of confusing and often contradictory advice, few are more vulnerable than parents. Across all forms of media, various self-described "parenting experts" contradict each other, and often even themselves. Parents are then left confused and uncertain as to what is considered the "best advice".

(7 comments) SHARE        Friday, July 6, 2007
In The Ambulance Together We need a universal and affordable system of health insurance - available to everyone regardless of how much they earn, where they work, or even whether they have a job. Comprehensive health care reform is long overdue. By squandering time, we're narrowing our options.

SHARE        Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Remembering Our Freedoms This year perhaps more than any before we would do well to use the opportunity of the anniversary of our nation's Declaration of Independence to remind ourselves of the freedoms, unique in all the world and modeled since, for which untold Americans over the past 231 years have fought or even given their lives.

(2 comments) SHARE        Monday, July 2, 2007
Here We Go Again Make no mistake. The current posture and policy of the Bush administration is leading our nation inexorably toward a ruinously self-defeating conflict with Iran, a conflict that will have grave consequences for the Middle East, the United States and the world. And once again, everyone is busily pretending that it is not happening.

(9 comments) SHARE        Sunday, July 1, 2007
What Does Freedom Mean Anymore? It is worth remembering during this week divided by an Independence Day holiday that as Americans we are united by freedom, perhaps even as many freedoms as there are of us. But what does the common man actually believe about freedom today? Does freedom today mean the same thing as written and fought for over two centuries ago?

(1 comments) SHARE        Thursday, June 28, 2007
Over The Horizon Has anyone else noticed how often White House Press Secretary Tony Snow uses the term "over the horizon" when answering questions regarding the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq? It makes one want to break out in song...

(21 comments) SHARE        Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Hoping Against Indifference Heretofore all too seldom, several authors have been read in recent weeks expressing sentiments of hope against and despite all that so many more authors have so richly and explicitly detailed as going wrong with our world. I find such hope refreshing...

(12 comments) SHARE        Saturday, June 23, 2007
How The Christian Left Can Get It Right If the spiritual and Christian Left is to win the 21st century conflict between Christianities, it must talk more, much more, about spirituality and about Jesus. While protecting separation of Church and State is of utmost importance, it does not require that religion be banished from public discourse.

(1 comments) SHARE        Friday, June 22, 2007
Will Any Candidate Champion America's Children? What of the largest sliver of America than does not vote, involuntarily that is? Why does no candidate at least pretend to pander to their needs, to champion their cause? Of course, that unrepresented group is America's children.

(2 comments) SHARE        Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Taguba, Torture, And Abu Ghraib In the June 25th issue of the New Yorker magazine, Seymour Hersh interviews Army Major General Antonio Taguba about Abu Ghraib, and the administration's complicity with torture and human rights abuses.

(22 comments) SHARE        Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Bring 'Em Home This war that our leaders have concocted has sapped our military strength, our credibility, our economy, our disaster preparedness, our morale, and our moral standing in the world. It has increased the threats America faces, and reduced the military, financial, and diplomatic tools with which we can respond. It is long past time for this gigantic distortion in our national priorities to be called to an end.

(23 comments) SHARE        Sunday, June 17, 2007
On Writing In The Age Of New Media We should be especially curious, in this the Age of Image, why writers nonetheless go on writing, why they still spend so much of their spare time conceiving ideas, nourishing them and helping them grow, and laboring to deliver them as words that few others will ever see when put to paper or screen.

(1 comments) SHARE        Saturday, June 16, 2007
Abortion Contortions Anyone pro-choice following the Republican debates – anyone? – must admit to a bit of schadenfreude at watching front-running presidential aspirant Rudolph Giuliani twist himself into Clintonesque contortions over the issue of abortion.

(4 comments) SHARE        Thursday, June 14, 2007
The REAL Domestic Terrorism Threats Why does no one cover the terrorism that does affect us personally, that exists in our daily lives, and is steadily on the rise? You know the terrorism I'm talking about, the kind perpetrated by a certain type of person with a certain type of personality, known as the 'Rules Don't Apply To Me' personality.