Hillary Clinton has reemerged on the national scene to typically polarized reactions. For my part, I’ve been glad to see her. I have always thought she was brilliant, my criticisms of her notwithstand…
Enough is Enough: Republicans Begin to Disavow Trump
In recent weeks, there have been signs that some members of the Republican establishment are willing to hold our increasingly reckless and vindictive president in check. I am particularly thinking of …
Trump, Arpaio, and a Politics of Cruelty
Shortly after Donald Trump was sworn in as the nation’s 45th president, I called my friend Billy Peard, who was working in western Massachusetts as an immigration attorney. Most of his clients were un…
Taking Down Robert E. Lee on a Horse Will Not Help Solve America’s Race Problem
I hate to sound like a pessimist, but taking down statues that represent the Confederacy will do nothing to assuage America’s race problem. This is not to say that I believe that they should be kept e…
White People Have Work to Do
To understand that white supremacy is as harmful to white Americans as it is to nonwhite Americans, you need look no further than the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, this past week. The white sup…
Acts of Violence, Domestic Terrorism, Hate Crimes – Does it really matter what we call it?
Many have heard President Trump’s reaction to the domestic terrorism that occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12th. Many are also lambasting his reaction, claiming that it lacked sincerity…
Affirmative Action in Trump’s America
During the 2008 presidential election, I was a high school student with very high hopes for my country, and was deeply inspired by the candidacy of Senator Obama. I was also naïve about Obama’s potent…
A Miracle in the Senate
I spent most of last Thursday night at my friends’ apartment, recording an episode for their podcast. I left around 11 p.m., and immediately called my friend James, whom I rightly suspected had been r…
What This Country Can Learn From John McCain
Last week, the public learned that Senator John McCain has a brain tumor, and the response has been overwhelming and, at least to me, deeply moving. Former President Obama, McCain’s one-time rival, ca…
Four Years of Black Lives Matter: Where We Are Now
On July 13, 2013, a Florida jury acquitted George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin. Alicia Garza, a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, took to her Facebook page to respond. “Blac…