Compared to other countries, U.S. restrictions on religion are moderate, says...
Two hundred twenty-two years ago, our forefathers declared “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” They placed it in such high...
View ArticleMissouri Republicans copy-cat Arizona’s anti-gay, “religious freedom” law
I am embarrassed, once again, to report that the Republican-dominated Missouri legislature is going down the rabbit hole with another piece of backwards-looking, extremist legislation. This time, it’s...
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Cardinal Nation: the one you may not know
“Cardinal Nation” is the way that fans of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team collectively describe themselves. The group seems to be so closely-knit and loyal that not only have they succeeded in...
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St. Louis mayor goes all in for marriage equality, bucking MO state constitution
File it under things you never thought you’d see happen: Despite a long-standing amendment to the Missouri Constitution that defines marriage as “between one man and one woman,” St. Louis Mayor Francis...
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Ferguson: How I’m going to discuss it in my classroom
Yesterday from 12:15 to about 2:15 in the afternoon, I marched with about a thousand other people from the spot where Mike Brown was killed up to West Florissant, then down to Chambers and concluding...
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Are we on the brink of a social revolution? I hope so.
America continues to make international headlines as the world watches racial tensions repeatedly reaching the breaking point after the killing of an unarmed African-American: Sean Bell, 2006: shot at...
View ArticleFerguson, as seen by editorial cartoonists
There’s nothing funny about what has been happening in Ferguson, Missouri, in the aftermath of the shooting–by a police officer– of Michael Brown, an unarmed, African-American teenager. But there is...
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Racism redux: St. Louis after Ferguson
The Ferguson incident: A young unarmed black man, Michael Brown, was shot several times by a white police officer, Darren Wilson. Several witnesses have publicly stated that Brown had his hands up and...
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The real state of emergency in Ferguson
Tory Russell Missouri Governor Jay Nixon’s declaration of a “state of emergency” in Ferguson is bad news in many ways, but I’ve been struggling with finding a way to express my outrage. Then,...
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Talking about race
We need to have a serious discussion about race. Because believe it or not, not talking about race is not going to end racism; it is going to perpetuate complicity in a racist system. It’s not making...
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Rooting for the grand juror in his lawsuit vs. Bob McCulloch
A member of the Darren Wilson grand jury is suing St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch, claiming that McCulloch publicly mis-characterized the grand jury’s deliberations, and asking for...
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Takeaways from “Selma”
Can I speak honestly about the new movie, “Selma?” No doubt, it’s going to get a lot of support for an Oscar. Critics have raved about it, calling it a “must-see.” I agree—it’s definitely worth seeing....
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Citizen Four: The Oscars got this one right
Having missed it during its initial theater run, I finally got to see Citizen Four last night on HBO, the day after it won the Academy Award for Best Documentary. It’s an exceptional film, both for its...
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Holder’s Justice Department Report offers credibility on Ferguson
From the moment that Michael Brown was gunned down by Officer Darren Wilson, it’s been virtually impossible to get credible and reliable information about what actually happened August 9, 2014 on...
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MO Supreme Court closes Ferguson’s kangaroo court: Who’s next?
As many people around the country have recently learned, if you want a fair shake, don’t get ensnared in the legal system of Ferguson, Missouri. The recent DOJ report laid bare not just the...
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On Fox, Ferguson is a media sport and a blood sport
They had to do it; they just had to do it. They had to gloat about the findings of the Justice Department’s Report on Shooting of Michael Brown. What the report actually had to say about a complicated...
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This church – state thing gets curiouser and curiouser
Republican legislators and Governor Mike Pence in Indiana have presented us with the latest incarnation of church – state relations in the United States. As they try to stand four-square behind...
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Since I became a “hijabi:” What it means to wear a Muslim headscarf
I decided I wanted to don the hijab last summer. It’s been almost a year now since I became a hijabi (someone who wears the hijab), and I’ve learned some fascinating things since then; I thought...
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Kiss Cam: The new social barometer
Dodger Stadium Kiss Cam, May 2015 When do you know that a social trend has gained full traction in America? One way is to listen to the pronouncements of pundits, think-tankers, pollsters and...
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The Ferguson dilemma: When keeping up appearances is not enough
A recent article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that described the way that the small St. Louis County municipality of Pagedale was condemning inhabited, livable houses and levying fines for petty...
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