On June 14, 2022, Margaret Huang, President and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center, sent an email to supporters about the hearings of the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack. Here are some of the important take-aways from that notice as to what we citizens of the US must do in light […]
Present
Blog posts relating to the present such as social justice issues
Thoughts, Prayers and Activism
More gun violence in the United States of America – truly a public health epidemic. There are outcries from liberals and progressives for action – as there should be. There has also been criticism of the pat – almost routine – offering of “thoughts and prayers” in the wake of tragic, unbelievable mass shootings. What […]
Current Poll Numbers in Close Senate Midterm Races
Earlier we discussed Democratic Senate candidates for some of the close contests in the 2022 midterm primaries and November election. Here we will revisit those candidates vis-à-vis current polling and fundraising. Pundits routinely predict that Democrats will lose both the House and Senate: some of us hope they are dead wrong in their predictions. If […]
Nurses, Ancient Goddesses and Healing: Reclaiming the Power of the Feminine Principle
Introduction Nurses throughout the United States, and indeed throughout the world, have been on the front line of care during the pandemic. They are among the heroes in our communities, but we know that they are facing severe challenges as individuals and as a profession. There has been a nursing shortage for years, and that […]
In Solidarity with Ukraine
The thoughts and prayers of Americans and citizens around the world are with the Ukrainian people in their time of crisis. With the news changing almost hourly, we cannot begin to chart in this space what is happening on the ground. Instead, we will here try to offer some perspective on their very ancient and […]
Suggested Readings for Black History Month: The Self-Education of White Americans
Some of us believe that much of the onus for solving the problem of racism in the United States should lie with those of us who are white. If slavery is our “original sin” as a nation (or, perhaps a better term, an “unforgivable crime against humanity“), we cannot sugarcoat the fact that it was […]
Holding Accountable Lawyers Who Promote the Big Lie
In troubled times like ours, it is helpful to grasp onto as much positive and optimistic news as possible. For those of us who are appalled by the Big Lie of the disgraced, twice-impeached former President Donald Trump – that the 2020 election was fraudulent and that Trump actually beat Joe Biden for the presidency […]
Legislation that Could Result from the January 6 Investigation
As we look back on the insurrection at our nation’s Capitol on January 6, 2021, we must take stock not only of the tragic and deadly results of that day – and the bravery of law enforcement officials who protected the building and the lawmakers assembled to affirm the legitimate election of Joe Biden to […]
Beware Republicans who Take Credit for Progressive Legislation that They Do Not Support
It has become clear over the past several years that many – probably most – elected Republicans now serving in the US House and Senate have no shame. Editorials, letters to the editor, politicians on the left, and even President Biden have laid out one particular trend that demonstrates this moral failing: when Republican lawmakers […]
The 2021 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature: Reflections on the Professional Study of Religion
The Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), founded in 1880, no longer focuses primarily on literature – the texts of the Bible in their original languages (Hebrew for what is generally referred to as the Old Testament and Greek for the so-called New Testament). The Society’s international membership of over 8,000 is open to professionals and […]