As you read this, the House of Representatives are gearing up to vote on spending another $34 Billion to fund the war on Afghanistan. Call your Representative NOW to stop funding this war, at 1-888-493-5443 (a special number set up by the Friends Committee on National Legislation to keep track of the number of calls made) and tell them to stop sending your tax money on war.

When a 7.2-magnitude earthquake shook Haiti on January 12, 2010, the country not only experienced a devastating transformation of the physical landscape, but the widespread destruction would beckon the reunification of a commitment to a country that many had left or forgotten.

The bad economy is hitting all parts of the country hard and in many different ways. One example concerns public schools and the moneys allocated to them. In Miami, Florida, the county’s school budget is based on a combination of state funding and local property taxes. When property values in Miami-Dade County began to decline three years ago, [...]

The Supreme Court is considering legislation barring minors from purchasing M-rated, so-called violent video games. What the California legislation being considered by the Supreme Court really gets at is the idea of legislating content that we might find objectionable – even if there is no material basis to do so on the behalf of the public good.

This article is the first of 12 articles in a series that will explore some major issues facing America and what can be done about them. The first issue on the agenda is the obesity crisis. Other issues I plan to address are immigration, health care, terrorism, LGBT rights, the economy and education etc. If [...]

  A large piece of land on the coast of Georgia is the center of a battle over rights and ownership. Kathleen Cleaver, former Black Panther, Civil Rights activist and co-director of the Human Rights Research Fund, has joined efforts with the Harris Neck Land Trust.  Today I wish to share my interview with Cleaver.  [...]

You know, it’s a shame that Stanley McChrystal had terrible things to say about the people he worked with, and now the media airwaves are saturated with ridiculous back and forth analysis of what happened.  In case you missed it, the General has been fired due to comments he made to Rolling Stone–and now there’s [...]

Upon hearing about Rolling Stone’s article involving General Stanley McChrystal and the unprofessional remarks he had made concerning President Obama and members of his security team, I could not help but think back to another, more infamous general in American history that had openly badmouthed the Commander-in-Chief and threatened to usurp his power in the [...]

Vuvuzelas and looming hi-def screens; barefoot African children dribbling a ball and coaches thumping their chests; Desmond Tutu’s adorable dance and Bill Clinton’s loss of voice.  These moments were caught by World Cup fans from bleachers, taverns, and couches around the world.  Whether they shrieked in glory or hid their faces in embarrassment (North Korea, [...]

Anyone who claims Detroit is done either hasn’t been here or is flat out lying. This city is coming back with the help of a large crew of dedicated activists, and it’s the perfect example of the hope and work that the 2nd U.S. Social Forum (USSF) wants to show and grow. The Forum is [...]

As the War in Iraq rages on in the Middle East, directors continue to flex their political muscles by portraying soldiers during American affairs.  As director Paul Greengrass reunites with Matt Damon, in another action thriller collaboration, to create the film The Green Zone, he presents unintentional question to the American public: when will it [...]

How did Rolling Stone journalist Michael Hastings gain such inside access to General McChrystal and his inner circle?

Blame it on a road trip.

Last Thursday, twenty-four-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates mascot, Andrew Kurtz, lost his job due to an overly critical statement posted on his Facebook page. The baseball team was on the heels of an eleven game losing streak when Kurtz used his Facebook account to reveal his discontent with the team’s management.

One of the biggest complaints I’ve heard about mainstream news organizations is that they don’t cover enough international news. Most of the domestic news we get is either highly partisan, celebrity coverage, or just plain commentary. Either way, the fourth estate does not seem to be serving the public good the way that newspapers and [...]

A convergence of movements, activists and ideas will happen next week, the 22-26, in Detroit at the second U.S. Social Forum. For those who doubt the efforts put into creating social change in this country, or feel cynical in your own efforts, you must come to Detroit next week. “Another World is Possible, and Another [...]

When Jordan Burnham was 18-years old, he attempted suicide by jumping out of the ninth-floor window of a building.   Jordan miraculously survived, and instead of keeping his past a secret, he courageously speaks to groups about what happened through ActiveMinds.org.  When I was reading about his efforts, I wondered how many people would hide their [...]

Despite spending close to fifty million dollars to trick California’s voters, the Pacific Gas & Electric (PG & E)-created monster known as Proposition 16 failed to pass following California’s statewide primary elections on June 8th.  Proposition 16, cynically described in PG & E advertisements as the “Taxpayer’s Right to Vote Act”, would have required a [...]

The article on Female Genital Mutilation, by Victoria Belle-Miller, reminded me of the book Engaging Cultural Differences – The Multicultural Challenge in Liberal Democracies. Richard A. Shweder‘s chapter,  “What about Female Genital Mutilation? And why Understanding culture matters in the first place”  prompted readers to contemplate how certain cultural practices, as female genital mutilation,  are deemed inhumane.