Intellectually Entertaining. Socially Relevant.
A controversial ruling by the highest criminal court in Brazil has effectively legitimized child prostitution in the country with the second worst child sex-trafficking record, behind only Thailand. The March 27 ruling absolved a man accused of statutory rape because the three 12-year-old girls he had sex with in 2002 were engaged in prostitution. There Read More
My mother came to America from El Salvador. My paternal grandparents came from Europe. Each one immigrated legally, which is the essence of the American experience – huddled masses yearning to be free and all that. However, in the eyes of many Americans, my mother and grandparents were selfish and immoral. After all, whenever a Read More
Finding a best friend isn’t easy. But best friends really do complete a person. Bert had Ernie. Big Pun had Fat Joe. Frida Kahlo had that freaky uni-brow. Our best friend can help us in ways that nobody else can. Last week, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff visited the United States and had a formal meeting Read More
In the U.S., we are the happy beneficiaries of a great democratic experiment. The cornerstone of any true democracy is the right of the eligible populace to vote. Historically, the U.S. has witnessed the struggles of disenfranchised members of society to obtain this fundamental right of citizenship. One need only recall the struggle of women Read More
We are in the last days of the time of year that can strike fear into the hearts of even the most rugged individual. It’s tax time! ‘Tis the season for frustration, moaning and gnashing of teeth. And it is as inevitable as a sunrise that a cursory search of Facebook statuses will yield a Read More
On April 16, the Democrats will broadside their political rivals in the Senate by forcing a vote on the so-called Buffet rule, a proposed bill that would raise the minimum tax rate to 30 percent for Americans earning at least $1 million a year. Let’s ignore the fact that a minute 0.1 percent of Americans Read More
Part of being ourselves, whoever we are, is having a set of ideas and beliefs that make up our value system. For example, many of us believe in God, others believe in many gods, and some people don’t think god exists. It’s all cool, and we all get along, right? Not really. In this democracy Read More
We seem to have a GOP nominee. Now the real question is what, if anything, can Romney do to turn the tide and win some Hispanic votes come November? While the GOP can and will be able to court Latinos on many fiscal and social issues, still looming is immigration reform. The question of what Read More
In the time it takes you to read this article, alien parents will be torn away from their children by armed men (possibly in black). These aliens – some of whom may not even speak the language and therefore cannot defend themselves – will be shuffled away as they watch tears cascade down sweet, adolescent Read More
Some of our legal Supremes have been deciding badly. On April 2, the Supreme Court handed down its decision on the case of Albert Florence, who was strip searched after being detained due to a computer error. In a 5-4 vote, the court upheld that law enforcement agencies have the right to subject anyone who Read More