George Monbiot: Fowl Deeds
The astonishing, multiple crises caused by chicken farming. It’s the insouciance that baffles me. To participate in the killing of an animal: this is a significant decision. It spreads like … Continue reading
Jose Padua: Thank You for the Stars and All the Things That Slowly Drift Away in the Distance
When I gave the panhandler some spare change he looked at me and said Thank You then he looked at the person next to me and said Thank You again. … Continue reading
Audio: Lucille Clifton reads “Homage to my Hips”
Lucille Clifton (1936–2010) reads her poem “Homage to my Hips”. A prolific and widely respected poet, Lucille Clifton’s work emphasizes endurance and strength through adversity, focusing particularly on African-American experience … Continue reading
Video: Using the Legal System to Fight Factory Farms
In 2001, Michele Merkel worked as an attorney for the Environmental Protection Agency on a case where farmers were suing huge factory farms for polluting the community’s air and water. … Continue reading
Chris Hedges: The Pathology of the Rich White Family in America
The pathology of the rich white family is the most dangerous pathology in America. The rich white family is cursed with too much money and privilege. It is devoid of … Continue reading
Jose Padua: My Filipino-American Breakfast
My Filipino-American breakfast of the 60s was the local Briggs brand pork sausage patties, sunny-side up eggs, and rice, with the runny yolks broken over the rice, and the rice … Continue reading
Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Mayor Bill de Blasio: How to Revive the American Dream
Government policies matter and can make a difference. Strengthening the American Dream is about the basics: ● Make work pay by increasing the minimum wage, empowering unions to bargain collectively, … Continue reading
Video: How bad architecture has ruined American life
In James Howard Kunstler’s view, public spaces should be inspired centers of civic life and the physical manifestation of the common good. Instead, he argues, what we have in America … Continue reading
Paul Christensen: The Dark Side of Prose
I’ve been thinking about newspapers lately, and their most recent avatar, TV news, both the network and the cable kind. What intrigues me most about this use of prose is … Continue reading
Sharon Doubiago: I Am My Brother’s Keeper
[ed. note: This is the preface to The Visit by Sharon Doubiago, published by Wild Ocean Press] Jack Retasket is a Native American/Canadian Shuswap-Lillooet (Statlmx) survivor of Kamloops Indian Residential … Continue reading
Marc Jampole: Mass incarceration one arrest at a time
We should end mass incarceration laws and spend the savings on education and social welfare programs. In some ways, the term “mass incarceration” is a misnomer. The term immediately conjures … Continue reading
George Yancy and Molefi Kete Asante: Why Afrocentricity?
. Molefi Kete Asante, a professor of African-American studies at Temple University, is known for his pioneering work in the area of Afrocentricity. He is the author of more than … Continue reading
Leonard Gontarek: Year
1 It is a ship sinking with its hold of spices and crew of ghosts. A young boy is picking a flower with a mysterious name and scent he will … Continue reading
Marc Jampole: By killing Boston Marathon bomber, we stoop to his level of barbarism and depravity
The jury that sentenced Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death had a choice. They could have imprisoned Tsarnaev for life. But these 12 supposedly civilized men and women chose … Continue reading →