Which was the reason the south seceded from the union, a test asked 1000 high schoolers: To preserve states’ rights, to preserve slavery, to protest taxes on imported goods or to avoid rapid industrialization? While nearly half chose to protest taxes, only 8% chose the correct answer, to protect slavery. And only a third identified the 13th amendment as the law that officially ended slavery. The test was given as part of Continue reading “Teaching Slave History”
Category: Governance
On Religious Freedom
A military chaplain, the Rev Ronald Apollo, sued the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to be able to practice his religious beliefs and won. BOP wanted all personnel to carry pepper spray, including chaplains, so that if attacked by an inmate they could protect themselves. Apollo challenged the rule and now prison chaplains will no longer have to carry pepper spray. That to some may be just another example of how the Christian right asserts its values on the society, but it is more than that. First of Continue reading “On Religious Freedom”
School Shootings
When will we love our children more than we love guns? As you’ll probably remember on Tuesday January 23rd 2018, the 11th shooting occurred at a school this year. This time it was in a small town in Kentucky and there were two—probably only two to some. The NYT article describing the incident reminded us of other incidents: “On Monday, a school cafeteria outside Dallas and a charter school parking lot in New Orleans. And before that a school bus in Iowa, a college campus in Southern Continue reading “School Shootings”
The Landmines Problem
For some of us, the problem with land mines is an old one, and the fact that it continues is and should be a blot on our conscience. The casualties are increasing, for 2016, the last year for which there are statistics, there were 8,605 casualties, a number which includes 2089 deaths. These numbers represent about 25% more than the casualties the year before and are more than double the number for 2014. Much of the damage is done by cluster landmines. As their name indicates, they are Continue reading “The Landmines Problem”