The 2020 Democratic pre-primary debates are about to begin, and I think they are a terrible idea. Democrats have an amazing, deep bench of
Author: Gloria Shur Bilchik
Gloria Shur Bilchik is a freelance writer and community volunteer in St. Louis, Missouri. She is the editor of Occasional Planet. She views the preservation of democratic values and progressive programs as vital to making the US a humane, livable place for her children and grandchildren.
School shootings: Looking for solutions in all the wrong places
School shootings in America have proliferated. In response, individuals and for-profit companies have developed a plethora of products aimed [pun intended] at reducing the
On hearing “The Darktown Strutters’ Ball” in Montgomery, Alabama
Visiting Montgomery, Alabama to see the civil rights sites, we walked over to the old train station along the riverfront. Inside what appears to
Reflections on the Lynching Memorial and Legacy Museum
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice made me cry. And that, I’m sure, is not a unique experience. I can’t speak for the
Togo: another country I know nothing about
Togo is not Tonga. I had not thought about either of those tiny nations until, literally, yesterday, when I wrote a post about a
What I learned by sending school supplies to Tonga
Where’s Tonga? That’s a question I had never before asked, until a young woman I know joined the Peace Corps, was assigned to the
Schiff to Republicans: Speak out, already!
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff [D-CA] has published an open letter to his Republican colleagues, urging them to, at long last, break their
Ballot initiatives: Downside of uptick in voter turnout
If you are frustrated with gridlock and/or intransigence in your state legislature, as many voters are, one way to get your issue considered is
Washington Post Super Bowl Ad: A powerful message on freedom of the press
Amid oh-so-clever ads for beer, cars and snack foods, one Super Bowl LIII ad stood out yesterday—the sober message presented by the Washington Post:
Hope for change in 2020 Iowa caucuses, but…
The 2020 Democratic Iowa caucuses could become more [small-d] democratic, if changes proposed by the state party are approved—and if they work—which is a