While there may be some people who have some reasonable arguments for owning a hunting rifle, it doesn’t help their cause to have the
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.
George W. Bush’s Library: Political cartoon fodder
Of all the U.S. Presidents, in all of the White Houses, in all of our lifetimes [so far], the one I’d judge least qualified
Activate your BS detector: You’re gonna need it for the immigration-reform debate
Right-wing politicians, their media allies—and probably somebody at work or in your family—are peddling a lot of bull about immigration reform, a topic that
He has a dream, too…for Martin Luther King Street/Drive/Avenue
One of comedian Chris Rock’s trademarked bits is the one about Martin Luther King Avenue. Rock, musing on African-American history and what people remember
Positive signs for voting-rights laws—even in Pennsylvania
The backlash against voter suppression may have begun. Following highly publicized efforts by Republican-led legislatures to make voting harder for citizens during the 2012
Garbage Patch nation: UN declares plastic trash to be a “country”
Plastic trash takes up so much territory in Earth’s oceans that is has been designated a “country” by the United Nations. The new “country”
“42:” Jackie Robinson and America’s unfinished social agenda
The new movie, “42,” tells the should-be-well-known story of Jackie Robinson, the first black player in major league baseball. For American sports fans of
Shooting down the arguments against background checks for gun sales
What’s not to like about background checks for gun sales? They’re sensible, logical and the right thing to do. Public-opinion polls consistently show that
Emperor: When you call a movie “historical,” it helps to include the history part
Here’s a lesson I should have learned by now: Beware of movies claiming to be “based on a true story.” The trailer for “Emperor” hinted
What we should (but won’t) learn from the latest test-cheating scandal
Georgia state prosecutors have indicted 34 teachers, administrators and principals for altering students’ answers on standardized tests in the Atlanta public school system. Is