Category Archives: Law and justice
Allow Me to Retort
Elie Mystal thinks the US Constitution is trash. In Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution he makes a solid case. Mystal is justice correspondent for The Nation and a graduate of Harvard Law School. Allow … Continue reading
How Rights Went Wrong
How did you feel on June 24, 2022, when the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and struck down the constitutionally protected right to abortion? Did you feel victorious? Elated? Vindicated? Did you feel that a terrible injustice had … Continue reading
West Virginia v. EPA: Major Questions, Major Troubles
Just one week after striking down the right to abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the US Supreme Court has now severely restricted the government’s ability to fight climate change. I think the Court’s decision in West Virginia … Continue reading
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization: A Giant Leap Backwards
Something is missing from the US Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in which the Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion first recognized nearly 50 years ago in Roe v. Wade. Women. Reading … Continue reading
The 1619 Project
We’ve all been taught the United States was founded on July 4, 1776, when representatives of the 13 colonies, gathered in Philadelphia, issued the Declaration of Independence. That’s the dominant historical narrative. But what if it’s not true? The 1619 … Continue reading
Dying of Whiteness
There are two main ideas in Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland: Right-wing policies implemented by Republican administrations attract supporters because they align with a fundamental desire of many white voters to preserve … Continue reading
US Supreme Court continues its attack on voting rights
In this post I’m taking a break from book reviews and making one of my occasional forays into reviewing decisions by the US Supreme Court. (Disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer and I don’t have any formal legal training. The opinions … Continue reading
Amend: The Fight for America
I can’t remember ever reviewing a television show before, let alone recommending one, but I guess there’s a first time for everything. Amend: The Fight for America is a six-part Netflix documentary hosted by Will Smith. It’s about the on-going … Continue reading
The Sum of Us
In the 1920’s and 30’s, towns and cities across the United States built large, beautiful public swimming pools for their communities. Montgomery, Alabama was one such town. Its Oak Park pool was one of the largest in the region. It … Continue reading
Nonfiction November: My Year in Nonfiction
I’ve been informed by reliable sources, namely Rennie @ What’s Nonfiction, that this month is Nonfiction November. Great idea! Apparently there will be weekly prompts throughout the month. Even better! This week’s prompt comes from Leann @ Shelf Aware: Take a … Continue reading
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