July 12th is a day to watch in Northern Ireland. The annual Orange Order parade-- the highlight of a months-long marching season-- commemorates the 1690 Battle of Boyne defeat of forces of Catholic King James II by those of Protestant King William of Orange. It was the beginning of Protestant control of Ireland and the …
Continue reading Bloodshed continues in Northern Ireland despite Peace Accords; could worsen
Did we really shift from a Biden-someone to a Warren-Castro to Harris-Buttigieg "winning" ticket overnight? Unlikely. We are at a blip in time. There's a long way to go. Remember the lack of poll and pundit support Donald Trump had after his first debates? Remember George W. Bush "lost" a major presidential debate to John …
Continue reading Dems first debate: too soon for judging winners and losers?
So now, in time for the July 4th celebration of our democracy, the Supreme Court has ruled that elected officials shall pick their voters rather than the other way around. It's probably a worse decision that Bush v. Gore because the Court said in 2000 that there was no precedential value to that decision. Not …
Continue reading Supreme Court decision on gerrymandering profoundly disappoints
Despite our desire for a Trump-free ten days in Ireland, our President was on too many minds over there. Landing at Shannon Airport, we had to pass the VIP Lounge where just days before Trump and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar met because Varadkar didn't want an official visit to be at Trump's golf course, …
We hadn't even finished unpacking from a vacation in Ireland when we were accosted by headlines that the Environmental Protection Agency has finalized its plans to undo years of modest progress on climate change, especially the Obama Clean Power Plan. The Trump Affordable Clean Energy Rule's bow to the U.S. coal industry (among other fossil …
Continue reading Ireland: where Trump is not, on climate change
Tension grows between those clamoring to impeach President Trump now and those believing that, however warranted such a move is as a way to increase accountability, it could end up helping Donald Trump to a second term if the Democrats too far ahead of the rest of the country. Constitutional law professor Larry Tribe came …
Continue reading Beyond impeachment: thwarting Russian interference
For people who believe in the inevitability of the progress of civilization, the last two to three years have been a tanker truck full of cold water. Global trends toward narrow-minded, border closing, mind numbing bigotry have been magnified here at home, with the President of the United States playing to fear and hatred, sowing …
First, it was the slurs against Mexicans; then the attempted ban on Muslims and the attack on all immigrants. Now it's war against women. The latest salvo came in Alabama, with a virtual ban on abortions. Other red states are falling in line. Trying to take away women's reproductive rights usurps our freedom to control …
Our community has suffered a terrible loss with the deaths of former UMass Boston Chancellor Sherry Penney and her beloved husband, Jim Livingston. They are dead from apparent carbon monoxide poisoning in their winter home in Sarasota, Florida. Their extended family of friends, colleagues and students - all of whose lives were touched by this …
I emerge from three weeks of flu, bronchitis and related maladies on World Press Freedom Day and want to take more than a moment to hail the work of so many journalists who put themselves on the line to give us the information we depend upon. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a stunning …
Marjorie Arons-Barron 