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
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
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 …
Some of Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s comments are disconcerting at best, damaging and divisive at worst. Equally troubling, she is allowing herself to be used as a tool by Donald Trump to drive a wedge in the Democratic Party. The Somali immigrant’s comments are fuel to his incendiary style, which often incites violence against immigrants …
Talk to some politicians and they're always looking over your head to see if there's someone better in the room upon whom to bestow their attention. Not Joe Biden. He looks you square in the eye, exudes warmth, is generous with hugs to both men and women. Politics, he says, is about connecting with people. …
Continue reading Biden behavior outdated but not disqualifying
Apparently having their unvaccinated children barred from school since December wasn't enough to persuade some New York area parents to get their kids inoculated against measles, mumps and rubella. So Rockland County, just north of Manhattan, has now barred those under 18 years of age and not vaccinated from being in public places. And that's …
Continue reading Anti-vaxxers jeopardize more than their own children
The thought of impeaching Donald J. Trump is enticing, especially because my preferred approach, drawing and quartering, became illegal in the mid 19th century. Despite the allure of impeachment and despite its having been a pledge on which some new members ran for Congress in 2018, Nancy Pelosi was right to say she is against …
Continue reading On impeachment: should pragmatism Trump principle?
Whether he admits it or not, Donald Trump's explicit summons to hate and his dog-whistle signals have helped to encourage white supremacists at home and abroad. Worse, his administration is undoing programs designed to deal with the problem. The gunman who slaughtered 50 people in two New Zealand mosques was allegedly motivated by online white …
Continue reading Trump shares blame for white supremacist attacks
Marjorie Arons-Barron 