A few notes for those who find themselves upset over how the “Cromnibus” was written/passed. Writing the Bill The deal was made by leaders of the House (Republicans), Senate (Democrats), and White House (Obama). So no one group is responsible for having ‘snuck in’ any secret provisions. This includes: The provision increasing the amount of…
Author Archives: Jason
Not Justified
As I prepare to teach about Ferguson on Friday,* and in the context of my recent reading in African American literature, I’ve decided to adopt a new personal position regarding the use of deadly force. From now on my initial reaction will be to condemn the killing. This is not because I believe that the use of deadly force by law…
New Political Blog
For any of you still following along here, I’ve just launched a new political blog with a few friends at townsquarepolitics.com. We have our first two sets of entries up today, with new posts appearing weekly. I hope you’ll head over there and join us. Also, we’re looking for a fourth author from a religious/social…
On Lincoln and Our Second Founding
I recently had the opportunity to sing “American the Beautiful.” The lines that most hit me are in the third verse: Oh, beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life! When I sing these, I don’t think about Washington, Jefferson, Adams, etc. Instead, I usually…
The Politics of Parenthood
Written on August 24, 2013 by Jason in Capitalism, Citizenship, Economy & Budget, Political Landscape
In an interview conducted by Rachel Maddow, John Stewart once suggested that the media exaggerates the centrality of the Republican/Democratic divide in America. Looking surprised, Maddow asked what he meant. As an example, Stewart suggested that the difference between people with children and those without was much more significant. At the time I thought it…
Diversity in the Classroom is Doomed.
Yesterday, supporters of affirmative action in admissions got a reprieve. The Supreme Court voted 7-1 to return the case to the 5th Circuit for reconsideration. But that reprieve won’t change the ultimate calculus that spells the doom of affirmative action in school admissions. The problem is a fundamental contradiction between the allowed reason for such policies…
Close of the Term
It’s one of my favorite times of year, the close of the Supreme Court’s term. Yes, I’m nerdy like that. But these are some big, significant decisions being made. I suggest, as I always do, that you follow along with Slate‘s Supreme Court Year in Review. Though I miss having Dahlia Lithwick involved, Emily Bazelon…
The Challenge of Tenure for Women
A recent article in Slate summarizes some of the findings in Do Babies Matter?: Gender and Family in the Ivory Tower, a recent book by a team of Berkeley researchers. Mary Ann Mason, Ph.D., J.D., a co-author of the book, summarizes their findings thus: The most important finding is that family formation negatively affects women’s,…
What the Protests in Turkey Say About Us
As the news of large protests in Turkey began to circulate, I’ve been a bit troubled by the initial reactions and what they say about the American mindset. Where there was little information at the outset about the proximate causes and underlying issues, there was a plethora of conclusions about what it all meant, who…
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