Autiello: Will True Christianity Please Stand Up?
Nick Autiello, Contributor
The notion that homosexuality is a sin and un-Christian is one that is less than a hundred years old. It is wrong, and has no basis in scriptural or historical reality.
SASSO: The Coming New Year
James Sasso, Associate Editor
As the tumultuous 2011 comes down to its final day, this column could contain an obnoxious summary of the year’s extraordinary events. Rather than once again discussing the protests around the world, the death of Osama Bin Laden, Fukushima, America’s political ineptitude, Europe’s demise or the increasingly frightful weather patterns, here I attempt to predict what 2012 holds in store.
SASSO: Kicking the Can
James Sasso, Associate Editor
For one of the first times in his tenure as Speaker, John Boehner has made a statement with which every American, Republican or Democrat, should fully agree; the two-month Senate bipartisan extension of the payroll tax cut fails to fix the nation’s problems sufficiently. Providing a short-term band-aid to a long-term dilemma contradicts what a responsible government should accomplish, but fits the pattern of contemporary American politicking.
CIOCCI: A Foolish Consistency
Mitt Romney is guilty of serial hypocrisy, Newt Gingrich is guilty of being a public intellectual constantly scrutinized by the media and others, and Ron Paul never ceases to remind me about one of my favorite quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Essays: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.”
AKMAN: Jon Huntsman’s Meaningless Campaign
Josh Akman, Columnist
Jon Huntsman did not participate in the CNN Debate in Las Vegas on Tuesday night. Short of his family and small (and getting smaller) campaign staff, no one really noticed. In a bizarre and counterproductive effort to impress New Hampshire voters Huntsman skipped the debate to protest Nevada moving its caucus ahead of New Hampshire’s, which has always been the nation’s first primary. It’s bizarre because no one else skipped the debate. It’s counterproductive because right now, Jon Huntsman is polling 6% in New Hampshire.
SASSO: The 99% Rising
James Sasso
Associate Editor
For the past month a movement has grown out of Zuccoti Park in New York with the potential to grab at the very heart of America’s problems. “We are the 99%” is not simply a catchy phrase used by frustrated jobless Americans , but a commentary on the disgraceful economic inequality that has arisen in the United States since the 1970s.
RUSHFORD: The GOP’s 14th Amendment Folly
Stephanie Rushford, Columnist
The current Republican obsession to tinker with the 14th amendment of the Constitution has more to do with gaining favorable results in November ‘s Midterm Elections than actually changing the state of illegal immigration in this country. Yet, putting politics aside from this proposed solution from the GOP, how would amending the 14th amendment combat illegal immigration in the United States?
Phillips: Should We Pay for Our News?
The New York Times has announced that come 2011, it will begin charging for online news. Is this a good decision? In today’s world of information abundance, is print journalism worth paying for? A look at the debate from both a business and ethical perspective.
Phillips: Taxing the Rich – Oregon Measures 66 and 67
Tomorrow, January 26th, Oregonians will vote on two progressive ballot measures to increase state taxes on the wealthier sector of the population. The money will go directly into schools, public safety and other critical public services. The heated debate leading up to the vote ties into very traditional liberal vs conservative taxation policy ideas. Should taxes ever be raised in the middle of a recession? Is it smart to target the wealthy? What will the effect of their passage be on business? What will their failure mean for schools?
PHILLIPS: Sacrifice is Not the Answer
Stephanie Phillips, Environmentalist
Sustainability should mean more than just sustaining life – it should also be about creating a future enjoyable to live in. In the modern environmental movement we are often called upon to make sacrifices in the name of combating climate change. Are some sacrifices simply too much to ask?
PHILLIPS: In Defense of Shoplifting
Father Tim Jones of England tells his congregation that in desperate times of poverty, shoplifting may be acceptable. Is this morally justifiable? What does it suggest about the importance of poverty in society and politics?
PHILLIPS: Harnessing Water for Energy
Stephanie Phillips, Associate Editor Ideology: Environmentalist | Writing From: Portland, Oregon December’s Impacted Community Profile: For this month’s Impacted Community Profile, I am changing tone. While past series have been chastisements [...]
Phillips: Copenhagen 101
A look at the Copenhagen climate talks – key issues, roadblocks and what we can hope to see from negotiations
Phillips: The Politics of Food
How genetically modified food is already becoming a political football.
PHILLIPS: The Climate Science Conspiracy
The leaked emails from the Climate Research Unit do not disprove climate change science or stand as evidence of a conspiracy.
Phillips: Coal Power and the DC Air
THe health impacts of coal combustion and the DC Capitol Power Plant
ROGERS, GOLDIN & PHILLIPS: Time To Execute The Death Penalty
The high-profile execution of the DC sniper has brought executions back onto the national scene.
PHILLIPS: Is Geoengineering the Solution to Climate Change?
In coming years, the field of Geo-engineering may be the source of a real bi-partisan debate on climate change.
Phillips: A Prank on the US Chamber of Commerce
Through a prank, an activist group draws attention to the US Chamber of Commerce’s conservative stance on climate change.
PHILLIPS: This Week, There Was “HOPE” for the Environment
Obama speaks on energy at MIT and activists demonstrate on climate change internationally.