Bits & Pieces
Articles with unfiltered opinions
Order in the Court
I know from personal experience that the most important thing a U.S. President can do is use his power to appoint judges to our country’s most powerful courts. Long after the chief executive has left office, the justices will still be there, making decisions that will affect every aspect of our lives. That’s why...
Why You Should Vote the Democratic Ticket
Your job has just begun. Every citizen’s number-one duty is to vote. But after you do that, it’s not over. Democracy is a daily struggle. No matter who’s in the top job, you have to keep the heat on. Make your voices heard. Protest injustice, take back the political process and see to it...
Take Out the Trash
I have a history of exposing politicians, particularly when it comes to their private lives. A juicy sex scandal used to result in a politician being disgraced out of office. His or her political career would be dead. It was a good way to clear out the trash every once in a while. But...
The Real Surveillance Problem
It’s a damn shame we have to rely on dubious characters like Edward Snowden and Julian Assange to ignite a real debate about our Fourth Amendment right to privacy. The ones who should be raising the alarm are our elected representatives in Congress, not some ham-handed whistleblowers. The problem is not that we have...
Justice, Not Vengeance
At press time, Joseph Paul Franklin—the serial murderer who confessed to shooting me in 1978—was scheduled to be executed in Missouri on November 20. People ask me if I’m glad to see him die. I confess, I do feel a certain amount of satisfaction at the idea. But that only confirms my view that...
Don’t Be Ashamed
The recent trend of firing teachers for previously working in the adult industry or posing nude is outrageous. One of them, Olivia Sprauer, was even canned for just being a swimsuit model. This kind of policy belongs to the era of sexual repression, not the 21st century. It’s time to keep backward morality out...
Hands Off Social Security
For those of us who took President Obama’s pledges of “hope” and “change” seriously, his administration has been a disappointment. But few of his concessions have been as painful as his recent budget proposal to cut Social Security benefits by lowering cost-of-living adjustments. The new measure—dubbed the Chained Consumer Price Index—would hit the most...
The First Casualty
There’s been a lot of talk about the death of true journalism. I couldn’t agree more that the trend away from firsthand, on-the-ground reporting is regrettable. But even more alarming is that journalism is now, literally, more deadly than ever. According to multiple sources, including Reporters Without Borders, 2012 was the deadliest year on...
The Pathway is Clear
It’s hard to believe, but even after having their asses handed to them in the last election, Republicans still haven’t gotten the memo on the issue closest to the hearts of America’s fastest-growing group of voters: immigration. With Tea Party extremists still throttling conservative common sense, it’s time for President Obama and the Democrats...
Why Start Trouble
Some people think I stir up trouble just for the hell of it. But the truth is, I never looked for controversy for controversy’s sake. There’s always been a principle at stake. Twenty-five years ago I was in major-league trouble. I had picked a fight with preacher Jerry Falwell by making fun of him...
Entitlements Are a Right
Every time the federal government can’t get its fiscal house in order, we start hearing about entitlement reform. Republicans in particular like to use that word entitlement because it sounds like somebody’s getting benefits they don’t deserve. Nothing makes the hardworking Joe angrier than people who think they’re “entitled” to something. Don’t believe the...
It’s Not Just Guns
As traumatic as they are, rampage shootings are now a regular occurrence in our country. Many factors have led to that reality: availability of guns, lack of mental-health treatment, abusive environments, violence in popular culture, the list goes on. There’s no specific reason and no specific solution. As President Obama eloquently stated, “No single...
Obama’s STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
I am Barack Obama. I am the President. I am relevant. I know who elected me. It wasn’t the rich 1%. It was hardworking Americans, union members and minority groups who haven’t gotten the fair shake they deserve. I will keep the promises I made. My word is good. To the wealth class of...
Prostitution is a profession
As the 2012 election went to the wire, the White House candidates had one serious competitor for headlines: the Zumba Madam. Alexis Wright—a fitness instructor in Kennebunk, Maine—had serviced a lengthy list of wellheeled johns for a year and a half before getting busted. To their dismay, Ms. Wright kept accurate records. In Maine,...
A Message to the New Generation
Your job has just begun. Every citizen’s number-one duty is to vote. But after you do that, it’s not over. Democracy is a daily struggle. No matter who’s in the top job, you have to keep the heat on. Make your voices heard. Protest injustice, take back the political process and see to it...
