Texas Tries Something New at the Border A report came out this week that officers working for the Texas border initiative were told to push children and babies back into the Rio Grande River and not give water to asylum seekers. This is in addition to the new razor wire…

Educators Wrestle with the Phone Problem I read a story recently about cell phones in schools. Educators hate them. Administrators hate them. Parents say the kids need them, even as they are a significant variable related to mental health issues. The kids are addicted to them. The kids need them…

An Earnest Apology Letter Dear Gen Z, Whew. I am not sure how to start this letter because, wow, the last few years have been an absolute nightmare, but here’s where I’ll begin: I am so sorry. I am sorry that we haven’t been the best stewards of your coming…

The Dangerous Game of Dehumanization In a move that almost belies belief, the Republican frontrunner for the 2024 Presidential election (no, the other one) chartered a plane to send 50 or so undocumented immigrants from Venezuela to the relatively remote Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard. He somehow lured them from…

We Are About to Learn This Answer the Hard Way As they told us they would, the Supreme Court officially overturned Roe vs. Wade and Planned Parenthood vs. Casey. While it shouldn’t have come as a shock, it certainly still felt dark, but I don’t think we are prepared for…

Our Gun Worship Claims More Victims My class last week introduced the idea of objectivity in the social sciences; inevitably, the students ask me if I can be objective about the subjects I study since they are so, well, human. I answer them honestly: I try as hard as I…

Roe Approaches Its Demise Well, this is unprecedented. In a stunning move, the draft of a majority opinion of a tremendously consequential Supreme Court case was leaked to the public. This breach of the norms of confidentiality is shocking. But not as shocking as the draft itself. There are implied…

Shiny Distractions from Real Issues It’s been a strange couple of weeks as the GOP in Florida waged a full war with…wait for it…Disney? Disney halfheartedly denounced the new bill in Florida deemed “Don’t Say Gay”, as they felt it was harmful to LGBTQ kids. The denouncement was pretty mild…

The Mask Battle Continues There was a fascinating incident a few weeks ago in Florida when Ron DeSantis walked into a room of high schoolers that were masked and told them, in no uncertain terms, that they could remove them because it was time to end this “COVID theater”. As…