In my final post from my visit to Iran this past fall, I wrote the following:
We’d be foolish to deny that there are troubling human rights issues that Iran would do well to address. But at the end of the day, the solutions to these problems are certainly not ours to impose.
I felt that passionately then [...]
Archive for the ‘Current Events’ Category
Iran for Iranians
Posted in Current Events, Iran, Politics, Politics/Middle East on June 18, 2009 | 4 Comments »
Congress Hotel: Six Years of Worker Injustice
Posted in Current Events, Labor on June 16, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
A year ago I reported from the fifth year anniversary of Chicago’s Congress Park Hotel strike. I’m sorry to say that today, one year later, I joined an even larger throng of marching, chanting, protesting Chicagoans along Michigan Avenue.
It’s not all bad – there have been encouraging signs that the strike is having an impact. [...]
Porky’s Revenge
Posted in Current Events, Fear, International Health, Movies on April 28, 2009 | 2 Comments »
I’m not sure which is the stronger sign that Armageddon is at hand: the Swine Flu outbreak or the increasingly surreal reactions to this pandemic du jour.
Exhibits A, B and C:
- In Israel, the Deputy Health Minister refuses to use the term “Swine Flu,” preferring “Mexico Flu” instead…
- Conservative media [...]
On Clowns and Illegal Hothouses
Posted in Current Events, Human Rights, Iran, Israel, Politics on April 24, 2009 | 3 Comments »
I know I promised to pontificate on this week’s UN World Conference on Racism in Geneva, but I don’t know that I have anything to add that hasn’t already been said about this particular circus. (And I mean this literally – see above.) For what it’s worth, I found Cecilie Surasky’s dispatches for Muzzlewatch to be [...]
The Plight of Roxana Saberi
Posted in Current Events, Human Rights, Iran, Politics on April 20, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Several people have asked me, now that Iranian-American Roxana Saberi has been sentenced to eight years in Iranian prison, if I have reconsidered my opinions about Iran and the importance of American-Iranian diplomacy. If anything, this current crisis has only deepened my convictions on both counts.
As I’ve written here before, I certainly don’t harbor any [...]
Exxon Valdez: A Dubious Anniversary
Posted in Current Events, Environmentalism, Global Activism, Water on March 23, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Hard to believe, but Tuesday, March 24 will mark the 20th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska. On that infamous day nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil was spilled into this exquisite sea habitat, covering 11,000 square miles of ocean. Hundreds of thousands of [...]
Pretty Please With a Swastika on Top?
Posted in Current Events, Holocaust on December 17, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Prepare for the latest entry in the “you can’t make this stuff up” hit parade:
The father of 3-year-old Adolf Hitler Campbell, denied a birthday cake with the child’s full name on it by one New Jersey supermarket, is asking for a little tolerance.
Whaaaa? According to the AP, the disappointed parents claim they gave little Adolf [...]
Recons Slam Gay Marriage Ban
Posted in Civil Rights, Current Events, GLBT Issues, Reconstructionism, Religion on November 19, 2008 | 9 Comments »
I’m extremely proud to announce that all three arms of the Reconstructionist movement have released a joint statement condemning the recent passage of gay marriage bans across the country. Read all about it in this JTA article. It was particularly gratifying to read this acknowledgment in the piece:
The Reconstructionist movement, the smallest of American Jewish [...]
One Glorious Night in Grant Park
Posted in Current Events, Elections 2008, Politics on November 5, 2008 | 5 Comments »
I was blessed enough to attend the Obama victory fete in Grant Park last night. When we got word that the election was called for Obama, we made our way through the crowd, past the stunned, weeping and jubilant. We were palpably aware that the entire world had their eyes on our little patch of [...]
Wearing Purple on Election Day
Posted in Civil Rights, Current Events, Elections 2008, Judaism, Politics, Religion on November 4, 2008 | 1 Comment »
As I searched my mind and soul for what to say on this historic election day, I received these beautiful thoughts via e-mail from my friend and congregant Lesley Williams:
I wore purple to the election booth today, not red or blue. Today we make history, no matter what color your state or your skin. Today [...]
