Last week I wrote an essay on the way elements of the right-wing are trying to use prenatal testing as a wedge issue in the abortion wars. Among other pieces, I wrote: What they should ALSO do, however, is to offer complete information that will help people make informed decisions – decisions that will, I hope,…
I’ve been busy researching several new pieces this week so the blogging has been a bit light. That’s likely to continue next week as well. Bear with me! Good stuff is coming. The most important piece I wrote this week was about the efforts of a radical right-wing group to use Down syndrome prenatal testing…
Everybody pay attention to these next two sentences, ok? If your police force is shooting too many people, TASERs are not the solution. The solution is not to shoot people except in dire circumstances. Thank you for paying attention. Last week, a major report came out in Toronto as a result of the death of…
I’ve been thinking a lot about writing and the internet lately. Here are a few opening thoughts. The internet provides the means for creative individuals and groups who are either very big (celebrities) or very small (me) to do pretty well. What it’s lousy at is providing the means to make a living. I don’t…
A few weeks ago, I hosted an essay on the Pro-Information movement and the threat it faced in the wake of a new law passed in Louisiana, with my comments the next day here. Pro-information is a short-hand for an approach to making sure that women who have received a pre-natal diagnosis of Down syndrome…
Heather Digby Parton, aka Digby, is one of the most important voice out there talking about police violence, with a particular focus on the TASER issue. In Salon, she has a piece in response to the chokehold death of Eric Garner and subsequent video of other use of the illegal restraint. Digby writes: The New…
The ACLU has a new petition on up-to-date guidance and training for police in dealing with people who are Deaf. I’ve signed it. It’s a good idea. Here’s some text. For Pearl Pearson, a 64-year-old deaf man, a routine traffic stop led to a brutal assault by police. When an officer shouted instructions, he attempted to…
I had three essays published in the Chronicle of Higher Education this week, 2 planned (they normally won’t post on the same day) and one a reaction piece. I’m exceptionally proud of my university’s work on undocumented students, and in general of the way that many Catholic universities have responded to this issue. Making decisions about…
I have a new piece up on Chronicle Vitae on the alleged (but really not alleged) plagiarism by Senator John Walsh (D-MT) in his final paper at the War College, where he received his masters. In the piece, I talk about what we do and don’t need from military elites in terms of citation. Details…
I’m interested in disclaimers in comedy, as well as offensive language and its permutations more generally (see here and here). In general, I argue that the speaker doesn’t get to control whether or not something is offensive. The speaker only controls whether or not he/she cares. Right now, I’ve got a piece working on comedy, disability,…