*This article is a piece of satire* It’s a stressful time for white, powerful men. Every day it seems there’s a brand new sexual assault accusation. Countless women within the last two months have been coming forward and calling out successful movie producers, comedians, talk show hosts, and government officials. These men have been tarnished, […]
United States
Residents, Not Voters: Should Lawful Permanent Residents Be Allowed to Vote?
Looking back almost a year out from the day when America elected Donald Trump as president, I want to discuss the importance of voting. I am a legal permanent resident. What does this mean? In essence, I am a legal immigrant. But more technically, I am a lawful permanent resident, or a non-citizen who has […]
The Happy-Medium Candidate
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Or at least get going-ish? In light of the most unusual and, frankly, disturbing series of events that have transpired since the 2016 election of Donald Trump, Joe Biden has come to be revered by Democrats as the only candidate with the background and bravado to […]
Guiltless Flying for Consumers
Carbon offsets are reductions in carbon dioxide emissions in one place that allow another place to continue emitting carbon dioxide and harmful greenhouse gases. Essentially, the place that reduces its emissions is compensating for the other place, allowing it to continue to emit carbon at harmful rates. Most institutions that use carbon offsets continue to […]
Tragedy Beyond Policy in the GOP Tax Bill
In the late hours of December 1, Republican senators achieved their biggest victory of 2017—passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The bill, complete with crossed-out paragraphs and handwritten edits, is a haphazard agglomeration of reforms that will overhaul America’s current tax system. At the very core of the 479 page bill are tax cuts, […]
Power to the People: Can Michigan Crack the Redistricting Code?
On November 8, 2016, Michigan voters lined up to cast their ballots. They lined up from Detroit to Kalamazoo and from Marquette to Adrian—the last chapter in a spectacle of a presidential campaign that had seized the nation’s attention. Some watched in horror as the numbers started to come in, others with cautious optimism. When […]
Mainers Lead, Legislature Stumbles on Ranked-Choice Voting
America is a country whose identity is uniquely tied to its system and ideals of governance and society. We are not bound to each other by centuries of shared tradition; we are bound by our shared belief in freedom, equality, and opportunity. It is these ideals that form our national patriotism, and a democratic system […]
The Abusive Underbelly of Politics, Art, and Media
Images of powerful women have defined the last two years of American media coverage. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the favorite for the 2017 presidential election, overcame decades of sexist media coverage when over a million self-proclaimed “Nasty Women” and allies took to the streets in pink-hatted droves after President Trump’s inauguration. Stunningly wealthy women […]
The Baby’s Beard: Our Philosophical Youth
In my experience, a frequent barrier to conversations about some of the most important issues can be the narrowness of the path on which we find ourselves as adults. Understandably engaged in the progression of their own education, health, or career, us adults have a tendency to dismiss fundamental philosophical and political questions if these […]
Green Consumerism
Over the years, climate change has become a central political issue. More and more people know about climate change, engage with climate change politically, and are fearful of the ecological and societal repercussions of which scientists warn. In response to this fear, many of us want to take action. We ask ourselves: how can I […]