All Opinion
Are US drones ethical?Whether drones should be used in the US is the wrong question. Americans should be asking: Is it ethical to use drones anywhere?聽Is it fair to search for security for ourselves at the expense of perpetual insecurity for others?
Think you know the Reagan and Bush era? Think again.Political events in the era of Presidents Reagan and Bush senior have great relevance to today, from budget cuts ('sequestration') to President Obama's agenda. But this history is often remembered incorrectly, or not at all 鈥� to the detriment of America's political discourse.
India won't be 'the world's largest democracy' until it upholds human rightsTwenty-five years ago, India suspended part of its Constitution and launched a brutal campaign against Sikh separatists in its Punjab province. Today, India must provide reparations to the victims and vow to uphold human rights, especially in Kashmir and the northeast states.
Saudi Arabia vs. China: America can't play favorites with human rightsWhile the US has been quick to condemn human rights violations in China and rally behind persecuted activists there, President Obama has seemed hesitant to do the same with Saudi Arabia and its persecution of human rights activist聽Mohammad Fahad Al-Qahtani.
Why I love, but also hate, March MadnessI'm a crazed basketball fan, but as an educator, I hate myself for watching March Madness. College sports are a plague on American higher education. They add a big-ticket item to mounting costs, and they compromise academic quality. Here are the numbers to prove it.
Where Sheryl Sandberg gets it wrongFacebook chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, offers sound career advice to women with her 'lean in' initiative. But must the answer to gender inequity always be to make women more like men? Sometimes women also need to push back and speak out 鈥� for the good of men, too.
Obama must support global Arms Trade TreatyThe unregulated global arms trade fuels wars and human rights abuses worldwide.聽The Obama administration must work with other countries at the UN to close the deal on a robust, effective Arms Trade Treaty to聽reduce the illicit flow of weapons to conflict zones.
I'd rather have employees who don't just 'lean in,' but are 'all in'In the 1990s while Sheryl Sandberg was learning how to 'lean in' to her career, I was learning to lean in at home as a single father. And the truth is that you can鈥檛 lean in equally hard at work and at home. Instead, we can be 'all in' 鈥� present in the moment, focused passionately on each task.
Beyond the sequester: The merits 鈥� and flaws 鈥� of Obama's preschool planSequester cuts will stymie President Obama鈥檚 early childhood education agenda for the foreseeable future, but expanding preschool for low-income families is still an idea whose time has come. And there are several aspects of the president's preschool plan to applaud.
Texas legislators must do their jobs 鈥� and not allow concealed guns on campusThe Texas state legislature is currently in committee to decide the fate of SB 182 鈥� a bill that would allow concealed handguns on college campuses. Legislators must heed the perspective of the people who are most affected by a bill 鈥� the majority of college students who oppose it.
A better way to prevent overfishingInstead of risky shorter seasons, a shared catch-limit allows fishermen to work whenever they want.聽Today, more than half of all seafood caught in US waters is in 'catch-shares' management. That鈥檚 good for both fisheries and fishermen and their communities.
Time to help college professors be better teachersIf we want more students to succeed in college, we have to turn full attention to the craft of university-level teaching. What鈥檚 at stake is not only increasing graduation rates but providing a quality education for those who, a generation or two ago, might not have seen college as possible.
Five ways Americans can save water through food choices As eaters and consumers, Americans can profoundly reduce water waste and water consumption through the food choices they make. Here are five ways American food consumers can help save water.
Next step for immigration reform: Give detained migrants legal counselAs immigration reform takes shape in Congress, the US must ensure that any person detained in the context of immigration enforcement must be provided access to legal counsel. Victims of sex trafficking and genuine refugees are among those held without possibility of finding counsel.
Palestinians see Obama visit as reminder of broken promisesAs President Obama visits Ramallah in the West Bank, the mood among Palestinians is far from the hopes he ignited in Cairo in 2009.聽They would like to see Obama take a more even-handed, active role in brokering talks with Israel and聽a tougher stance on Israeli settlement construction.
As a Republican and Iraq war veteran, I support an assault weapons banI am disappointed that an assault weapons ban will not be included in the Senate bill on gun control.聽The argument of those who claim a right to own 'military capable' rifles聽is inconsistent with the Constitution I swore to support and defend while I was deployed to Iraq.
President Obama's Israel visit highlights common goals and a rare friendshipPresident Obama will be welcomed in Israel today by a spirit of friendship built on聽shared values, opposition to a pursuit of nuclear weapons by Iran, and commitment to a peaceful solution with the Palestinians. Such cooperation is not common in the Middle East.
A lesson from Iraq war: How to outsource war to private contractorsDuring the Iraq war, private defense contractors providing security and support outnumbered troops on the ground at points. Contractors can enhance US military capacity but also entail risks. US experience with private security contractors holds several key lessons.
CommentaryWhy I can't 'come out of the closet' as a Muslim Republican quite yetMany American Muslims, myself included, believe in conservative ideals and fiscal policies. Rather than alienating potential allies, Republicans should shift their message to one of civility and inclusiveness, especially when it comes to Muslim Americans.
5 steps to bipartisan cuts in Medicare 鈥� and the deficit Medicare is the single greatest contributor to long-term deficits. If Democrats and Republicans cooperate on waste-cutting ideas 鈥� many of which are backed by President Obama 鈥� both parties stand to gain. Here are five ways Congress should act.
