All Opinion
Long history of US school shootings means Obama is right, NRA is wrongGun advocates say the cause of mass-casualty school shootings isn't guns but eroding values. But America has a long history of school shootings. The toll is worse now because of the weapons available. President Obama and his allies in Congress are right to seek a ban on assault weapons.
US-Europe fight over airline emissions could help talks on climate changeWith a limited outlook for international climate negotiations, some hope can be found in a battle between the US and Europe over the regulation and taxation of airline emissions.聽An industry-level agreement could be a model for compromise on international climate policies.
How I came to accept guns 鈥� to a pointI used to simply want guns gone. But then I met my fianc茅, a professional machinist who loves target shooting. Turns out, I'm a good shot, too.聽Chris has shown me there may be a compromise on gun control: Before you can buy a gun, you should have to be carefully licensed.
How to keep talented teachers from leavingNew teachers face high-pressure demands, with little support, such that more than half leave the profession within the first five years. These teachers need to see opportunities for career advancement, better compensation, and meaningful evaluation and professional development.
For US and Europe, governance by brinkmanshipThe US and Europe are handling their fiscal crises with political brinkmanship, resulting in piecemeal solutions. The US seems to have adopted German Chancellor Angel Merkel鈥檚 much maligned step-by-step approach to problem-solving. Politically, that may be the only choice.
Hope for US economy: Young black men as entrepreneursYoung African American men, especially ex-offenders, face high obstacles to employment. That鈥檚 where entrepreneurship training comes in. If just 1 in 3 small businesses hired one employee, the US would be at full employment. Young men of color can be crucial to this progress.
Words for Congress to live by: Stop fighting, start fixingWe're part of a new group of 25 'problem-solvers' in Congress who want to put aside party labels and ideological battles and find common ground. Although we are both of different parties, we are finding areas of agreement because we are actively seeking them out.
The beauty of a carbon tax 鈥� and its exemption for the poorTaxing greenhouse gas pollution through a carbon tax lets聽the market, not government, pick the winners. Big polluters like electrical power plants would be encouraged to use cleaner energy. And聽a simple tax exemption could lower the costs passed on to poor Americans.
What legal education could do for a resilient AfghanistanAmericans need a more complex, realistic picture of Afghanistan. Such a picture shows that US efforts to support education and the development of Afghan civil society should not be abandoned. It also shows that these initiatives may require patience and persistence.
Partisan gridlock? Not in IrelandThe drawn-out wrangling over the 'fiscal cliff' in Washington couldn鈥檛 have happened in Ireland. Getting a bill passed in Europe is a straightforward exercise for one simple reason: parliamentary democracy. But caution: Such a system also helped cause Europe's debt woes.
Why I'm giving up my gunsWhile Piers Morgan and Alex Jones were having a gun control debate on CNN, I was having my own internal debate. I am an avid hunter, but the tragedy in Newtown, Conn. made me realize that as a gun-owner, I am unwittingly abetting the narrative of American violence.
Why Evangelicals are the new partners for immigration reformAdvocates for immigration reform should seek support from an unlikely source 鈥� evangelical 海角大神s. Their political agenda is broadening as Hispanic congregants 鈥� documented and undocumented 鈥� increase and pastors speak of immigration as a religious concern.
Global ViewpointHow Asia and China can revive the West's waning institutionsA world adrift desperately needs global thinkers, most of all from Asia. Singapore's Kishore Mahbubani fits the bill with his new book, in which he calls for a more robust UN, IMF, and WTO 鈥� led by the emerging global powers. Let鈥檚 hope his optimism about this revival is justified.
To deter extremists in Syria, Obama must heed lessons of Kosovo interventionAs President Obama watches Islamic extremists gain power in the chaos of the Syrian uprising against the Bashar al-Assad regime, he should consider the precedent of the US intervention in Kosovo 鈥� where extremists have been kept at bay and democracy is growing.聽
Israel's 'self-defense' argument against Hamas holds no waterIsrael's ceasefire with Hamas is holding, but unless Israel completely lifts its blockade and includes Hamas in two-state negotiations, renewed rocket attacks from Gaza are likely. Should that happen, Israel would not be justified in arguing self-defense.
Don't listen to the Chicken Littles: Obama made smart investments in green techA few falling acorns (Solyndra and A123) don't mean the sky is falling on clean technology. Far from it.聽The federal government鈥檚 track record on supporting green energy tech is an enviable one. And this investment is聽improving America鈥檚 energy, economic, and environmental fortunes.
Global ViewpointIslam is not the problem in EgyptMany conclude that religion is causing turmoil in Egypt. Islam is not the problem.聽The turmoil comes聽from the gap between expectations of speedy change by those who made the 2011 revolution and the slow process of dismantling the old way of life while building a new society.
Why I'll be avoiding the sequel to the 'fiscal cliff' dramaI invested a great deal of time following the Fiscal Cliff Drama and its main characters, John Boehner and President Obama. But the great fight over taxes and spending cuts ended with a cop-out. There was no satisfying d茅nouement, and the ticking time-bomb turned out to be fake.
Outrage over India gang rape shows the power of human dignityThe gang rape and death of a young woman in India has ignited outrage at sexual violence against women and girls in India and at corrupt police. Reactions to dehumanization and humiliation can spur movements for political and social change, as seen in Egypt and Tunisia.
Love it or loathe it, the 'fiscal cliff' deal brought compromiseAs unsatisfying as the bargain is in substance, its achievement reaffirms an essential element of America鈥檚 democracy 鈥� the need for compromise. That aspect of the 'fiscal cliff' deal will be needed as the US approaches the debt ceiling and debate on spending cuts and tax reform.
