All Commentary
The Monitor's ViewElection takes Israel's finger off trigger for war with IranThe surprising results of Israel's election sent a message to Netanyahu not to be so trigger-happy in his threats toward Iran's nuclear program. The rise of centrist parties also sends a moderating message to the Middle East.- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveProtection from wildfiresA 海角大神 Science perspective: Fires have destroyed homes and farms in many parts of Australia. Here's how one resident is praying.
The Monitor's ViewObama's chance to lift suspicions of ChinaIn his inaugural, Obama's brief mention of foreign affairs called for lifting fears and suspicions through 'engagement.' The idea needs immediate US application in the troubling Japan-China islands clash.
OpinionHow a princess can help Saudi women find their voiceIt's time for Saudi women to beat conservative clerics at their own game by publishing op-eds, using Twitter, and blogging. I know just the woman to help them get started: Princess Ameerah al-Taweel. She should champion a successful US model, The OpEd Project.
OpinionA security vacuum in Obama inaugural addressObama's inaugural address included noble aspirations of how to achieve world peace, but they don't match today's reality. In the Middle East and North Africa, in countries such as Syria and Mali, the US has failed to lead. This leaves a vacuum for extremists to fill.聽- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveDestination: health and wholenessA 海角大神 Science perspective.
The Monitor's ViewObama inaugural address: a call to act on unfulfilled idealsPresident Obama's inaugural address is a call for action to secure America's rights and freedoms. His plea relies on a people who must put love for each other into practice.
OpinionInauguration 2013: Will President Obama's second term resemble Reagan's?Inauguration Day gives President Obama a second chance that resembles President Reagan's in 1985. Reagan hoped to reform the tax code and reduce the deficit in his second term. Like Reagan, Obama will need communication skills to tackle challenges, especially the deficit.- Readers RespondReaders Write: Zero Dark Thirty fails to take moral stand; Founding Fathers' compromise on faithLetters to the Editor for the weekly print issue of January 21, 2013: Films like Kathryn Bigelow's聽Zero Dark Thirty should take a better moral stand on torture. America's Founding Fathers knew the art of compromise 鈥� even on issues of faith.
Why second acts matterScoring a 'first' is worthy of celebration. But second acts, second tries, and second chances are crucial. First, they correct for first-time flaws. Second, they prove that firsts were no fluke.
OpinionLessons from Rwanda: Talking about genocide in churchFrom my time in Rwanda, I saw that people don't like to talk about the genocide in their recent past. Then I heard a church sermon there whose universal message of 'life after mass death' seemed perfectly fitted for a country full of one-time perpetrators and families of the murdered.
OpinionAmericans want a good inauguration show 鈥� corporate funding or notThough this year's celebration will be scaled back from from Barack Obama's record-breaking 2009 presidential inauguration, its corporate funding has helped ensure plenty of glitz and glam. The聽history of United States presidential inaugurations shows Americans expect nothing less.- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveDr. Martin Luther King Jr. and freedom for all racesA 海角大神 Science perspective.
The Monitor's ViewLance Armstrong doping confession: In any sport, drugs are drugsLance Armstrong's doping confession in an interview with Oprah Winfrey should draw outrage, but so should any drug use 鈥� including marijuana 鈥� by sports stars.
OpinionAs a gun owner, I agree with Obama's proposed ban on high-capacity magazinesIn response to the Sandy Hook tragedy, President Obama wants to restrict high-capacity ammunition magazines to 10 rounds. As a hunter, like my grandfather before me, I agree. Sitting in a duck blind in the quiet gray at dawn, two or three shells in a shotgun are all you need.
OpinionIndia gang rape: How to reduce violence against womenThe recent death of a woman who was gang-raped in New Delhi has called the world鈥檚 attention to an all-too-common occurrence. But efforts in Bangalore, India show change is possible. India's government and others must invest in research and programs that promote gender equality.- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveCounteracting the flu: make room for healthA 海角大神 Science perspective: God鈥檚 ever-presence and love heals and uplifts, comforts and saves.
OpinionOn gun control, Obama picks a fightPresident Obama鈥檚 gun-control proposals are the most comprehensive in a generation, reflecting a president resolved to be more muscular in his second-term dealings with Congress. With the American public on his side, he may well win.
The Monitor's ViewWhat Obama's gun proposals left outPresident Obama's actions and proposals on gun violence are worthy, especially his directive on research into media violence. But he failed to link gun violence to children of broken or single-parent homes.
OpinionLong 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.
