海角大神

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2017
September
26
Tuesday

Monitor Daily Podcast

September 26, 2017
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David Clark Scott
Cover Story Editor

Yes, the First Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees the right of free speech.

But hypocrisy and misunderstanding are rampant on this subject.

On Tuesday, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions gave a speech lamenting the loss of conservative voices in the liberal echo chamber of American universities 鈥� supposedly a place where ideas flow freely. 聽

Then, Mr. Sessions spoke to a small invitation-only group at the Georgetown University Law Center that screened out protesters.

From NASCAR to the NFL, from Berkeley, Calif., to Charlottesville, Va., it seems like someone, somewhere is championing 鈥� or denying 鈥� free speech. For liberals, a speech by white supremacists is a guise for hate speech. For conservatives, a kneeling protest by NFL players is disrespecting the national anthem and American veterans.

On Sunday, Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Alejandro Villanueva, a US vet, stood alone, hand over heart during the national anthem. Conservatives applauded. On Monday, Mr.聽. But he defended his teammates, saying they 鈥渁re not saying anything negative about the military, not saying anything negative about the flag. They're just trying to protest the fact that there are some injustices in America.鈥�

He added that US soldiers 鈥渟igned up and fought so that somebody could take a knee and protest peacefully鈥�.鈥�

As we consider these ideals, we all may become better students 鈥� and defenders 鈥� of the US Constitution.

Now our five news stories, intended to highlight progress, integrity, and justice at work.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.

Today’s stories

And why we wrote them

Carlos Giusti/AP
National Guardsmen arrive at Barrio Obrero in Santurce to distribute water and food among those affected by the passage of hurricane Maria, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sept. 24. Puerto Rico's nonvoting representative in the US Congress said Sunday that the storm鈥檚 destruction has set the island back decades, even as authorities worked to assess the extent of the damage.

After Maria, long-neglected Puerto Rico seeks a reset

( 5 min. read )

Out of the devastation wrought by hurricanes Irma and Maria, Puerto Rico may yet find a path to progress on its chronic financial woes.

By Howard LaFranchi
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Travel ban: the old one, the new one, and the 鈥榳hat next?鈥�

( 6 min. read )

With the latest version of its travel ban, has the Trump administration removed concerns that it's really a ban on Muslims? Here鈥檚 our briefing on the legal issues.

By Henry Gass , reporting from San Antonio, Texas
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Why Turkey, a key US ally, looks now toward Moscow

( 5 min. read )

Is Turkey really turning away from the US and Europe toward Russia and Iran? Perhaps. But our reporting suggests that Turkey鈥檚 latest moves are more reactionary than permanent.

By Scott Peterson , reporting from Istanbul, Turkey
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Daniel Becerril/Reuters
A family member addresses the media Sept. 25 during a news conference near the site of a building that collapsed in an earthquake in Mexico City. The federal government鈥檚 response to the temblor was viewed as inadequate by some citizens.

An invented drama in Mexico City rubble reveals a social rift

( 6 min. read )

Governments are often judged by how they respond to a disaster. Mexico's is no exception. And a government that鈥檚 intentionally 鈥� or ignorantly 鈥� dishonest with its citizens fuels distrust and unrest.

By Whitney Eulich , reporting from Mexico City
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鈥楢nywhere but here鈥�: heartfelt tales from the photo booths of Juba

( 5 min. read )

In this story, we visit a photo studio in South Sudan that offers a unique window into how people in northeastern Africa see themselves, and their hopes and dreams.

By Ryan Lenora Brown , reporting from Juba, South Sudan
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The Monitor's View
AP Photo
Lily Bozeman, 3, dances as the band Moon Stalker performs on a temporary stage under a bridge in Jacksonville, Fla., on Sept. 16. Organizers adjusted the show after the stage at the River Arts Market was damaged by Hurricane Irma.

An artistic lift after disasters

( 2 min. read )

After a hurricane, earthquake, or a terrorist attack, artists and performers are usually not first responders. Yet soon enough, they can be second to none in soothing a community鈥檚 wounds or raising money. A good example was Telemundo鈥檚 four-hour telethon on Sept. 24 that brought out stars such as Jennifer Lopez on behalf of the victims of hurricanes Maria, Harvey, Irma, as well as the Mexican earthquakes. With the right songs by celebrities and a pitch for donations, disaster-hit places like Puerto Rico can receive a quick lift, both in spirit and cash.

鈥淭he healing power of the arts is a real thing,鈥� says Jake Speck, executive director of Houston鈥檚 A.D. Players. His theater company is now putting on the lighthearted comedy 鈥淗arvey鈥� 鈥� the Pulitzer Prize-winning play about a giant 鈥渋nvisible鈥� rabbit named Harvey that eventually brings joy to everyone. (The play was selected a year ago.)

Celebrity telethons are the most common way for a performer to contribute after a disaster. Willie Nelson, for example, organized a benefit concert called 鈥淗arvey Can鈥檛 Mess With Texas.鈥� Held in Austin on Sept. 22, it not only raised millions but showed the power of music to convey hope. Another telethon called Hand in Hand also raised money for hurricane victims with performances by such singers as Stevie Wonder and Blake Shelton.

Other art forms may have deeper ways to reach a community in crisis. By the nature of their craft, for example, playwrights can offer a vision of an alternative future that may help people rise above a grim situation with a transcendent message. In Manchester, England, the Royal Exchange Theatre is now putting on the 1938 American drama 鈥淥ur Town,鈥� six months after a terrorist attack killed 23 people in the city.

The play, about a mythical New Hampshire town, was chosen to remind residents to see the extraordinary in the ordinary. Or, as Thornton Wilder wrote about his play, 鈥淚t is an attempt to find a value, above all price, for the smallest events in our daily life.鈥�

The arts are necessary for post-disaster communities. As Wilder鈥檚 narrator in 鈥淥ur Town鈥� says: 鈥淲e all know that something is eternal.鈥� And the power of culture to restore a broken social fabric and bring insights for personal healing can be a very real part of that 鈥渟omething.鈥�

By The Monitor's Editorial Board
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A 海角大神 Science Perspective

About this feature

Each weekday, the Monitor includes one clearly labeled religious article offering spiritual insight on contemporary issues, including the news. The publication 鈥� in its various forms 鈥� is produced for anyone who cares about the progress of the human endeavor around the world and seeks news reported with compassion, intelligence, and an essentially constructive lens. For many, that caring has religious roots. For many, it does not. The Monitor has always embraced both audiences. The Monitor is owned by a church 鈥� The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston 鈥� whose founder was concerned with both the state of the world and the quality of available news.

The power of understanding God鈥檚 goodness

( 3 min. read )

In recent months, the world has seen what appears to be raw power on display: threats of nuclear war between nations, physical violence fueled by racial and religious hatred, ethnic cleansing, and other elements of cruelty, terror, and revenge. But despite how it too often appears, injustice, hate, and vengefulness aren鈥檛 as lasting or powerful as they may seem. The world is powerfully shaped by ideas, including enduring ideas that have helped us understand how God, infinite good, cares for us all. We are created to express that divine goodness, and as we gain a measure of understanding of God鈥檚 power and authority, we can each become a stronger force for good right where we are.

By Kevin Graunke
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A message of love

Firdia Lisnawati/AP
A Balinese man looks toward Mt. Agung from a temple in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia, Sept. 26. An increasing frequency of tremors from the volcano indicates that magma is continuing to move toward the surface and that an eruption is possible, officials say. Tourists are cutting short their stays to the island because an eruption could force the airport to close.
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( The illustrations in today’s Monitor Daily are by Jacob Turcotte. )

A look ahead

Thanks for joining us. Come back tomorrow: We鈥檙e working on a story about why Republican-led tax reform may be more successful than health-care reform.

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More issues

2017
September
26
Tuesday

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