Under a cloud of simmering fear, Senator Joseph McCarthy, absent any real evidence, announced to the American public that communists were working inside the federal government. During 1954’s Senate hearings investigating the Wisconsin Senator’s blatant character assassinations, one exchange was particularly noteworthy. Following McCarthy’s accusation … Read More
Responsibility
March 2, 2020
Have You No Sense of Decency?
February 26, 2020
Worst Case Scenario
In his 1922 book, Public Opinion, journalist and political commentator Walter Lippmann “…argued that modern mass communication created ‘pseudo-environments’ that thwarted the ability of the average citizen to make political judgments based on facts.” To say Lippmann was ahead of his time is a … Read More
February 24, 2020
Why It Matters
Last Thursday, Judge Amy Berman Jackson handed down her sentence to President Trump’s long time friend and campaign associate, Roger Stone. However, before that sentence was read, Stone, his defense team and Justice prosecutors listened to words not only directed to those in the courtroom, … Read More
February 21, 2020
The Power of One
With the 75th Anniversary of “the liberation of Auschwitz [on January 27, the occasion was] marked by events around the world, culminating in a solemn ceremony at the former death camp [that included] dozens of aging Holocaust survivors,” The New York Times reports (Jan. 25). … Read More
February 17, 2020
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
“I am an innocent man. Oh, yes I am, an innocent man.” – Billy Joel Fresh from his Vindication Tour, Trump quickly pivoted to his Vindictive Tour. Those he deemed disloyal for testifying about the truth of Trump’s “deal” with Ukraine’s Zelensky have, not surprisingly, … Read More
February 12, 2020
Special Report from Concord
Note: apologies to readers who were expecting a different commentary. I’m tabling it to Friday. Yesterday, I received a rundown from our citizen reporter, Stephen Ambra, on the ground in Concord, New Hampshire. In past elections, Ambra has described “the gauntlet” that he and other … Read More
February 10, 2020
Only Massachusetts and New Hampshire
Due to declining student populations in public colleges and universities around the country, budget cutbacks have had a serious impact on education. Libraries and staff are particularly vulnerable, affecting the vital help students need from the valuable services libraries provide. How important? The nation’s second … Read More