“There is work to be done at all levels: our country, our communities, ourselves and our campus,” equity and inclusion leader writes
law and justice
George Floyd. Rodney King. We’ve seen it before
What changes are needed to end this seemingly never-ending cycle?
Trump’s acquittal strips impeachment of all meaning
The impeachment process in the House and the Senate has come to a totally predictable conclusion and President Trump has not been removed from office. My great fear is that the wrong lessons will be drawn from this and will have dire consequences for the future: Trump did nothing wrong. Trump continues to claim that … Continue reading »
The Supreme Court just abdicated its most important role: enforcing the Constitution
“In a 5-4 decision, split along ideological lines, the court’s conservative majority acknowledged that partisan gerrymandering is “incompatible with democratic principles,” but it nonetheless said that the issue should be regarded as a “political question” and that federal courts thus lack jurisdiction to hear cases challenging it.”
A free speech centennial: Should we celebrate?
It was 100 years ago that the U.S. Supreme Court decided its first free speech case. It was an inauspicious start to a century of free speech decisions, and the result would be unthinkable today. On March 3, 1919, the court handed down its decision in Schenk v. United States. In an opinion by the … Continue reading »
Whitaker’s appointment is unconstitutional
President Donald Trump appointed Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general last week, despite the fact that he cannot legally hold the office. While the president could fix his mistake with any lesser official and in any normal time, the attorney general is no lesser official and this is no normal time. Whitaker takes office during … Continue reading »
Punishing school students for online speech
On November 29, a San Francisco federal judge untangled a really messy “school speech” case and ruled that students who posted or praised racist Instagram comments were not protected by the First Amendment. Judge James Donato decided that although the online posts, including “likes,” were “speech” under the First Amendment, the out-of-school posts were subject … Continue reading »
Police shootings: How many more must perish before we see justice?
One year to the day that Dylann Roof murdered nine African Americans in Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina, a jury exonerated Jeronimo Yanez, the police officer who shot and killed Philando Castile. In African American communities around the country, few individuals were surprised at the verdict. More than anything, individuals expressed deeper sorrow and intensified disappointment because, once again, many of us held out hope that the justice system would hold the man who killed another human being accountable.
Manchester: The newest terrorism, and the future of terrorism
The suicide bombing of a concert in Manchester, England, is indicative of the latest trends in terrorism — trends that have emerged as recently as the last few years, and will continue in the wrong direction for years to come. The tragedy illustrates the new normal in terrorist motivations and behaviors; unfortunately, you would not … Continue reading »
No to Jeff Sessions, a southwest Alabama good ole boy
This week Congress will be vetting Jeff Sessions appointment as U.S. attorney general. It is unimaginable that Sessions could be empowered to represent “law, justice and the American way.” For most of his public career Sessions has represented white interests. Yesterday, representatives of the NAACP were arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, during a protest in which they … Continue reading »