During George Zimmerman’s trial, one rarely heard the death of Trayvon Martin linked to the issue of firearm safety. There is little doubt that if Zimmerman had not been armed, Martin would be alive. But beyond that, would Sanford have been less safe? Would Zimmerman? To what degree are firearms dangerous in and of themselves? […]

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There seems to be little difference between federal Judge Bernard Friedman and Michigan Republican National Committee member Dave Agema (pictured). Both are native Michiganders, roughly the same age, Vietnam vets and life-long conservative Republicans. But both men are on the opposite side on a very big issue: Friedman is a Reagan Republican who believes gays […]

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One of the biggest bogeymen in American politics is the undocumented Mexican immigrant. Few things can predictably whip conservative activists into a frenzy like the suggestion that 11 million undocumented workers should be allowed to come out from the shadows and given an opportunity to pursue a long and arduous path toward citizenship. Republicans, like […]

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It’s tempting to view government meltdowns abroad through the relatively sterile lens of American democracy. We cling to a fantasy that other nations should adopt our way of life and as long as they have freely elected leaders, all ills will be cured. Naiveté like this led the neoncons of the Bush years into Iraq, […]

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Those exultant cheers you heard last week were business organizations, like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, celebrating the Obama administration’s decision to delay the “employer mandate” provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This section of the “Obamacare” law requires employers with 50 or more full-time workers to provide health benefits or pay a penalty. […]

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