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Serious problems need serious ideas
My friend Michael is studying in Peru this summer. He recently watched a political rally on a plaza near his school. A young Peruvian joined him on a bench, explaining to this American that the annual event featured speeches by candidates for local offices. He told Michael that Peru has many problems: grinding poverty, poor […]
In defense of wokeness
He called me “woke.” I took it as a compliment. It wasn’t … what with the curling upper lip, narrowing eyes and withering tone. He was busting my chops. Such is the state of wokeness, a once-useful aphorism nearing 100 years old but recently abducted by culture warriors looking for converts and political candidates hoping […]
Voters are safe from falling skies
The protocols for wearing an “I Voted” sticker need updating. What are the ground rules if you fulfill your civic duty a month before the May 10 primary? Is it proper to exercise your enfranchisement by mail and then show up at work or school or the market sporting the iconic red, white and blue […]
Navigating the MSU information universe
In a 1993 Peter Steiner cartoon, a large hound sitting in a chair at a computer monitor and keyboard tells a small terrier watching from below, “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” Or if you’re telling the truth. Chances are good, however, that what we read in the social media megaverse is unvarnished […]
Required reading for parents and students
Here’s an idea: Let’s ban some books. Take them out of classrooms, purge curricula, gut libraries, unplug Nooks and Kindles. That should make us feel more comfortable because the acquisition of knowledge, the grasp of insight, and the dual joys of truth and beauty should, above all, never cause discomfort. I didn’t say it was […]