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After Newtown, Beware of Fear-Driven Policymaking
Reflecting on laws enacted after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, Melissa Harris-Perry writes at the Nation that if we are not careful, we could repeat the same mistakes in responding to recent mass shootings if we allow the government to enact more laws that trample civil liberties. … While I agree with the need…
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Casualties in the Education-Reform Wars
In a piece for the Nation, Melissa Harris-Perry worries that what happened in Chicago will repeat itself across the country, and that solutions will come too late for many students. Rolisa is a married mom with four kids. Two of them are successful graduates of Chicago’s public schools — her eldest graduated from college in…
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Ryan's Dangerous Record on Women's Health
MSNBC political commentator Melissa Harris-Perry, in a piece at the Nation, tackles GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan’s record on women’s reproductive rights, determining that he has worked consistently to restrict women’s access to health care. Despite his seemingly robotic demeanor, Mitt Romney is proving himself a bit of a rogue. His campaign has broken…
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MHP: The Cultural Impact of Pornography
On Saturday, Georgetown professor Michael Eric Dyson and Zephyr Teachout, associate professor of law at Fordham University, were among several panelists who joined Melissa Harris-Perry on her MSNBC show to talk about the porn industry. In a wide-ranging discussion about sexuality and politics, Harris-Perry and the panelists tried to deconstruct who is impacted by the…
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Guilty of Being Black
In an insightful piece for the Nation, Melissa Harris-Perry tackles the Trayvon Martin case through the prism of W.E.B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk, which describes the experience of being black in America as a constant awareness that others view the author as a problem. Trayvon Martin was not innocent. He was guilty…
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American Democracy and the Santa Claus Test
In her column at the Nation, Tulane professor Melissa Harris-Perry challenges readers to compare their belief in the democratic process with believing in Santa Claus. She says that like Santa, democracy requires us to believe that collective faith can be greater than our individual doubts. Santa exists only if we make him real through belief.…
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Why Was the Penn State Abuse Scandal Covered Up?
The Nation notes that as the Penn State child sex-abuse scandal has unfolded, and coach Joe Paterno’s firing has prompted students to take to the streets in protest, the moral outrage for the victims of abuse hasn’t been as loud. The Nation’s Melissa Harris-Perry joined MSNBC’s “Sound Off” segment to weigh in on the issue.…
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VIDEO: Cain vs. Obama Would Be 'Fascinating'
In the MSNBC segment “Sound Off,” Tulane professor Melissa Harris-Perry, a contributor to the Nation, jokes that she would quit her job if the Republican Party nominated Herman Cain, saying that he and President Barack Obama would make for a fascinating match. If Cain wins the GOP nomination, I think I may have to just…
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The Trouble With Talking About Racism
Blogging at the Nation, Tulane professor Melissa Harris-Perry responds to angry complaints about an earlier article of hers suggesting that racial bias may be responsible for President Barack Obama’s declining support among white Americans. I logged onto Twitter on Sunday night and discovered that my recent article for The Nation was causing a bit of a stir.…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
