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Book Excerpt: 'Palace Council'
Palace Council (Knopf, 2008) Prologue: “The Council” The lawyer was nervous, and that was odd. His hands trembled on the steering wheel, and that was odder still. He had learned in the war that there was no sin in being afraid as long as the others never knew. He understood that courage was a discipline.…
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Burden of Proof
While on a seven-country tour this week, dignified and presidential images of Barack Obama have replaced last week’s cartoon image of him as a fist-bumping, flag-burning terrorist. This isn’t the first time that questions of Obama’s patriotism and loyalty have been raised, then quieted, by an inspiring speech or image. Throughout this presidential election, Obama…
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The R-Word
Master TV satirist Stephen Colbert frequently pokes fun at the notions of racial political correctness by having his brash conservative pundit character proclaim that he cannot see race. It’s a simple and reliably funny conceit that plays on the prevalent, if specious, notion that we live in a post-racial era, one that ignores, or optimistically…
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Race Shmace, Whatever
The situation is this: Two friends of mine; one white male, one black female. One very incendiary word. And the black girl wasn’t the one who said it.I watched the following exchange with nervous curiosity, my eyes flitting back and forth as if the two were engaged in an intense game of ping-pong. My white…
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America's Immigration Lesson to Europe
The United States and Europe face a host of common economic and security challenges that are well-known and well-debated: The risk of future terrorist attacks, the effects of global warming, exorbitant gas and food prices and the global credit crunch are recognized as transnational threats for which transatlantic cooperation will be critical. A recent article…
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Sudan, Off With the Head!
Sudan’s president Omar al-Bashir has just been indicted for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. It’s a nice gesture. Better 19 years late than never. Whether the warrant issued by the ICC will result in Bashir’s arrest and trial, however, is a dubious prospect. It will take more than…
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Global Waiting
Last year, Congress passed a measure calling for better gas mileage by the year 2020. Last week, the G-8 proposed reducing global gas emissions by the year 2050. I’m making some major announcements, too. I will be coming to work on time (starting in 2010). I will clean up my garage (by 2015). I will…
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Will Work for Gas!
My first taste of freedom came in the form of an ’87 Buick Century—Ol’ Bessy, my older brother called her. I just called her an escape. Back then, all it took was a few dollars to keep her gassed. Skim a little from my lunch money, charge a few kids for rides home after practice,…
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The Gangs of L.A.
Los Angeles’ gang problem has many intricate and labyrinthine causes, all of which have been deconstructed and debated for literally decades. The gang culture in Los Angeles is a well-oiled and self-perpetuating institution with a remarkable capacity for self-renewal that probably best explains the durability of gangs in Los Angeles. The recent debate about whether…
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It's the Sexism, Stupid!
Amy Alexander’s essay dismissing the bereavement faced by Hillary supporters prompted me to make a few conclusions of my own from my vantage point as an Obama supporter working as a political organizer with Clintonites over the past two years. All I can say is: Wow! This piece is intense. What immediately came to mind…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
