26th and Cali and beyond: A look at Chicago violence and the young people caught in its midst

I spent two days last week at a historic Chicago location where many people hope they never will have to go. Fortunes are decided at this place, and its neighboring building is a stark reminder to many who come here of one possible outcome of these determinations. That place is the Cook County Courthouse on … Continue reading 26th and Cali and beyond: A look at Chicago violence and the young people caught in its midst →

Turks and Kurds: How to Curtail Ongoing Violence?

The Kurds have been in the news recently, with peace negotiations between Abdullah Ocalan, the Kurdistan Worker's Party's (PKK) jailed leader, and the Turkish government supposedly in the works. Following a very public funeral with thousands of guests for the three Kurdish activists who were shot in Paris, people on both sides are pointing suspicious … Continue reading Turks and Kurds: How to Curtail Ongoing Violence? →

Six Noteworthy Things About Obama’s Gun Control Speech

1. Invoking of the U.S. Constitution. President Obama invoked the U.S. Constitution in supporting tougher measures aimed at decreasing gun violence in America, the same document often used by proponents of gun ownership in defending their rights to bear arms. He stated that "we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights that no man … Continue reading Six Noteworthy Things About Obama’s Gun Control Speech →