All Commentary
- Readers RespondReaders Write: Religion isn't exempt; A racist, 'civil' past; Guns and domestic abuse
Letters to the editor for the weekly print issue of March 19, 2012: Supporting Obama's birth-control mandate, one reader says, Religious liberty doesn't give you liberty to impose your views on others. Another asks, Was America's anti-Semitic past really more civil? Another flags an omission in a piece on US gun culture: A woman is more likely to be killed if her abuser has a gun.
The Monitor's ViewSupreme Court sizes up teens who murderTwo cases involving life sentences for 14-year-olds who murdered will test the Supreme Court's past rulings that teens are not small adults and must be given a chance for redemption.
OpinionThe real hero in NCAA March MadnessFor college hoop fans eager to embrace a bona fide March Madness NCAA basketball tournament underdog, look away from the brackets and root for the referee. The guys in zebra shirts will confront challenges even greater than matching up against Kentucky or Syracuse.
OpinionTeacher in Uganda: Why give celebrity status to a killer in Kony 2012?As a high school teacher, I grapple with the Kony 2012 video and horrific memories it stirs for my students. Foreigners again look at Uganda as a country of misery, ignoring our progress. We defeated Kony and the LRA rebels. Why not make a video about the surviving children?
- A Christian Science PerspectiveWhat's the hurry?
A Christian Science perspective.
The Monitor's ViewFuture of China economy will force political reformThe ouster of a prominent Communist Party member, Bo Xilai, hints at this year's power struggle to define political reforms needed to avoid big problems for the Chinese economy.
OpinionTo help Syria, apply a mix of 'soft' and 'hard' powerSanctions and isolation of the Assad regime are simply allowing massacres to continue in Syria. Yet the world resists an all-out military intervention in Syria. A third option is to apply a mix of 'hard' and 'soft' power to relieve the suffering there.
- A Christian Science PerspectiveYour native 'Soul-sense'
A Christian Science perspective.
OpinionObama help with Israeli preemptive strike on Iran would violate international, US lawFor all the talk in Washington of solidarity with Israel on Iran, jumping to Israel’s aid in a preemptive strike would clearly violate international and US law. Obama must tell Israel that only self-defense against an armed attack would trigger American participation.
- Readers RespondReaders Write: Romantic 'hookups' aren't liberating; Strike on Iran is worst option
Letters to the Editor for the weekly print issue of March 12, 2012: Regarding Gen Y courtship patterns, one reader asks, 'What ever happened to true love?' Another reader explains why a preemptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities would bring more harm than good.
The Monitor's ViewAfter guilty verdict for warlord Lubanga, will Kony be captured in 2012?World interest in the 'Kony 2012' video that focuses on child soldiers of the Lords Resistance Army comes just as the International Criminal Court finds another African warlord guilty of conscripting children to kill.
OpinionSelf-immolations in Tibet must resonate in AmericaTibetans around the world are in mourning for the more than 25 Tibetans who have immolated themselves over the past year in protest against China's oppression. These self-immolations are also desperate cries for support from the international community. Americans can help.
OpinionBarnard College flap: Competition among women shouldn't be over menColumbia University women are outraged that Obama will deliver the commencement address at Barnard College, the neighboring women's school. Some accuse Barnard women of wanting to bed and wed 'their' Columbia men. Why do women still define themselves in terms of men?
- A Christian Science PerspectiveA soldier's deadly deed in Afghanistan, and a way to find peace
A Christian Science perspective.
The Monitor's ViewFrom DARPA to Google, the search for sources of innovationRegina Dugan, the head of the Pentagon's research arm, is going to Google. What her move means in the global race for innovation.
Six reasons to keep America as No. 1 superpower Many around the world say American decline would preserve global stability through a better balance of power. They’re wrong, says Steve Yetiv, a political science professor at Old Dominion University. It’s not that other countries or international institutions can’t play vital roles. They do. But they can't yet do what Washington does around the world, Yetiv says. Here he gives six examples.
Global ViewpointConfab in Silicon Valley: How to move from 'dumb mob' to 'smart mob'In early March, leading thinkers in the private and public sectors gathered in the epicenter of California's Silicon Valley – Palo Alto – to take in a bird's eye view of how social media is affecting governance. Social media can empower people, but turning a 'dumb mob' into a 'smart mob' is another matter.
- Global ViewpointConfab in Silicon Valley: How to move from 'dumb mob' to 'smart mob'
In early March, leading thinkers in the private and public sectors gathered in the epicenter of California's Silicon Valley – Palo Alto – to take in a bird's eye view of how social media is affecting governance. Social media can empower people, but turning a 'dumb mob' into a 'smart mob' is another matter.
- A Christian Science PerspectiveWhat Lent can inspire
A Christian Science perspective.
The Monitor's ViewLessons from the Afghanistan shootingThe Afghanistan shooting of 16 civilians by an American soldier shows the Pentagon must better screen, train, and track its people who fight in war zones.
