This week in 1954, the U.S. Senate voted 67 to 22 in favor to “condemn” paranoid, communist-hunting Senator Joseph McCarthy for “conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute.” Because the resolution used the seemingly unenforceable term condemn rather than censure, McCarthy’s supporters on the Senate floor erupted into laughter. Within moments, … Continue reading
“I asked a man in prison once how he happened to be there and he said he had stolen a pair of shoes. I told him if he had stolen a railroad he would be a United States Senator.”
~Mary Harris “Mother” Jones, born this day in 1837 Continue reading
Each year on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we ask you to find time to read this powerful letter that captures a moment of history and still rings true today. Prison Desk Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963 My Dear Fellow Clergymen: While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement […]
“A sad soul can kill quicker than a germ.” ~John Steinbeck, awarded the Nobel Prize in literature this day in 1962 From The Economist: […] America has problems, but this picture is a caricature of a country that, on most measures, is more prosperous, more peaceful and less racist than ever before. The real threat … Continue reading
Address to civil rights marchers by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 28, 1963 Link to audio recording from the event at the bottom of the page. I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in … Continue reading
This week in 1920, Congress ratified the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing citizens the right to vote regardless of their gender. It was sent to the states for ratification. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any … Continue reading
“It is very nearly impossible to become an educated person in a country so distrustful of the independent mind.” ~Happy Birthday, James A. Baldwin ***
The Best Pro-Choice Anti-Pence Movement Rally Ever Right before George W. Bush came up with the first legitimate reason to burn a book – a memoir called “The Decider” – he told NBC anchor Matt Lauer that, as young man, his mother showed him an old jar containing the fetus of her stillborn child. Later, … Continue reading
Ever think about getting stuck on death row for no reason and with no recourse? It’s not a cakewalk. Take, for instance, the case of Glenn Ford, sentenced to death in Louisiana for killing a watchmaker. Four people were suspected of the murder but Glenn was the only one to stand trial, convicted partially by … Continue reading
What Big Bullets You Have, Grandmother! One section of the National Rifle Association’s website is endearingly named “NRAFamily.” It includes a series called “Fun Friday,” covering news like “6 Invasive Species That Are Damaging The U.S.” and a clever “How To” section that, somehow, includes an article named “The 7 Disease Bearing Ticks In America.” … Continue reading
According to the Child Development Institute, a 3-year-old child should not be able to make clear decisions but should still be able to use short sentences and experience sorrow. According to Stanley Coren, a canine expert at the University of British Columbia, dogs have better language comprehension than 2-year-olds and are better at math than … Continue reading
Today in 1919, Congress approved the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing citizens the right to vote regardless of their gender. It was sent to the states for ratification. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State … Continue reading
