Culture

Why We Need a Voter’s License 0
- Culture
- September 23, 2019
License. My online dictionary defines that word as “a permit from an authority to own or use something, do a particular thing, or carry on a trade (especially in alcoholic beverages).” Our society abounds in licenses. Getting a driver’s license is a coming of age ritual. Want to get married? You’ll need a license. Want
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‘Always Packin’: Have Americans Become Lazy About Personal Safety?0
- Culture
- September 23, 2019
The year before she hit it big in the action flick “Speed,” Sandra Bullock played a police officer helping Sylvester Stallone catch Wesley Snipes in “Demolition Man,” a movie set in the crime-free, futuristic utopia of San Angeles. In one scene, as Snipes attempts to construct a gun, lightly-armed policemen close in on him. He proceeds
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How American Liberalism is Co-Opting Islam 0
- Culture
- September 23, 2019
A persistent refrain of conservatives and liberal hawks has been that liberals and leftists are soft on Islam. This theme dominated Nick Cohen’s What’s Left, Andrew Anthony’s The Fall-Out, Paul Berman’s Flight of the Intellectuals, and much of the late life of Christopher Hitchens. There is, of course, a great deal of truth to that contention. It is unimaginable
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Kamala Harris and the Cult of the Presidency 0
- Culture
- September 23, 2019
Kamala Harris wants you to join her cult. But don’t worry: membership is voluntary — that is, unless a plurality of your fellow voters want to join, in which case you’ll be automatically enrolled. You see, Harris’ cult is the “cult of the Presidency.” Coined by Gene Healy, the phrase describes the worship that so often accompanies
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Why the Hong Kong Protestors Keep Marching 0
- Culture
- September 23, 2019
Students, young professionals, and not-so-young Chinese have now demonstrated in Hong Kong for many weeks, despite the brutal attempts by the government to stop them. The police have used clubs, tear gas, and water cannons — everything but dogs — to silence them. “If we didn’t protest,” one young woman said, “this might become just another Chinese city.” Why are they protesting?
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In Defense of Jane Eyre 1
- Culture
- September 20, 2019
Jane Eyre is a perennial novel for me. Yes, I teach it every year, but more importantly, I reread it every time. Not just a skim. A full read. And this is why. 1. Jane is a character of such growth. I know, I know. Brontë includes much of her own life and experiences in the
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