Writer, lawyer and contributing editor at the Atlantic
Writer, lawyer and contributing editor at the Atlantic; author of Free for All: Defending Liberty in America and Worst Instincts: Cowardice, Conformity & the ACLU; former co-publisher of the blog, Free for All, which appears in the Boston, Massachusetts-based newspaper The Phoenix
Are Sensitive College Campuses Hurting Higher Ed? The cover story in the current Atlantic argues that political correctness has reached a new and dangerous level on college campuses nationwide. Instead of protecting students from psychological harm, it’s called a threat to their emotional health—and the need to learn critical thinking. Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist and Professor of Ethical Leadership at NYU’s Stern School fo Business. He’s co-author of the article titled, 'The Coddling of the American Mind…'
Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Town of Greece v. Galloway Thirty years ago, the US Supreme Court ruled that prayers before public meetings do not violate the Constitutional prohibition against the "establishment of religion." Today, it revisited the issue in a case involving the city council of Greece, New York, a town near Rochester. A Jew and an atheist protested references to Jesus Christ, and a federal appellate court agreed that their rights had been violated. Today's US Supreme Court session began after the standard invocation, "God save the United States and this honorable court."
An Old Controversy Gets a New Name On this 4th of July, a lot of people may think that equal rights for women are part of the Constitution. They are not. The drive for women's equality under the law began in 1923, three years after the granting of women's suffrage. In 1972, Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment by the required two thirds of both houses. But in the next ten years, it gathered just 35 of the 38 states it also needed, failing to meet a deadline set by the Congress. With Nancy Pelos i now the first female House Speaker in history, the ERA is back under a new name . The key sentence: "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." On this archived edition of To the Point, does an idea as old as women's suffrage finally have a chance? Would women lose as much as they might gain?
An Old Controversy Gets a New Name Fifty years after the civil rights movement began, many people think equal rights for women are part of the Constitution. They are not. The drive for women's equality under the law began in 1923, three years after the granting of women's suffrage. In 1972, Congress gave the Equal Rights Amendment the required two-thirds vote, but by a deadline of 1982, it was three states short of the 38 needed to pass. With Nancy Pelosi now the first female House Speaker in history, the ERA is back under a new name: the Women's Equality Amendment . The key sentence states "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." Does an idea as old as women's suffrage finally have a chance? Would women lose as much as they might gain? We get several perspectives from political activists, attorneys and social critics.
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?