Overlooked Conflicts: Ongoing Violence at the End of 2023

Although the Ukraine-Russia war and the Gaza war have dominated the news, other countries have been suffering violent conflicts recently. In several pieces this year, I highlighted contemporary wars and other conflicts that are too often overlooked. As 2023 ends, here is an update on the status of these conflicts. NOTE: This piece discusses sexual … Continue reading Overlooked Conflicts: Ongoing Violence at the End of 2023 →

A Complex Man’s Complex Legacy: What the Movie ‘Rustin’ Leaves Out

The great civil rights activist and thinker Bayard Rustin (1912-1987) has received renewed attention thanks to the recently released movie Rustin. The movie is an engrossing look at Rustin’s role as an advisor to Martin Luther King and as the organizer of the 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom in Washington, DC. Rustin organized one … Continue reading A Complex Man’s Complex Legacy: What the Movie ‘Rustin’ Leaves Out →

“They Destroyed Everything That Had Kept Me Here”: Rising Violence in the West Bank

While world attention has understandably been focused over the past month on the Israel-Hamas violence centered around the Gaza Strip, violence has also been escalating in the West Bank. Long-running Israeli violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has intensified since Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack that killed roughly 1,200 Israelis, most of them civilians.[1] … Continue reading “They Destroyed Everything That Had Kept Me Here”: Rising Violence in the West Bank →

People in Need of a Safe Haven: The Struggle to Help Afghan Refugees

The Afghan people are suffering today from both the Taliban’s repressive rule and international economic penalties imposed on their nation. The United States can help Afghans by reducing the penalties on Afghanistan, as well as by giving refugees fleeing Taliban rule a safe haven within its borders.[1] Various legal routes to refuge are theoretically available … Continue reading People in Need of a Safe Haven: The Struggle to Help Afghan Refugees →

A War That No One Will Win: The Violence in Israel and Palestine

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has erupted into a terrible new wave of violence. To date, thousands of people, including over 1,500 Palestinians and over 1,200 people in Israel, have been killed. Thousands more have been injured.[1] If not stopped, the violence seems destined to escalate to ever-more-devastating levels. The Attack The violence began October 7, when … Continue reading A War That No One Will Win: The Violence in Israel and Palestine →

A Plea for Quiet—and for Peace: Consistent Life Ethic Themes in ‘Fahrenheit 451’

Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury’s classic dystopian science fiction novel, turns 70 years old this October. The novel has been described as being about censorship, which is an accurate but limited characterization.[1] The book contains other themes, some of which may interest consistent life ethic activists. The novel imagines a future United States in which owning … Continue reading A Plea for Quiet—and for Peace: Consistent Life Ethic Themes in ‘Fahrenheit 451’ →

Lifting a Terrible Burden: The Need to End Sanctions on Afghanistan

More than two years after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, the Afghan people’s situation remains dire. The Taliban’s rule continues to be highly repressive and to fall particularly hard on women. The country is also facing a humanitarian crisis, with over half its people living below the poverty line and some 15 million lacking adequate … Continue reading Lifting a Terrible Burden: The Need to End Sanctions on Afghanistan →

The Niger Crisis: A Coup That Could Turn into a War

Niger was thrown into a crisis this summer when the country’s military overthrew its democratically elected president on July 26.[1] This coup has prompted threats of intervention from other countries in the region, with different countries supporting either the overthrown president or the military. The crisis even risks leading to intervention by France or the … Continue reading The Niger Crisis: A Coup That Could Turn into a War →

Overlooked Conflicts: Sudan on the Brink

Although the war between Ukraine and Russia has dominated the news, other countries have been suffering through their own violent conflicts in recent years. In this and other pieces, I highlight contemporary wars and other conflicts that are too often overlooked. Sudan faces a looming civil war. Having long been plagued by political instability and … Continue reading Overlooked Conflicts: Sudan on the Brink →

A Cause of Prejudice at Home? The Dangers of Anti-China Attitudes

US-China relations have continued to deteriorate this year. Issues ranging from Taiwan, to the presence of an alleged Chinese spy balloon over the United States, to TikTok’s China ties have elevated tensions between the two countries.[1]Tensions between the United States and China are dangerous not only because they increase the risk of international conflict but … Continue reading A Cause of Prejudice at Home? The Dangers of Anti-China Attitudes →