This week the State of New York passed The Reproductive Health Act, legislation that expands abortion to include full-term pregnancies if the woman’s health is at risk. While the purpose of the expansion is to protect women’s rights, the result of this legislation may create a number of legislative, legal, moral, and societal challenges.
The Year that Was, the Year that Will Be: 2018-2019
Merriam-Webster chose “justice” as the word of the year for 2018. That word was searched more through their website Merriam-Webster.com than any other in that year, with an increase of 74% from the previous year’s searches.
While that may be an interesting fact for many, it should not come as a surprise to most. The world throughout 2018 was rife with news, debates, and conflicts focused on justice in many forms – racial, social, criminal, economic, etc. Global issues, political strife, and references to justice through news topics such the Mueller investigation and Kavanaugh hearings contribute to the word searches for justice, especially in the U.S.
Anti-Semitism, Extremism, and Violations of the Sacred: A Reflection on the Tragedy in Pittsburgh
The United States, for all its principles and promise, its achievements and potentials, also has an underbelly. That underbelly comes in various forms: racism, sexism, classism. These ‘isms” rear their heads on a daily basis, but are most noticed when we suffer a tremendous loss or other tragedy in our country. This past weekend marked a tragedy and a loss that exposed the American underbelly and demonstrated that anti-Semitism persists in America.
Politicization, Victimization, and Redemption: Analysis of Judge Kavanaugh's US Supreme Court Nomination Hearings
After a contentious few weeks in a spectacle of a nomination hearing, Judge Brett Kavanaugh has been confirmed as the newest Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court by a 51-49 vote. The divisive and controversial process has left a wake of concerns. In particular, these hearings demonstrated how politicization and victimization can negatively impact not only the discourse, process, and results in the SCOTUS nomination, but more so the public perception of our political system and of the validity of sexual abuse claims.
Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act: A Priority for Protecting our Communities – Sosamma Samuel-Burnett
Domestic violence is a real and persistent problem in the U.S. and around the world. On average, four to five people are murdered by their intimate partners each day in America. Several hundred people are raped or sexually assaulted daily. Domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (“the four crimes”) affect more than just the victims of these abuses. They fill emergency rooms and morgues, keep employees from being able to work, terrorize children, and interfere with their ability to learn. They drive up health care costs, contribute to crime on our streets, and cause lasting harm to families and communities.