It’s fear. Fear drives parents like Frederick K. Short Jr. to sue school districts that refuse to repeal Policy 5756. Policy 5756 was signed into law in 2017 by former Gov. Chris Christie, guided by the New Jersey’s Department of Education, in regard to the safety and protection of the […]
Political
The Convention on the Rights of the Child should be ratified in the U.S.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is a United Nations resolution that was adopted by the General Assembly on November 20, 1989. The CRC is composed of 54 articles and proclaims that children, defined as people under 18, should be protected from violence and abuse, be able […]
Racial segregation still affects N.J. school districts
Earlier this week, Robert T. Lougy, a judge from the New Jersey Superior Court, ruled that the state of New Jersey has failed to address racial segregation in public K through 12 schools, and “the state had an ‘attitude of helplessness’” when facing the task of solving this problem. This […]
RFK’s presidential campaign feels too good to be true
Robert F. Kennedy waved the peace sign minutes before he was assassinated. It was 1968 and he was running for president as a Democrat, having just won the California primary. To his admiring audience, he said, “What has been going on within the United States over the period of the […]
Activists debate tourism in wake of the Maui wildfires
It has been a little over two months since the wildfires ravaged the town of Lahaina in West Maui, Hawaii. It is believed that 97 people died in the fires and some residents are still looking for family members. There are also people who were put out of their homes […]
Banned Books week spotlights conversations about censorship
The topic of American book bans is a significant on-going conversation. With Banned Books week just passed, continuing these conversations about banned books and what is and isn’t appropriate content is essential. During the 2022-2023 school year, 3,362 books were banned in school districts across the United States. Some of […]
California denies safer sex initiatives in high schools
Sex education has been a highly controversial topic among schools over the past decade. On Sunday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would’ve provided high school students with free condoms. When I first read the headlines for this news, I was ready to argue against Newsom and call […]
Biden takes action against gun violence: Is it enough?
This year has been one of tragedy, marked by an excess in gun violence. Many recent years have experienced similar losses, but 2023 has proven itself to be the most devastating as it breaks the record for annual mass shootings. As of right now, there have been more than 400 […]
New stained glass windows embrace separation of church and state
American history is riddled with religious and political institutions influencing each other in ways that range from subtle to undeniably obvious. Examples centered within the political sphere are often more apparent, such as the reversal of Roe v. Wade, but places of worship have also been used as pawns for […]
Illegal immigration on the rise: Is Biden to blame?
Thanks to increasingly polarized views, immigration has been a controversial topic in American politics, especially this last decade. Opposing views on immigration were exacerbated during the Trump Administration. Anti-immigration sentiment caused immigration laws to become more strict, which led to an uptick in illegal immigration. When Biden took office, his […]