On Kavanaugh: A Conversation with Katia Santiago-Taylor of BARCC
Katia Santiago-Taylor wore a tailored suit and high heels but her demeanor was warm and inviting, much like the couch-filled conference room in which we sat. Santiago-Taylor is the Advocacy and Legislative Affairs Manager at the Cambridge-based Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC). Originally from Puerto Rico, she has previously worked at the Massachusetts Office […]
Is the Market Moral?
Feel-good Hollywood movies are a hallmark of American culture. From childhood Disney films like Aladdin and Cinderella, to classics like Rocky and Forrest Gump, American media saturates our screens with moral heroes who overcome challenges and earn deserved rewards, leaving the wicked villains with their just deserts. This fondness for satisfying endings isn’t new. During […]
Understanding Recent Legislative Responses to the Opioid Crisis
The summer of 2018 saw a flurry of legislative efforts to curb the opioid epidemic that reached a record high of 72,000 victims in 2017.[1] On August 16th, 2018, President Trump asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions to bring a “major lawsuit” to opioid-producing drug companies.[2] On August 22nd, Sessions announced a “warning” to opioid distributors, […]
Low Juror Compensation Harms Judicial Process
This article is the first installment of a column dedicated to addressing the problems jury duty both faces and creates. Juries often go undiscussed; when they are, the central theme is that juries are essential despite the associated inconveniences. My column will question why we remain passive about such an extremely flawed institution, especially when […]
Why Inequality Matters
In an adorable experiment known as the “Fairness Study,” two capuchin monkeys in separate cages are tasked with handing rocks to a researcher in exchange for pieces of cucumber. While both monkeys are willing to conduct this transaction, when one monkey begins receiving grapes as the other receives only cucumbers, the underpaid monkey becomes clearly […]
The Audacity of Coping: Trump’s America
I came to terms with some truths before Election Day, my first presidential election. I voted for Hillary Clinton with few qualms. Clinton is not perfect, but she can be pushed. She is ambitious, but she has a demonstrated history of fighting for the underdog. She is flawed, but she can be and has been […]
Healthcare Reform After Obama
I. For those committed to the protection of vulnerable populations in the United States, perhaps the most reassuring part of a Hillary Rodham Clinton victory on November 8th would have been her administration’s ability to uphold and improve the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Despite Republican insistence that the central pillar of President Obama’s legacy is […]
“But What About (Insert Opponent Here)?”
America’s partisan divide is growing. Nowadays, tension within the political atmosphere has made many Americans loathe discussing politics with each other. According to a Pew Research report in October of 2017, “divisions between Republicans and Democrats on fundamental political values reached record levels during Barack Obama’s presidency. In Donald Trump’s first year as president, these […]
The Case for America: Hardline Republicans Want to Have Their Cake and Eat It Too
To the surprise of many long-time political watchers, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell kept his word in negotiations with his Democratic counterpart and allowed a week of free-flowing debate on the Senate floor to discuss immigration policy.[1] Rather unsurprisingly, however, the GOP-controlled chamber failed to perform its duties and pass any substantive legislation. Instead of […]
Anti-blackness in Asian and Asian-American Communities
In an increasingly divided America, there is a greater need for solidarity and coalition building between communities of color. Yet, I am increasingly frustrated. I was frustrated in high school when I had to explain, more than once, why my Asian friends couldn’t use anti-black slurs—no, ending it with an “a” doesn’t change the fact […]