(I posted this on the Facebook page of a friend who happens to be a devout Palestinian Muslim. Its intention is that our friendship serve as an example to others of her friends and mine of possibilities that exist in this growingly divided, hateful, chaotic and violent world, even at its epicenter. I have changed her name to “Mudarris,” which… More →
Author: Alan Weber
Baseball and Boycotts: Suffolk County Community College Earns an “F” on LGBT Rights
I have been a faculty member of Suffolk Community College for more than a quarter century. I have served on their Faculty Senate, their Academic Standards Committee, their Student Liaison Committee, their Curriculum Committee, their Diversity Committee and their Academic Integrity Committee. In addition to having taught seven different courses in and helping to redesign their Early Childhood Education Program,… More →
The Case Against Clinton: Why Hillary Is an Unacceptable Alternative
With the rigged nomination process reaching its inevitable conclusion, we are once again being manipulated with the fear tactics that make us postpone our principles for another four years and resign ourselves to “the lesser of two evils.” Yes, minor differences can make major differences in the lives of vulnerable people, say with Supreme Court nominations. But many of us… More →
Time to Go Green: An Endorsement of Dr. Jill Stein for President
Time to Go Green An Endorsement of Dr. Jill Stein for President So it’s all over. Bernie Sanders’ campaign was sabotaged into hopelessness, and all indications now are that he will be a “good Democrat,” stop the anti-oligarchist attacks on Hillary, and “do everything he can” to make sure a Republican isn’t elected. Yes, I supported him. Hell, I voted… More →
Aim Both Barrels At the NRA: A Radical Perspective on Gun Control
There was yet another school shooting yesterday, at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, where ten students have died. This is the forty fifth school shooting this year alone. When is enough enough? How many children have to be sacrificed to the gun lobby? How much blood money in the coffers of the gun manufacturers, in the salaries of their… More →
The Trump Lemmings
There is a televangelist by the name of Peter Popoff. He professes to be a faith healer. With his funny hair and his claims to be able to make people richer and safer, he has amassed quite a fortune and quite a following. He has been caught numerous times, for using secreted listening devices, for planting collaborators in his audience… More →
A Different Cultural Lesson Learned At the Pow Wow
I attend the Shinnecock Pow Wow every year. I have long felt a special, only partially explainable affinity with Native American culture(s), and not only enjoy, but feel especially comfortable being there amongst the people, sounds, rhythms, scents, tastes and colors (including those of the diversity of the participants). And I am not generally a comfortable person. I’ve taken in… More →
The Assault on Public Education and Teachers
I’m sure you’ve read quite a bit about “Common Core,” the charter school take-over, teacher assessment measures and the “Opt-Out” movement. Please allow me to explain the resistance to a revolution designed to privatize, politicize and homogenize American education. Certainly there can be no dispute over the idea of improving public education. But like with any profession, betterment in the… More →
Lessons from My Son
When my son was a toddler he was diagnosed with Autism, He displayed all of the early signs except for the ritualistic movements. He stopped speaking anything but jargon and echolalia, he played non-socially, randomly lining things up and banging them, and he failed to make eye contact and was sensory defensive. As he went through school, he was very… More →