President Bill Clinton’s compromise for LGBT persons serving in the armed forces has officially ended under President Barack Obama’s watch. For some reason, I don’t recall the word “cave” or “weak” splashed across the headlines when Clinton was tackling this issue back in ’93. Or maybe I wasn’t paying attention. Or maybe Al Gore hadn’t [...]
But I firmly believe that when innocent people are being brutalized; when someone like Qaddafi threatens a bloodbath that could destabilize an entire region; and when the international community is prepared to come together to save many thousands of lives—then it’s in our national interest to act. And it’s our responsibility. This is one of [...]
Very few people will say this, but this has been a big week for President Obama. The “Big Deal” tax cuts are moving forward, and today’s Senate vote (61 – 35) to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was yet another victory for the Obama administration. Critics of the administration’s slow peddling, DOJ filings against court [...]
Today is Veterans Day in the U.S., the day men and women who have served in the country’s armed forces are honored. Many wreaths will be laid today at war memorials here in DC and around the country. Parades will lift up local heroes. Our attentions will focus on the 23 million veterans living among [...]
In the years that followed, New Orleans could have remained a symbol of destruction and decay; of a storm that came and the inadequate response that followed. It was not hard to imagine a day when we’d tell our children that a once vibrant and wonderful city had been laid low by indifference and neglect. [...]
Over a year ago, I asked several women combat soldiers who appeared in the documentary “Lioness” whether they were able to sleep without medication since their tours of duty in Iraq. They all replied “no.” Some mentioned Benadryl as a sure thing sleep aid at least until veteran doctors prescribed another drug. A goodnight sleep [...]
SPIKE LEE’S NEXT REQUIEM After visiting New Orleans for the first time in 2007, I bought my own DVD copy of “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem In Four Acts,” Spike Lee’s HBO documentary about the slow emergency and recovery response to the Katrina tragedy. The documentary was one of the few voices at the [...]
From Alex at Servicemembers United. I met Alex at the “Ask Not” events for Community Cinema in 2009. Dear DADT Repeal Supporter, We wanted to share some exciting news with you before we even speak to the media about this new development. After relentless pressure, the White House and the Pentagon have finally changed their [...]
Shock of the day was the plane crash in Russia killing Poland’s President Lech Kaczynski, his wife, and, Huffington Post reports: “…the national bank president, deputy foreign minister, army chaplain, head of the National Security Office, deputy parliament speaker, Olympic Committee head, civil rights commissioner and at least two presidential aides and three lawmakers, the [...]
A week or two after the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, I made a trip to NYC for a few days to attend a film market. During that trip I found myself in a small peace demonstration near NYU. Honestly, I was there to meet a friend who was asked to provide [...]
