Essays
1091 results
Page 57
Is Detroit beyond redemption?
The philosopher's solution: A ray of hope for beleaguered Detroit
My hometown of Detroit, once a haven for some very nasty notions, has filed for bankruptcy protection. But Detroit's current malaise gives those who haven't abandoned the city an opportunity to abandon old prejudices for new solutions. A 96-year-old philosopher may be the city's new Joan of Arc.
Essays
3 minute read
Where have all the servants gone?
It seemed like a good job, considering the alternatives
Today's relatively classless society has rendered the servants of “Downton Abbey” and “Upstairs Downstairs” virtually obsolete. Yet the gulf between rich and poor seems as wide as ever.
Essays
3 minute read
On crossing myself
Why do I cross myself? Funny you should ask
I'm a Lutheran, not a Catholic, but I can't help crossing myself. How come? And why are we Christians so preoccupied with our founder's death? One question answers the other.
Essays
6 minute read
Eichmann's trial: a response
The heart, too, has its reasons: In defense of the Eichmann trial
For all its shortcomings, Adolf Eichmann's trial in Jerusalem in 1961 was one of the most necessary and civilized acts of justice in human history. Hannah Arendt and Dan Rottenberg may legitimately question some of its legal aspects. But this trial was so much more than a legal proceeding.
Essays
4 minute read
Bright lights, big city: Cat's-eye view
It isn't the heat, it's the humanity: A cat's guide to urban survival
Spare me your tales of woe about this heat wave. I've heard it all before. For a fresh perspective, I turned to my cat, Fiona.
The Zimmerman verdict: Inside a juror's mind (2nd comment)
Race and the Zimmerman verdict: One juror's revealing reaction
The woman described as Juror B-37 identified with George Zimmerman and couldn't identify with his black victim, Trayvon Martin. For black people, this juror herself is Exhibit A in a case we've been trying to make for some time.
Essays
3 minute read
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Six degrees of tennis separation (a memoir)
Bill Gray, Boris Yeltsin, John Kerry and me: The secret fraternity of tennis
I suppose you could call us family, all of us who love tennis. Our mutual passion for the sport has opened doors for me to countless people who are more famous than I'll ever be.
Essays
6 minute read
Trayvon Martin's mother and the rush to judgment (1st comment)
Unintended consequences: A mother's love and Zimmerman's acquittal
Some people blame the victim for George Zimmerman's shooting of Trayvon Martin. What about the victim's mother? Her emotional reaction, while understandable, undermined the careful investigation that this case required. As a result, Zimmerman is free and we'll never know what really happened the night of the killing.
Essays
4 minute read
All quiet on the warring front
At last, peace and quiet (or at least quiet): The good/bad news about cyberwarfare
Thanks to drones, robots and toxic chemicals, modern warfare is quieter and cheaper than ever before. That means it's even more dangerous.
Essays
3 minute read
Brits and Americans: How we really differ
How do you raise your kids? (And other British-American conflicts)
Britain and the U.S. are two nations separated by a common language, you've heard it said. But if you ask a native-born Brit married to a Jewish American— like me— the gulf far transcends mere linguistics.
Essays
4 minute read