Today, a lot of national attention focused on a front-page photograph of a man trapped in the path of an oncoming subway train. Was publishing that photograph good journalism, ethical journalism? Or does the question of the ethics of publishing the photograph miss a larger point? Continue reading
Author Archives: Mary Turck
New report: “America’s young people stand last in line for jobs”
“Forty years ago, a teenager leaving high school—with or without a diploma—could find a job in a local factory. Twenty years ago, even as manufacturing jobs moved offshore, young people could still gain a foothold in the workforce through neighborhood stores and restaurants. Amid the housing boom of the past decade, youth with some training could find a career track in the construction field. but today—with millions of jobs lost and experienced workers scrambling for every available position—America’s young people stand last in line for jobs.” Youth and Work: Restoring teen and young adult connections to opportunity Continue reading
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Bad news on graduation gap
The Education Department released new high school graduation data November 26, and the news isn’t good. Overall, Minnesota doesn’t do well, with an overall 77 percent four-year graduate rate placing us in the lower 50 percent of all states. Even worse, Minnesota has the biggest graduation gap, with 35 percentage points separating the African American graduation rate of 49 percent from the white graduation rate of 84 percent. Only Nevada has a lower African American graduation rate than Minnesota. Continue reading
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Reality check on the fiscal cliff: Let’s go ahead and jump off
To hear the pundits tell it, the nation is roaring toward a fiscal cliff on January1, and likely to run right off the edge of the cliff like the Wile E. Coyote, plunging back into recession. Luckily for all of us, that pundit picture is just as much a cartoon as the original Road Runner. Continue reading
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Vote in November, protest in February?
Cornell West, a very smart man and vehement critic of politicians and governments said he would vote for Obama in November and protest his policies in February. I agree — and here are three issues that are at the top of my list. Continue reading
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Bragging about my brother
My brother Kenny uses turkeys as a mental health tool. Not only turkeys — also potatoes, pumpkins, onions, other vegetables, fruits, and most of all, DIRT. He also uses family, friends and lots of heart. Continue reading
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2012 issues: Coming together on November 7
We have suffered through years of this presidential campaign. The country is divided. Families are divided. Every day’s news (and Facebook posts) bring a river of vitriol as wide as the Mississippi. Why? That’s the dirty little secret of this prolonged, bitter, nasty campaign.
On November 7, almost half the country is going to lose. They will be bitterly disappointed in the outcome. Even the victors will feel battered, as many in both camps believe that their candidate has betrayed his own party, legacy and principles. Will there be fighting in the streets? Will Democrats flee in fear from Eagan, and Republicans move out of St. Paul before they are attacked?
Won’t happen — because we will all be so relieved that the campaign and election are over that we will just head back to our daily lives. And that might be the most useful purpose of this expensive, prolonged exercise in lies and hatemongering.
Our political campaigns, and especially the presidential campaign, are like beating your head against the wall: it feels so good to stop. When we wake up on November 7, our shared relief that the campaign is finally over will be even bigger than the pain of defeat or the joy of victory.
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2012 issues: War and peace
Yeah, I know — President Obama’s record on war, peace and human rights is disappointing. Maybe appalling. Our prison in Guantanamo is still open. We are killing people, including lots of civilians, by remote control, with a continuously expanding drone war. The former constitutional law professor has expanded the Patriot Act and other legal inroads on civil liberties, and has gone after whistleblowers in government. Continue reading
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2012 Issues: Voter ID
The Voter ID amendment is billed as a way to stop vote fraud, but it will actually prevent lots of legally eligible voters from voting — and it won’t stop vote fraud. How does that work? Let’s take a look at the language of the amendment, and at how it would work. Continue reading
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2012 issues: Marriage Amendment
I flat out do not understand the arguments about gay marriage and about the marriage amendment. So, instead of answering them one by one, I’m going to share parts of four of the stories of same-sex Minnesota couples that are on the Minnesotans United for All Families website. (If you are interested in the arguments, scroll down past the stories for links to information.) Continue reading
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Mary Turck