It was the first day of summer vacation, and the sun beat down on the blacktop, which made the freshly laid pavement shimmer like black gold and hot enough to melt the rubber on a new pair of Skips. It was summertime in New York City, and that was our time to let the games …
It’s probably not described enough in these terms, but our public education system, kindergarten through 12th grade, is a cornerstone of our society and fundamental to a functional democracy. Despite its decentralized nature, Americans view public education as a national initiative. One of the core missions of our public education system is to ensure …
Ages ago, I was what you might call a sports fanatic. Football, baseball, basketball, and hockey received countless hours of dedication to facts and fandom while competitively playing three of those sports. I’m from the generation that used to flip baseball cards and ruin our teeth by chewing wads of Bazooka bubble gum. As soon …
One of the most potent political buzzwords used by Republicans to rally the troops is the term” regulation.” They hammer home the point that regulation is nothing but a left-wing plot to restrict our freedoms. Unfortunately, that does not include a woman’s right to control her body. Republicans have cast regulations as one of the …
There’s no space between the people that deny the inhumanity and damage of slavery in our country and the soulless, murderous acts during the holocaust. The difference in a Venn Diagram is negligible. Views: 168
My father who had to quit school to help care for his blind brother when they were orphaned used to say to us when we were growing up, “You may wind up being smarter than me, but I know more than you.” Views: 160
When we were kids, one of the most demeaning experiences you could go through was “being played.” “Being played” means being fooled, being “chumped,” or someone taking advantage of you. It often involves someone that you trust. It was even worse than people snapping and joking about your mother or family. But those were situations …
It was a typical Thursday, April 4, 1968. That evening was no different than any other weekday in 1968. I was 12 years old and enrolled in a school program for intelligent and gifted children whose existence acknowledged what should have been obvious, Black and Puerto Rican kids are smart too. Unfortunately, what came along …
I am approaching the 4th anniversary of my retirement, and I have been grappling with something for the past two years. Finally, it was not easy, but I have come to terms with this situation. I have accepted the fact that I am a “Novoleiro.” But, you say, what is a Novoleiro? A Novoleiro is …
Lions, and tigers, and bears, Oh my! It’s that time of year again, and in the spirit of Halloween, the Republican Party has trotted out its tired but successful bag of frightening tricks just in time for Election Day. The menu items very rarely change. The themes are always the same. Let’s scare the **** …
