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Convicted felons are citizens too

But 5.4 million Americans are currently barred from voting due to a felon conviction, with severe consequences for their rehabilitation and the democratic process.


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Why the Dreyfus Affair Matters

A century later we still have much to learn about the fragility of civilized behaviour.


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Teach my child that, and you’ll be sorry

It is not what you would want to read before breakfast, but it's the sex menu they are serving up to children.


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Open monogamy

What gays can teach straights about marriage, according to some people.


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Reasoning about life

Is it possible to reach agreement on disputed issues like abortion and euthanasia? Yes, but only if you are ready to reason things out. 


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The right way to fire teachers

To the cheers of conservative critics, Washington DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee has fired scores of teachers. But will that fix the system?


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What do the Wikileaks show?

The shocking truth of the 92,000 documents is that they contain no shocking truths.


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The World Turned Upside Down

In an age of reason, we are behaving increasingly irrationally, contends a leading British journalist



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Bearing the burden of the past

We were not actors in wrongs committed by our ancestors. But don’t we have some sort of responsibility for them?


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Mel Gibson: Conservative demon or Caravaggio?

Scandalous tape recordings expose the movie star in an ugly light, but some critics are honing their own agendas.


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The challenge of imperfection

Why are we exterminating Down syndrome children if they can bring so much joy?


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Roman Polanski’s get out of jail free card

Should the geniuses of Hollywood be judged by a different law in view of their cultural contributions?


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Sobering thoughts

Criticism based on fact should be the common coin of public discourse, not misleading rumours.


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What’s Wrong With the American University System Let's cratch tenure, abolish football, emphasise teaching over research. | Atlantic

The rich are different from you and me They are more selfish - or so a study shows. | The Economist

Goldman Sachs bans profanity in emails An 'Unlearnable Lesson' on Wall Street? | Wall Street Journal

The backwardness of Catholic-bashing Far from being enlightened, the attacks on Catholicism ahead of the pope’s UK visit are illiberal, censorious and ignorant. | Spiked

Solving the 800-year mystery of Pisa’s Leaning Tower After defying gravity, Italian bureaucracy and accusations of corruption, it seems a British expert has finally cracked the case. | London Telegraph

The Right and the Climate To understand the demise of the cap-and-trade bill, you have to go back to the 1970s. | New York Times

Wired and tired The number of teens losing sleep to late-night technology use is enough to keep parents and researchers up at night | Chicago Tribune

The Power of Redemption Shirley Sherrod's speech, and her story, has lessons for us all, says Peggy Noonan. | Wall Street Journal

The Rise of the Caring Industry The US has experienced a more than 100-fold increase in the number of professional caregivers over the last 60 years, although the general population has only doubled. | Policy Review

Neologisms and malapropisms Sarah Palin's 'refudiate' was a shocker, but Shakespeare and Carroll were at it too. | London Telegraph

A government of the people’s every wish? Americans are hooked on Big Brother government | Washington Post

The future is another country Despite its giant population, Facebook is not quite a sovereign state—but it is beginning to look and act like one. | The Economist

Kids Quit the Team for More Family Time The demands of competitive sports are pushing some parents over the edge. | Wall Street Journal

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