The meaning of the 19th-century nursery rhyme “Humpty Dumpty” has been clouded in mystery since it first became popularized in Lewis Caroll’s book Through the Looking Glass published in 1871. Caroll depicted Humpty Dumpty as an anthropomorphic egg, fragile and…
Trump brings back family separation policy, and protests ensue
Donald Trump’s return to detaining immigrant children and families is reviving a brutal process from his first administration and must be heavily protested, human rights advocate Amy Fischer said during a March 12 press briefing. “It causes irreparable harm for…
Judge appears skeptical of Trump ban on transgender service members
A federal judge appeared reluctant March 12 to comprehend the legality of a Trump executive order that bans transgender people from serving in the U.S. military. U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes repeatedly questioned the government’s lawyers for what she…
Cuts to Education Department threaten religious liberty, BJC head warns
The Trump administration’s decision to cut nearly half the U.S. Department of Education workforce is a careless action that will wreak havoc in public schools and erode religious freedom, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty said. “This action is not…
Here’s why the assault on Section 504 accommodations matters
Most Americans only encounter Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 if their child is one of the 8.5 million public school children with a 504 Plan. Whether they are dyslexic, have cerebral palsy or a temporarily broken leg,…
Layman’s book sparked UMC’s ‘Community of All Creation’
Editor’s note: This is the second in a five-part series on the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church and how they intersect current issues. In 1989, a United Methodist layman named Bill McKibben wrote a book he called…
Disney, Christianity and the erasure of transgender people
There is an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to erase the existence of transgender people. Since taking office in January, Trump has banned words like “gender,” “nonbinary” and “transgender” from government documents and websites; he’s ordered that all new…
The kingdom of God is not about efficiency
We have heard a great deal about efficiency lately. The current administration has made “efficiency” a buzzword that raises lots of concerns by the way it is being applied. It has led to the gross dismissal of thousands of civil…
In a year of voucher mania, a controversial federal plan emerges
Donald Trump and congressional Republicans already intent on spending tax dollars on private education want to go even further by creating billions in new federal tax credits to school voucher programs. Newly introduced legislation would provide $10 billion in annual…
Georgetown dean fires back at Trump official who demanded curriculum changes
The dean of Georgetown University Law Center has rebuffed a Trump administration official who sought to control the Catholic school’s curriculum. That’s not going to happen, Dean William M. Treanor said, because of the First Amendment. “The First Amendment ……
Panelists lay out the negative economic impact of Trump’s deportations
Donald Trump’s persecution of undocumented immigrants is already having an adverse effect on the U.S. economy, a financial expert said during a virtual press briefing hosted by America’s Voice. Recent economic data indicate a slowing of the economy since Trump…
The language of liberty
When President Donald Trump signed an executive order making English the official language of the nation his action was heralded by some as a unifying measure while raising concerns among others about the consequences it might have on the rights…