In a Class of Their Own
My Facebook timeline is cluttered with news stories from around the world. The American outlets I follow – Politico, the New York Times, the Washington Post and a few others – post plenty of diverse content daily, discussing a variety of topics from congressional elections to dramatic snowstorms. But one thing appears again and again. Whether it’s breaking news on a single, stunning event or coverage of yet another attempt at reform, one message is constantly beamed from gove
Parkland Shooting: Something’s Different this Time Around, But Why?
Last week’s school shooting in Parkland, FL was the deadliest since Sandy Hook in 2012. In the six years between these tragedies, there have been 1,607 mass shootings, 200 of which were carried out in schools. And after each of these events, the reaction has been largely the same: public outrage, immediate politicization, contentious social media debates, and ultimately, legislative inaction. People seem to stop talking about the incidents within a few weeks, and Congress mov
How Columbia Students Can Respond to the Issue of Gun Violence on School Campuses
Following the school shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, high-school and college-aged students across the country have begun organizing marches and protests in response to Congress’ failure to pass tighter gun control laws. More specifically, survivors of the shooting have announced March For Our Lives, which will take place on Washington, D.C. on March 24, while the Women’s March has called for a national school walkout, which will l
Looking Up to the Land Down Under for Gun Control
Following the biweekly mass shooting in the United States, the discussion begins again on old ground, one split along largely ideological lines. The liberals and pro–gun control advocates blame the firearms; the conservatives and anti–gun control advocates blame mental health. The question of causation stymies any progress on the gun control debate. However, the history of gun control and culture in another country provides the likely answer—Australia. The Land Down Under has
Jill Lepore: What the history of the NRA can tell us about our relationship to the Second Amendment
The debate over gun control today seems to invariably fall back upon the Second Amendment, and whether its validity still stands in the face of such advanced weaponry. Yet, as Lepore points out in her article Battleground America https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/04/23/battleground-america, this debate skips over a crucial point: the validity of our interpretation of the Second Amendment itself. Have we, then, interpreted the famous words, “A well regulated Militia, bei
Sisyphus’ Borders
It is popular to talk about the idea that the controversy surrounding immigration has reached unprecedented levels, that the world is becoming unsustainably polarized. A resurgent populist right, swinging dangerously across the spectrum into a clash with a radical left that is swiftly gaining popularity – this is an increasingly familiar story, a pattern that has gripped us as it has made its way across Europe and America in 2016 and 2017. Immigration has been a driving force
The Newest Failure on DACA—a Bipartisan Dream Deferred
A few weeks ago, after hearing Trump’s State of the Union, I wrote a somewhat desperate, very idealistic post asking for bipartisan cooperation on some less contentious issues, like infrastructure reform. I was discouraged by Congress’ failures to act on DACA, and wanted more than anything for lawmakers to come together and actually get something done. I also hoped—albeit naively—that Trump’s call for bipartisanship in his SOTU was sincere. This week, my bipartisan wishes alm
PrezBo's Fireside Chat
On February 13, 2018, Columbia University President Lee Bollinger hosted another Fireside Chat at the President’s House. At Fireside Chats, which occur once per semester, students are provided a meal and the chance to ask President Bollinger questions they have concerning the University. I entered the lottery to attend the event and received a ticket. A million possible questions I could ask about the plethora of social and class issues on our campus immediately occurred to m
"Who is Dayani Cristal?" – a look into the lives, and losses of life, of undocumented migr
“Viajar hacia Ti, Señor, eso es vivir.” “The journey toward you, Lord, is life.” “Tú, señor, conociste la migrancia, y la hiciste presente a todo hombre que comprende qué es vivir” “You, Lord, experienced immigration, and brought it upon all men who know what it is to live” “Tú sacaste de su tierra a Abraham, padre de todos los creyentes. … Tú mismo te hiciste migrante del cielo a la tierra.” “You took Abraham from his land, father of all believers. … You yourself became migr
Politics and the Olympics
When admitting new members, the International Olympic Committee requires them to take an oath. In this, they promise to keep themselves ‘free from any political or commercial influence and from any racial or religious consideration’. With this solemn promise, a hard line is drawn between the political and sporting arenas. In practice, however, this separation soon loses its meaning. There are few aspects of life that are truly apolitical. Sport, with its emotion, allegiance s