Often, people will look at a high-profile example of corruption, and conclude that the egregious act is an exception to the rule. In reality, it might be the tip of the iceberg.

On October 29, 2009, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania did a wonderful thing when it expunged the… Read full post »

America’s current economic meltdown has crippled many professions, and the legal professional is no exception. As major law firms are engaging in the wholesale layoffs of lawyers, and freezing hiring for two years, newly minted lawyers must seek employment at department stores and fas… Read full post »

When criminals are about to be caught, they try to hide their wrongdoing. When drug dealers hear the police sirens, they dump the stash in the alley or flush it down the toilet. When the Nazi officers in the concentration camps heard the allied forces approaching, they destroyed—and in… Read full post »

There are many opinions on the Mideast conflict, but one thing is certain: the situation in Gaza is a humanitarian and human rights disaster, and it cannot continue. 

Under the Israeli blockade, the following items are not allowed into Gaza: cars, refrigerators, computers, cement, concret… Read full post »

As you probably heard, the Values Voters Summit was recently held in Washington, DC. What exactly is a values voter, and who exactly decides on the definition of a values voter?

In the Orwellian world of conservative-Republican-Christian-fringe doublespeak, the goal is to… Read full post »

When the Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) disrupted the President's healthcare address before a joint session of Congress, it was not the first time that a president from Illinois had trouble from a South Carolina lawmaker.

The first time, of course, was when the Palmetto State became the fir… Read full post »

James Baldwin warned: “It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.”

These poignant words come to mind when I think about that freak show, that hot mess that has passed for a dialogue on healthcare reform this past… Read full post »

If the ruckus over healthcare reform has taught us one thing, it is that bipartisanship is a dream that never will be fulfilled. And so what if it isn’t?  

Read full post »

I don’t have to tell you that it’s tough out there. I’m talking about the recession, of course. In the end, the bursting of America’s economic bubble is the worst financial news since the Great Depression. And ultimately, it is clear that the deleterious effects… Read full post »

I already knew that Sotomayor has impeccable credentials, and is far more intelligent than many of the senators, and all of the GOP senators, who were in judgment of her. I heard a great deal about… Read full post »

 

On July 7, 2009, Roxroy Salmon- a Jamaican immigrant, activist and Brooklyn, New York resident- appeared before an immigration judge to determine his future in this country.  In a worst case scenario, Salmon, a longtime resident of the U.S. wit… Read full post »

My father, Albert C. Love, Jr., died on Sunday, June 28, 2009.  I wrote this poem in his honor: 

Welcome to my father’s homegoing!

He was a simple man with an extraordinary life,

A Georgia boy, born and raised in a wooden shack in… Read full post »

CATCH UP AND CATCH ON!

Up next in the Open Dialogue On Race: 

Part IX: Online Panel/Round-table Discussion

Wed. June 24, 9PM to 10PM Eastern 

ON RONPO01'S BLOG!!!
 … Read full post »

I was hoping they would cancel Father’s Day this year, mostly because my son Ezra Malik died.

He was my baby boy, and he died the day before he was born, in a hospital in August of last year. He was a beautiful baby with a full head of hair… Read full post »

Ground rules for participating comments in the open dialogue on race:

1. ABSOLUTELY NO PERSONAL ATTACKS
2. NAME-CALLING OR FINGER-POINTING ARE PROHIBITED
3. READ COMMENT(S) THOROUGHLY BEFORE RESPONDING
4. STANDARD OPEN SALON RULES APPLY
5. VIOLATORS WILL BE TOWED 

HYPOTHESIS… Read full post »

With his speech at Cairo University, President Obama has laid the groundwork, potentially, for a new era of peace in the Mideast. Israeli officials are now realizing that they will have to accept a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians. Meanwhile, there is an indication t… Read full post »

In Philadelphia, it is time for a new district attorney.  The current D.A. Lynne Abraham is retiring, and none too soon— after 18 years in the position, she has been called “America’s deadliest D.A.” for her exceptionally voracious appetite in seeking the death pen… Read full post »

When a person commits a crime, everyone has an answer as to what punishment should or should not be meted out. But what do you do when a law is a crime unto itself, and society is committing the crime?

I asked myself that question when I recently saw the film The… Read full post »

(This is a continuing, open discussion. Parts I and III are on RonP01’s blog, and Part II is on Faith Paulsen’s blog. Please feel free to go back to any of these posts and leave your comments.)

You can view Parts I, II and III of this dialogue… Read full post »