Lawrence J. Siskind, at The Blogs

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Mar 13, 2019, 12:59 AM

The reparations temptation

Donald Trump's favorability rating is an anemic 41.8%. That bodes ill for his 2020 reelection prospects. But Trump has a secret weapon. It's called the Democratic Party, an organization apparently determined to ensure his reelection. Democrats – including older members...

Jan 7, 2019, 11:23 PM

The Two Houses of the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Two houses, quite unlike in dignity, in fair Manhattan, is where we lay our scene. One is the House of Weissman, whose patriarch serves as an esteemed tenured professor of mathematics at Columbia University. The other is the House...

Nov 19, 2018, 8:00 AM

The year of pain

“The day I had my colonoscopy was the best day of my life,” Everett Staley told me. Staley liked to shock. But he tended to tell the truth. “I hated the prep of course. But the colonoscopy itself lingers in...

Oct 24, 2018, 7:56 AM

Looking backward on Harvard’s diversity problem

Last week witnessed two events, both involving Harvard University and the enigma of ethnic diversity. On October 15, the trial of Harvard College began in a Boston federal courtroom. The institution stands accused of racial discrimination against Asian-Americans in...

Sep 4, 2018, 11:43 AM

DisRESPECT in Detroit

Funerals are meant to be dignified occasions to honor the dead and to remember their deeds. Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, led a life that certainly deserved honor and memory. The first female performer to be inducted into...

Apr 26, 2018, 11:39 PM

The myth of “cultural appropriation”

“Cultural appropriation” is the latest vehicle for those thumbing a ride to victim status. Unlike Black Lives Matter or the #MeToo movement, one needn’t have experienced injustice or discrimination to sign up. Practically anyone, from any culture, may proclaim...

Feb 21, 2018, 12:36 AM

A radical waste of money

As widely reported in the press (see here, here, and here), Angela Davis has decided to donate her papers to Harvard University’s Schlesinger Library. Well, not exactly "donate." The long-time Communist Party member has overcome her distaste for free...

Jan 31, 2018, 5:26 AM

Of monsters and misjudgments

Let us begin with the indisputable. Larry Nassar is a monster. So it’s not surprising that Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, who sentenced him to 40 to 175 years in prison, has been universally cheered. On the right, Fox News’ Andrew...

Jan 7, 2018, 8:15 AM

The US and the UN: Time to go, or time for a timeout?

Last month, hours before the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to condemn the United States for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, Ambassador Nikki Haley said: “I've often wondered why, in the face of such hostility, Israel has chosen to...

Dec 12, 2017, 10:26 PM

This year in Jerusalem

The President of the United States confronted a difficult decision concerning recognition in the volatile Middle East. He was personally sympathetic to the Israeli side. Many of his closest friends and confidantes were Jews, including some with whom he...

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About Me

Lawrence J. Siskind is an attorney practicing law in San Francisco, California. He blogs at www.ToPutItBluntly.com.