Why is this world so mean & virulent & judgemental?

Why is this world so mean & virulent & judgemental ?
Why is this world so mean & virulent & judgemental?

There’s no getting around it, people have done mean things and said judgmental things. A good many others have done heroic things and said things that were honest, thoughtful, and/or caring. I recommend seeking out more of the latter, and attempting to avoid the former as much as you can. If you can’t avoid it, perhaps you can meet it with equanimity & silence, kind of like a wall. Meanness expects (and thrives on) mean responses. Starved of reaction, it often recedes.

What can we do to stop all these school shootings? So many innocent people die, it’s sick.

What can we do to stop all these school shootings? So many innocent people die, it’s sick.

This is a difficult topic and so far a great failure of the United States. There have been too many school shootings here: if you search for “school shootings” and “stop OR prevent” in databases such as Academic OneFile, Education Research Complete, and PsycInfo, you will find that a good amount of research has been done. Perhaps a viable solution will be one that includes several different strategies, from better training and education to recognize those who may be in trouble, to better mental health services to help them, to better gun control laws, and so on (see this article and references in PolitiFact for a summary: bit.ly/stop-shootings). It will not be easy; educating ourselves (but beware of bots and trolls online) and talking is a good first step, but it does seem as though many lawmakers are not really willing to be part of the solution. We must keep talking and learning, speak out, vote for candidates who will address the issue. And we must continue to support those who have been victims of gun violence. Students in Parkland FL are leading the charge, with a planned march in DC (and one is apparently being planned here in Boston as well: bit.ly/marchforourlivesboston) as well as other events: bit.ly/walkout-shootings.

Why is BC willing to ignore all of its Jesuit values when dealing with the grad student union?

Why is BC willing to ignore all of its Jesuit values when dealing with the grad student union?
Why is BC willing to ignore all of its Jesuit values when dealing with the grad student union?

That would be a good question to ask Father Leahy. BC’s public position is similar to arguments made by Columbia (bit.ly/bc-columbia) recently. A BC FAQ (bit.ly/bc-unionfaq) addresses questions about Catholic social teaching and other issues from the administration’s perspective. The BC Graduate Student Employees Union addresses those issues this way: bit.ly/bc-grad-union. You might also be interested in the work of the Catholic Labor Network (bit.ly/bc-CLN), and this brief history of Catholic institutions and collective bargaining in America: The Jesuit Review (bit.ly/bc-am).

ACAB

ACAB
ACAB

One of the Wall’s acolytes reports that this phrase dates back to before World War II in Britain. Urban Dictionary and Wikipedia have pretty good articles, and there are lots of awesome tattoos online.

Empower the proletariat to seize the means (finally)

Empower the proleteriat to size the means (finally)
Empower the proletariat to seize the means (finally)

A very ambitious New Year’s resolution! However, the move to a service-oriented society leaves much less value in owning “production”. And the proletariat is also shrinking (at least in “first-world” countries), so there is less labor available to help you with your goal. You may have better luck if you resolve instead to empower the middle class to end income inequality.

Will anyone issue a statement against the president’s recent comments on African countries and immigrants of color? … #2nd this

Will anyone issue a statement against the president's recent comments on African countries and immigrants of color? ... #2nd this
Will anyone issue a statement against the president’s recent comments on African countries and immigrants of color? … #2nd this

The Cardinal of Boston, Sean Patrick O’Malley, wrote a blog entry about civility in response to the President’s comments: bit.ly/Cardinal-civility. Many other officials–especially of the nations and regions named–have responded as well. A group of African ambassadors called the comments “outrageous, racist and xenophobic,” and it is on the agenda of the upcoming African Union meetings in Addis Ababa next week. The Haitian ambassador said the comments were “misinformed or miseducated” about Haiti. There has been no officially released statement by BC; however, many universities, BC included, hosted events honoring Martin Luther King this week; perhaps honoring him was response enough.