We already know that the FBI had investigated Orlando shooter Omar Mateen twice, and that although he had made very suspicious remarks to his colleagues at work, nothing raised enough red flags to cause the authorities to take him off … Continue reading →
Some days when I go to my computer to see the news I feel a strong sense of dread and weariness. Today’s one of those days. The Orlando massacre has had the highly predictable result of exposing the fault lines … Continue reading →
It’s heartbreaking to look at the photos of all these young people murdered by terrorist Omar Mateen. As I was doing so, however, I couldn’t help but notice that the vast majority of the victims seemed to be Latino, a … Continue reading →
Last night’s vicious attack at a gay nightclub in Orlando has resulted in the highest death toll ever in a US mass murder, and the largest death toll in a terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11. Those are not … Continue reading →
When I first read this I thought it ludicrous that the authors pretty much dismiss the Ferguson effect as being a major cause of the recent crime rise in many major cities—because it seems so obviously part of it. But … Continue reading →
I’ve long known the basics of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. You probably do, too. But except for the history buffs among you, some of the details may have escaped you, as they had escaped me. Right … Continue reading →
This sort of behavior is contemptible, reprehensible, and expected: Hundreds of demonstrators filled the street outside the Orange County amphitheater where Donald Trump held a rally Thursday night, stomping on cars, hurling rocks at motorists and forcefully declaring their opposition … Continue reading →
I haven’t seen the Netflix series “The Making of a Murderer,” and I probably won’t—too time-consuming. But I’m familiar with a lot of criminal cases where the convicted person has been exonerated, including cases in which eyewitness testimony turns out … Continue reading →
The Guardian is a leftist British paper, and so I was surprised to see its straightforward report on mobs of “men largely of Arab and north African appearance” attacking women in Cologne, Germany on New Year’s Eve: German police are … Continue reading →
I’ve noticed the word “kapo” cropping up now and then in the comments section of this blog, to refer to someone Jewish who is seen as an underhanded betrayer of the Jewish people or Israel. Here’s a typical example, which … Continue reading →
Why indeed? After all, 9/11 was far, far worse. There were many more victims. The attacks themselves during 9/11 were far more high-tech and fiendishly clever, as well. And perhaps that’s one clue. 9/11 was so spectacular, so creative in … Continue reading →
It’s as though the San Bernardino shooting were a primer designed to demonstrate several of the possible ways to be a jihadi in the US. First, we have Syed Farook, a man whose parents were immigrants from a Muslim country … Continue reading →