On Liberty

Let's show the world how it's done

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:29:12 GMT

We need to make sure that the public safety decisions we make in light of (thankfully rare) atrocities do not compromise our most important values as a society.

Catching the bad guys, helping the good guys

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 00:15:29 GMT

We should do more than be vigilant in hopes of catching the bad guys. We should be equally vigilant in hopes of helping the good guys.

Judge people by their actions and their character, not religion

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 23:31:19 GMT

Our nation needs to stay the course and judge people by their actions and their character, rather than the color of their skin or their religion or beliefs. This is what makes America great.

Boston shows its strength, resilience and unity

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:27:28 GMT

The leaders and people of Boston have proven their patriotic spirit with strength, resilience and unity.

License plate readers threaten privacy

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 18:28:14 GMT

Absent commonsense privacy protections enshrined in law, license plate readers enable the government to retroactively track the movements of every single motorist in the state and nation -- all without suspicion of wrongdoing or warrants.

Police step one toke over the line by busting mere pot smokers

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 22:17:53 GMT

Common sense scored a victory today when the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in two cases that sharing a joint does not constitute drug distribution under the criminal laws of the Commonwealth.

Ms. Windsor goes to Washington

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:55:59 GMT

Here's hoping that today, when the Justices look out into the audience at the Supreme Court, they see a little old lady with a circular pin of small diamonds on her lapel, and realize just how wrong it is to treat her marriage to Thea as though it didn't exist.

Marriage equality hasn't made the sky fall

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:57:00 GMT

Edie Windsors case is about ensuring fairness, pure and simple. No one will be hurt. Many people will be helped. And ending discrimination will not make the sky fall.

Anthony Lewis: A Voice of Courage and Clarity

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:53:22 GMT

"Many of the great advances in the quality the decency of American society were initiated by judges."

Parade street sweep violates the spirit of St. Patrick

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:02:33 GMT

You dont have to be a saint to know that the power of ideas--particularly enduring ideas such as peace--can never be swept away by a simple showing of brute force.

Harvard email scandal shows need for protection from unwarranted government intrusion

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 20:04:07 GMT

You may not care that Harvard violated the privacy of 16 deans, but it isn't only our work email that is exposed to suspicion-less surveillance.

Waltham terrorist threat or bad chemistry?

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:02:02 GMT

Maybe Waltham High School security guard Jesse Holland harbored a nefarious plan, but contrary to claims in the media, all you can make with the materials found in his possession is sparkles.

Roberts' claims about Massachusetts are a distraction

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:00:35 GMT

"The Voting Rights Act remains an indispensable tool in our fight to preserve the right to vote; this law brings us one step closer to our dream of achieving our ideal of true egalitarian citizenship. It must be preserved."

LGBT opponents were right: their support is vanishing

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 01:08:32 GMT

As important as it is to win freedom and equal rights at the level of politics or in court, it's important to win them at the level of simple human kindness. This Emerson fraternity's move is the latest example.

Three reasons why S-Comm numbers don't add up

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:47:44 GMT

Secure Communities was never designed to focus on hardened criminals. It was designed to catch every single person arrested in the United States.

Immigration reform proposal is a good start

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 20:16:53 GMT

The plan to reform our broken immigration system includes some positive provisions but also includes proposals that can affect civil liberties and add to the runaway spending on border security.

Putting more police in schools carries its own risks

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 20:33:01 GMT

While we applaud President Obama's willingness to take much-needed steps to reduce gun violence, one item in his 23-point proposal could be bad for children and raises questions: putting more police in schools.

Why did the Massachusetts US Attorney's office persecute Aaron Swartz?

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 21:22:49 GMT

The message seems clear: there is no limit to the things you can get away with if you are powerful. That has also been the case with our own government.

Rhetorical support is not "material support"

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 19:15:51 GMT

The right to hold and espouse offensive views is one of our nations essential liberties.

Drug lab scandal: is this how prosecutors treat their own?

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 16:06:26 GMT

When it comes to tracking down wrong-doers, you can always count on Massachusetts prosecutors to doggedly pursue every lead until they get their woman or man. Except, it seems, when the suspected wrong-doers are the District Attorneys themselves.

Mass murder madness while the hunt for "terrorist suspects" goes on

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:03:52 GMT

Yes, there is a major threat to public safety in this country. But it is not being caused by the kind of extremists that featured in the FBI press release on the day Jacob Tyler Roberts went on his shooting spree.

Supreme Court will make history in equal marriage cases

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 22:16:09 GMT

"We never could have dreamed that the story of our life together would be before the Supreme Court as an example of why gay married couples should be treated equally, and not like second-class citizens," said Edie Windsor.

Subway surveillance stupidity

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 15:19:38 GMT

No doubt, the cameras are a gift from homeland surveillance. More likely, it'll be a "gift that keeps on giving," as the MBTA in future years will need to spend funds to hire people to operate the spy cameras for years.

First Circuit Court should defend victims of human trafficking

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 21:36:05 GMT

I have a big problem when federal dollars are given to a church--or any other religious institution--to compel human trafficking victims to adhere to that church's religious belief.

How not to spend $332 million

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 23:06:09 GMT

There's a way to deal with the state drug lab scandal in a way that's just and sensible, and without going broke.