William A. Collins, an OtherWords columnist, is a former Connecticut State lawmaker and the former mayor of Norwalk. He founded Minuteman Media, which later became OtherWords, in 1998. 9collins[AT]sbcglobal.net
William A. Collins
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Better Public Schools Require a Stronger Safety Net
School segregation by class is the norm in the United States.
Our Health Care Racket
The purpose of America’s health care industry is to provide cozy income to the few at the top while abusing the poorly paid health aides at the bottom and consigning vast swaths of the population to inadequate care.
The Freedom to Die with Dignity
Catholic hospitals follow an edict that requires them to override do-not-resuscitate orders.
Raw Trade Deals
With cheap imports woven tightly into U.S. manufacturing and retail, corporations have a lot at stake.
Costly Labor Scam
Savvy employers play one state against another when they plan new facilities.
In an Attack on Iran, Oil Wells Will Be Spared
“If we manage to avoid this war, someone will deserve a Peace Prize, but probably not someone who already has one.”
Get Ready for War with Iran
All this imperial conniving is giving the Republican presidential candidates, except the isolationist Ron Paul, plenty to yammer about.
Racist Double Whammy
African Americans are disproportionately impacted by the Great Recession and the Great Disenfranchisement.
Whistle-Blowing Takes Guts
Bringing war crimes, diplomatic treachery, and animal abuse to light is dangerous.
Overthrow Wall Street
We may not yet have reached our Tahrir Square moment, but it’s looming.
Fukushima Is So Yesterday
The United States is awaiting its own nuclear catastrophe before changing course.
A Watchbird Is Watching You
The shortage of real terrorism in recent years has been a challenge for our law enforcers.
Climate Change Disaster Has Struck
Extreme weather is now commonplace, thanks to global warming.
Disenfranchising Voters is Un-American
Buying elections on the one hand and keeping people away from the polls on the other isn’t what our democracy is supposed to be about.
Runaway Spending Cuts
The people who can least afford it are bearing the brunt of Washington’s austerity.
We Should Buy More White Flags
Today, the business of America is war.
We’re Not Even Paving a Road to Nowhere
Our highways and bridges are decaying.
The Long Road to Marriage Equality
As the suffragists who fought for voting rights for women and the abolitionists who struggled to end slavery learned, freedom takes time.
Chump U
For-profit colleges are too fixated on the corporate bottom line.
Big Banks are Doing Just Fine, Thank You
This virtual abandonment of local economies by Wall Street exploded when Uncle Sam bailed out the big banks.