The Court’s emergency docket and immigrants’ fate
According to The MV Times, the destination or fate of the 40 undocumented immigrants picked up by U.S. Immigration and Enforcement (ICE) on May 27 is still unknown, except for that of two who...
‘Jaws,’ capitalism and Fidel Castro
“It was 1975, and Fidel Castro was reading ‘Jaws.’”
Wendy Benchley shared that complex shard of history with me. She’s the widow of Peter Benchley, who authored the best-selling novel that would inspire the Hollywood...
Militarizing deportations
Make no mistake, events in Los Angeles with 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines (as of this writing) facing off against those demonstrating against the arrest and detention of undocumented immigrants will...
Let’s stand together with the Brazilian community to uphold the rule of law
Donning masks and Kevlar vests loaded with tactical gear, a platoon of armed federal agents in unmarked vehicles landed on our shores last week, and swept the community looking to detain and then deport...
Covering their faces, and no arrest warrants
The first time we saw it, for many of us the images were startling: The videotaped arrest in Somerville of Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk last March outside her home. Wearing black clothes and...
100 days of the Trump administration and us
Many people on the Vineyard may be astonished by the sheer number and fast pace of executive orders issued from the White House over the first 100 days of the Trump administration. But it’s...
After Pope Francis, who will carry his legacy?
As Pope Francis was laid to rest in Rome this week, and the Vatican prepares for a historic conclave to elect a new pope, the world is left to ponder what it means to...
Shenandoah’s Master RIP
There have been a couple of significant course corrections in my life. Each popped up, out of the blue, and each posed a question. It was a fork in the road with a choice...
On the 250th anniversary of the “Shot Heard ’Round the World,” what does it...
LEXINGTON — Patriots’ Day weekend is truly one of the great New England rites of spring.
A small army of Islanders marched off to Lexington and Concord to observe the re-enactments and the parades on...
With the death of due process and the rule of law, no one is...
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out — because I...
What we have to fear is fear itself
As a psychiatrist, my job is to help people reduce their pain. In my practice and with family and friends, I am currently seeing people who are experiencing a specific kind of pain: pain...
Birthright citizenship and our Brazilian neighbors
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” –the 14th Amendment to the U.S....
A drumroll for the next generation of Island writers …
Our small Island has produced an outsize and truly extraordinary legacy of celebrated writers through the years.
A question for us to ponder is, How do we inspire a new generation of Island writers to...
Bottle ban is enforceable
The Vineyard Conservation Society (VCS) is a local, member-supported nonprofit land conservation and environmental advocacy organization that has been working since 1965 to preserve the natural resources and community character of the Island. In...
A narrow bridge
There is a famous Jewish teaching by the Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, who lived about 250 years ago. He said, “The entire world is just a narrow bridge, and the essential thing is not...
Gas versus electric leaf blowers: A way forward
A growing controversy on the Island is the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. There may be a way to resolve the issues –– but first, some background.
Warrant articles limiting and ultimately banning gas leaf...
Struggles of immigration — as ancient as the Bible, as modern as picket signs...
The global movement of people seeking to flee tyranny, poverty, and violence, or to search for freedom in a distant land, is a continuum of human history. It is as ancient as the biblical...
Know your immigration rights
No matter who is president, everyone living in the U.S. has certain basic rights under the U.S. Constitution. Undocumented immigrants have these rights, too. It is important that we all assert and protect our...
Pushing toward solutions
We are all worried. Some of us are actually scared. The Steamship Authority is our connection to critical, lifesaving services. The Steamship Authority's failure to operate as we need and expect threatens what makes...
Educator evokes teachings of MLK
The Martha’s Vineyard branch of the NAACP had a charismatic speaker at their annual celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King on Monday last week. Javier Montanez, superintendent of the...