Tackling the mental healthcare crisis
Founded in 1961, Martha’s Vineyard Community Services (MVCS) was one of America’s first rural Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC). The community mental health movement of the 1950s and 1960s had the dream that communities...
The postal service and abortion
Most women seeking abortions today now go about self-medication by ordering two pills through the mail. According to the Guttmacher Institute, medication abortion is the chosen method for women to end a pregnancy in...
The art of the career pivot
Instead of the Great Depression of the 1930s, we face the “the Great Resignation” of the 2020s, with millions of workers pivoting into new careers, adding part-time gigs, or learning new skills. Two years...
Let students make the rules
We’re well into August now, and Island teachers are feeling the familiar dread and excitement of a new school year. I suggest that educators spend the first few days easing into the school routine...
Abortion and the right of locomotion
The U.S. Constitution does not explicitly guarantee the freedom of movement. Law enforcement authorities may detain a person from leaving a state if they suspect that person of committing a crime. Alternatively, prosecutors can...
Guy walks into a bar
Guy walks into a bar. It’s clear he’s been there before. He pours himself into what appears to be his usual stoop at the tail end of a slab of burnt mahogany. Barkeep saunters...
A further reckoning: The Supreme Court’s next term
If last year’s Supreme Court term was full of blockbuster landmark rulings, next year promises more to come. To date, the justices have accepted 30 cases for full argument. They will add more over...
Emergency departments pushed to the brink again
Emergency Department (ED) visits for mental health conditions have spiked by double digits across the U.S., especially for children. From Boston to Los Angeles, and here on Martha’s Vineyard, clinical teams are overwhelmed trying...
Supreme Court review: Winners, losers, and those in between
The Supreme Court’s term, which ended on June 30, demonstrated the power of the conservative majority that was emboldened after the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett eight days before the 2020 presidential election.
The court...
After Roe: A grim future for many of our rights
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health infuriated some but delighted others.
The opinion by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. overruling Roe v. Wade on June 24 is substantially the one...
American expectations of the Jan. 6 committee
The foundational principle of the American democratic republic is the rule of law. The framers of the Constitution were certain that their new government was based on this principle; they divided power so that...
What to do about so many guns
All the Islanders I know who own guns are highly responsible with and knowledgeable about their firearms. That said, editorial cartoonist Drew Sheneman of the New Jersey Star-Ledger recently reminded his readers of the...
A flag of many colors
The decision by the town of Oak Bluffs to fly the Progress Pride flag this year during the month of June, joining the other towns that have already done this, has special significance to...
The ‘great replacement’ explained
Many people may now be familiar with the “great replacement” theory, universally used by white supremacists such as Payton Gendron, who drove 200 miles on May 14 to shoot 13 people in a Buffalo,...
The future of Roe, the court, and us
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.’s recently leaked draft opinion overruling Roe v. Wade has amplified the loss of credibility the Supreme Court has suffered as its approval rating erodes. It used to run as...
Act in the present
“The Vineyard Way: Connected to Our Past, Committed to Our Future,” is the theme of a Climate Action Plan being developed by dozens of Island residents through the Martha’s Vineyard Commission.
Next week (May 8...
Russian war crimes
President Biden has called Russian military action in Ukraine war crimes and even declared he held Russian President Vladimir Putin personally responsible. Biden said that in his opinion Putin is a war criminal. He...
Ginni and Clarence Thomas: conflicts of interest
recuse | ri-ˈkyüz transitive verb
to disqualify (oneself) as judge in a particular case; broadly: to remove (oneself) from participation to avoid a conflict of interest. –Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Last December, former Trump White House...
Housing bank — an opportunity for Martha’s Vineyard
At our upcoming town meetings, Islanders will be able to vote on the future of affordable, year-round housing on Martha’s Vineyard. The outcome of these meetings — of the vote for the creation of...
Russia (and Putin) in history
In January, I wrote that I hoped that the Russians and Ukrainians could come to a peaceful settlement that would “guarantee Ukrainian integrity and Russian security interests.” This was not to be.
As Russian forces...