Staff & Contributors

Republican Copout: “Well, I’m Not a Scientist”

Ed Raymond

King Donald, the Klu Klux Klan’s “Science Guy,” is now linking vaccines to children’s autism although science has discredited that linkage for years. There is an anti-vaccine crowd that believes a 20-year-old study authenticates their concern. But the study has been proved a fraud because much of the data in the British study was falsified.

That Old Time Religion Isn’t Good Enough For Anybody

Ed Raymond

While Bill Gates, the richest man in the world, complains that the Trump “global gag rule” could endanger millions of women and children around the world, his company Microsoft hides billions in tax havens to avoid U.S. income taxes.

That Old Time Religion Isn’t Good Enough For Anybody

Ed Raymond

Sycophants, Plutocrats—and Pitchforks

Ed Raymond

Bye-Bye Miami—Greenland is Melting

Ed Raymond

There are many societies in the world, particularly in Scandinavia and Europe, who take much better care of all of their citizens. The United States has never reached that level.

I’ve Always Lived In A Great Country

Ed Raymond

There are many societies in the world, particularly in Scandinavia and Europe, who take much better care of all of their citizens. The United States has never reached that level.

Here Comes Trumpistan!

Ed Raymond

The election of Donald Trump by whites has “shocked” the pundits who say we have never seen anything like this. With the growth of the black, Latino, and “other” populations it is predicted that whites will soon be a minority in a country they now dominate. That was proven to be a big factor in the 2016 election

Weeping and Wailing About Wealth

Ed Raymond

A Most Unpopular Bible Verse

Gender Myths and Beliefs

Ed Raymond

“A person’s feelings of attraction toward other people. A person may be attracted to people of the same sex, of the opposite sex, of both sexes, or without reference to sex or gender. Some people do not experience sexual attraction and may identify as asexual.

What Kinds of Freedom Do You Want With Your Religion?

Ed Raymond

We still have a long way to go in recognizing and accepting gender and sexual identities—but we are currently up to 60 different gender options. The idea that God gives all humans a very precise dose of testosterone, estrogen, and hormones

Deportation Might Be One Answer

Ed Raymond

The Violence Policy Center reports that since 2007 concealed-carry permit holders have killed 898 people not involving self-defense, including killing 139 people in 29 mass shootings. Research indicates guns are rarely used in self-defense

Is Life a Poor Player?

Ed Raymond

Does religion really give men “wisdom” and a sense of “values?” Or is it really about control of women? In the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammed his wives and daughters rode horses and camels, the only means of transport.

Is The White God Creating A Mighty White Fortress?

Ed Raymond

TV preacher Pat Robertson is another man of the cloth, as long as it’s cashmere, who dismissed the Access Hollywood tapes because Trump was only trying to be “macho.” So sexual assault is manly? Who leads these guys?

Chaos and the American Empire

Ed Raymond

Millions of guns in the hands of good guys and bad guys, so to speak, brought about the consequences of Columbine, Ferguson, the murder rate in Chicago, and all of the “Black Lives Matter” protests.

When The Falcon Cannot Hear The Falconer

Ed Raymond

I had hopes that after 156 years the 2016 elections might signal additional healing among the races. But after examining the vote in the election of Donald Trump as president-elect, we have made very little progress in the last 50 years.

Our Nobel Prize Winner For Literature Recognizes Change

Ed Raymond

A Dream - Black and White Boys and Girls Holding Hands

Ed Raymond

Are We Actually Seeing A Reversal Of The Evolutionary Chart?

Ed Raymond

They also discovered there is a strong link between religion, privation, and poverty. Research by Dr. Tom Rees suggests that the absence of strong safety nets and the opportunities for upward mobility, the hallmark of poor counties, and the condition

The Good, The Bad, And The Really Ugly

Ed Raymond

Many Trump supporters will have to enter a mosque in order to vote in their precinct. Only one mosque will not be used because of complaints. Perhaps the anti-muslims will actually gain some knowledge about Islam by crossing through mosques doors.

Religion and Elections

Ed Raymond

“Imagine a woman who showed up to a presidential debate unprepared, sniffing like a coke addict and interrupting her opponent 70 times. Let’s further imagine that she’s had 5 kids by 3 men, was a repeated adulterer, had multiple bankruptcies

A Country Divided By Money And Colors

Ed Raymond

My relatives the French serve five-course meals to all students at noon, teaching them at the same time to like all kinds of vegetables as much as dessert. Great for the diet. Very few French kids are obese. Why can’t we do that? Don’t we have the $?

Our Climate Is Going In The Toilet—A Solid Gold One

Ed Raymond

“Climate change has been going on as long as the planet has been here. There will always be a little bit of it. We can’t stop it.” Tony Schwartz, the actual writer of The Donald’s “The Art of The Deal,” says

Teaching History, Grading Papers–And Driving For Uber

Ed Raymond

The corporate headquarters for Wells-Fargo, the largest bank in the country, is in San Francisco. It recently paid a fine of $185 million for setting up fraudulent accounts for depositors. It fired 5,300 bank employees for establishing these accounts

A Collection Of Stuff

Ed Raymond

During the campaign for the Democratic nomination for president Senator Bernie Sanders called for a free college education for all Americans, following the pattern set by some Scandinavian and European countries.

Income Inequality, Wars, and $400,000 Helmets

Ed Raymond

Christianity has been around 700 years more than Islam, so thinkers such as Voltaire and Rousseau raised questions about the tolerance level of Christians who reject all other religions.

Who Would Believe? Michele Bachmann Or An African Grey Parrot?

Ed Raymond

DNA, Transplants, and Modern Science

Ed Raymond

When Will The Door Of Mercy Open To Gays?

Ed Raymond

Gay people are “demonic, seek to abuse children, and are similar to terrorists.” Gay legislative victories will “lead to forced homosexuality and another civil war.” Staver continues to praise foreign countries that outlaw same-sex relationships

It’s Time To Dump The Poisoned Olympics Into Rio’s Cesspool

Ed Raymond

For The Common Good?

Ed Raymond

Nothing wrong with making profits, but sometimes greed overwhelms commonsense—and the common good. Government does the unprofitable stuff, like building airports, bridges, flood diversions, roads, sewers, water treatment plants, dams, wells

Old and New Normals

Ed Raymond

Warren Wiley of Duluth wrote this revealing letter to the StarTribune: “I am a white male licensed to carry a gun, and I’m scared. Recent events make me wonder how I am supposed to react when pulled over by an officer of the law.

Patriotism And A Very Uncivil Race War

Ed Raymond

Patriots don’t pander to divisiveness, racism, sexism, homophobia, or religious and ethnic divisions. They strengthen, confirm, and celebrate the “we” in “we the people of the United States.” Compare the political platforms

Warning: This Sex Column May Endanger Medieval Thinking

Ed Raymond

Sex is very important to life on earth. We do have the irresistible urge to multiply. We have over 1,750 slang words for “human sexual intercourse”—and only 1,000 for the word “stupid.”

Dog Bowls Made Of Silver And Instant Diamonds

Ed Raymond

The loss of well-paying manufacturing jobs in the United States has created a situation where 80% of the metropolitan areas experienced drastic income declines in the middle class. The middle class has shrunk in 203 of 229 cities in the last 15 years

The Birthing Of A Homicidal Suicide Bomber-Shooter

Ed Raymond

Actually, studies show that people who carry guns are 4.5 times likely to be shot and 4.2 times to get killed compared with unarmed citizens.

A $3,456,789 Lunch For The Homeless

Ed Raymond

“Wealthy working people have earned their right to live in the city. I shouldn’t have to see the pain, struggle, and despair of homeless people to and from my way to work.”

A Few Notes On How Brains Affect Smarts, Sex, And Sensibilities

Ed Raymond

French fries, the favorite food of young children, are not brain food. Here are foods that have “grown brains” and scientifically cut dementia and Alzheimer’s as much as 53% in some tests

Building Walls Of Ignorance

Ed Raymond

The NRA’s latest push? They want felons to be eligible to purchase firearms as soon as they are released from prison. But they don’t think felons who have served their time should ever be allowed to vote again.

Are Robots Becoming The Scabs Of The Labor Market?

Ed Raymond

Stephen Hawking and other eminent scientists have been worried that AI will overpower human intelligence in the future. Even Albert Einstein, before the development of modern computers

Liberals Want Happiness And Conservatives Want Power And Stuff

Ed Raymond

H.L. Mencken gave us another quotation that gives us something to think about: “Faith may be defined briefly as an illogical belief in the occurrence of the improbable.”

A Pandemic of Toxoplasma Gondi Parasite

Ed Raymond

The American columnist H.L. Mencken had a way with words when it came to voters and politics. His theory of democracy is illuminating: “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.”

An Evidentiary Hearing: Is Sex Between The Ears Or Between The Legs?

Ed Raymond

“I love you with all my heart!” doesn’t make biological and scientific sense anymore. The heart doesn’t think. It just pumps blood. That’s important to life, but it’s the brain that makes us human and drives all of our “functions.”

Of Cruise Ships and Homemade Rowboats

Ed Raymond

Because of the invasive investments of Silicon Valley billionaires it now has the most expensive real estate in the country. On the sidewalks, driveways, and lawns of this very expensive property are tent encampments and many rag-covered homeless

Euthanasia and Will Shakespeare

Ed Raymond

I have a feeling that Pope Francis and Shakespeare would have similar views about the power of love and sex. Shakespeare’s plays are loaded with eroticism, desire, ecstasy, and ballads made to eyebrows.

America – A For-Profit Democracy

Ed Raymond

The U.S. Treasury estimates that it would collect about $124 billion ($36 billion from individuals, $88 billion from multinational corporations) each year in additional taxes if we eliminated tax havens and other financial schemes to hide money

The Difference Between Tolerance of Ambiguity And Moral Purity

Ed Raymond

There is some evidence in the study that liberals have qualities which make them more creative than conservatives: “Liberalism, novelty-seeking, and creativity all share the tendency (or the ability) to think in ways that differ from established

How To Keep People From Voting? Let Me Count The Ways!

Ed Raymond

In 2013 in a 5-4 vote the five justices on the Supreme Court appointed by Republican presidents suddenly decided that we no longer had any racial discrimination or voting problems in this country

Does Money Unite Citizens? Some Say No

Ed Raymond

As an example, the Internal Revenue Service has approved Karl Rove’s creation, Crossroads GPS, as a nonprofit social welfare group, the same tax-standing as the American Red Cross, the Humane Society, and the Little Sisters of the Poor.

America: A Land of Warts

Ed Raymond

There are many unappealing jobs in society, whether it is picking up garbage or keeping the sewers flowing, but if people are paid well enough they will see that society values their jobs. There is no doubt that, if work is meaningful and worthwhile

Do You Live In An Iceberg?

Ed Raymond

In order to have safe bridges by 2028 we must spend $20.5 billion a year, but we are scheduled to spend only $12.5 billion. I haven’t heard any of the Waltons pledge to pay their fair share of taxes. Maybe it’s difficult when all of your U.S. profits