The more stories I hear from friends and colleagues, the more I am convinced that the numerous changes in our lives resulting from the pandemic response have not been all […]
Op-Eds
HISTORY OF SCIENCE
How Critical Race Theory Explains a Harvard Professor’s Error
Reflections of a retired English teacher
In June 1935, Wellfleet summer resident Carleton Coons, a Harvard University professor and archeologist, helped supervise the excavation of Native American remains, stone weapons, and shell fragments in the Hemenway’s […]
OP-ED
Alloparenting and Survival
An evolutionary perspective on cooperative caregiving
Surrounded by juveniles, that’s what we are. Whether it’s the ruffled chickadee balancing on the railing or the catbird that can’t stop singing. One of the thrilling things at this […]
COUNTY LINE
The Machine Guns on the Horizon
Voices opposing the National Guard’s plan were not heard
A well-worn definition of insanity is repeating the same mistake and expecting a different outcome. Seems like our Mass. Army National Guard never heard that one. They have lately resurrected […]
CANCELING EACH OTHER
My Little Sister, the Republican
An estrangement that mirrors a divided nation
My relationship with my sister, my only sibling, may have ended as a result of the Trump presidency. She was always a little strange. My parents thought it was due […]
CLIMATE CHANGE
Young Activists Want a Voice in Local Policymaking
Another regional youth-led climate summit is in the works
A year of isolation and mask mandates has fostered a new appreciation for fresh air. Whether it’s to find peace and quiet or a place to safely reconnect with friends, […]
OP-ED
A Collective Maternity Leave
Finding the compassion we need in our stories
Sharing stories in a group of 15 friends and strangers on Mother’s Day revealed something to me about how we have been affected in different ways this past year. Let’s […]
OPEN MEETING
The Flawed Governance of the Herring River Restoration
Announcing plans isn’t the same as involving the community in planning
An article in the April 22 Independent reminded us that the Herring River Restoration Project has progressed to the phase of seeking state and federal approval. The project’s nearly completed […]
COUNTY LINE
We Need a Stronger, More Integrated Public Health System
Some powerful lessons learned from a year of pandemic
The daily Covid updates from the Barnstable County Health and Environment Dept. epidemiologist Vaira Harik continue to trend very favorably, with a few exceptions, and give us a genuine basis […]
SCHOOLS
Educating Global Citizens
Striking a balance between intellectual discipline and spiritual development
EASTHAM — I moved from Puerto Rico to New York City as an infant. My parents, like so many others, had made the difficult decision to leave their homeland and […]
MAY DAY, 1971
Storming D.C., 50 Years Ago
Remembering the largest mass arrest in U.S. history
In early May 1971, a year after six unarmed student war protestors were shot and killed by the National Guard (four at Kent State University and two at Jackson State […]
EARTH DAY
I Sing the Auto Electric
The fossil-fuel era is ending not with a bang but a whimper
There is an electric car in your future, and you’re going to buy it sooner than you may realize. How do I know this? I just bought one, after saying […]
OP-ED
Vaccine Passports and Individual Rights
Limited invasions of privacy are part of daily life
Vaccine passports are engendering a wide range of emotions and opinions. Gov. Cuomo has embraced them in New York. Gov. DeSantis has banned them in Florida. Gov. Charlie Baker has […]
COUNTY LINE
The Rising Tide of Hate
Have we reached a tipping point in addressing human rights?
Four years ago, the Barnstable County Human Rights Commission appeared to be down for the count. Its proposed operating budget was simply missing from the budget book that the Assembly […]
OP-ED
Taking Down the Wreath
Oscillating between gratitude and hesitation
“Shouldn’t the wreath come down now?” asks one voice inside my head each time I pull in the drive. “No, it still looks pretty,” says the other voice. The berries […]
