Should marijuana be legalized?

Proponents ( including former Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders ) for legalization argue that it is no more dangerous than alcohol (and indeed, probably less), that keeping it illegal fuels violent drug cartels, and that regulating and taxing its sales would bring in much needed revenue for local governments.

Opponents argue it is a dangerous, mind-altering substance that may act as a "gateway drug" to harder ones (such as cocaine), and that legitimizing its use would only... READ MORE

Earlier today, President Barack Obama nominated his solicitor-general, Elena Kagan , to a seat on the United States Supreme Court.

The choice was extremely disappointing, to say the least.

Obama was presented with an incredible array of talent from which to choose the next supreme court justice. For him to select Kagan indicates that hypocrisy, cronyism and old style politics remain rampant.

So much for hope and change.

Kagan is, at first blush, a perfectly accomplished nominee . She was dean of... READ MORE

During the height of the Nazi occupation of France, Charles de Gaulle is said to have remarked that "faced with crisis, the man of character falls back upon himself."

If only such a leader lived among us now.

The Western world, and the United States in particular, has faced a crisis of identity since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In our efforts to combat the evil of terrorism, to what extent are we willing to compromise our civil liberties?

This is as much a practical as a... READ MORE

Florida voters go to the polls this November to choose their next US Senator. The choice, emblematic of politics across the nation, is one between an experienced moderate and a neophyte "Tea Party" lunatic.

Sadly, the outcome is far from certain.

Governor Charlie Crist , for a long time considered the Republican Party's inevitable candidate, recently quit the party in the face of Marco Rubio's insurgent campaign for the Senatorial nomination. The implications of his move are nothing short of... READ MORE