Pinna: A Partial Defense of Standardized Testing
The Right - “Real change has to be made with how standardized testing companies operate, but at its core, the standardized test is an excellent resource for universities and shouldn’t be removed.” 1/23/2019
The Right - “Real change has to be made with how standardized testing companies operate, but at its core, the standardized test is an excellent resource for universities and shouldn’t be removed.” 1/23/2019One and Done? Studying the First Step Act’s Lone Anti-Gang Restriction
The Center - “Will the First Step Act protect against the release of gang members?” 1/19/2019
The Center - “Will the First Step Act protect against the release of gang members?” 1/19/2019Should Congress Revise Federal Laws Against Lying?
The Center - “When Justice Ginsburg reviewed his case, her concurring opinion warned that the federal false statements statute arms government agents with authority to generate felonies.” 1/2/2019
The Center - “When Justice Ginsburg reviewed his case, her concurring opinion warned that the federal false statements statute arms government agents with authority to generate felonies.” 1/2/2019The First Step Act Doesn’t Do Enough about Gangs
The Center - “Communities do not have ‘gang problems.’ America has a gang crisis.” 1/1/2019
The Center - “Communities do not have ‘gang problems.’ America has a gang crisis.” 1/1/2019A Response to Matthew Pinna: The Market Is Not Top-Down
The Right - “The mere fact that ‘girl’ scooters exist proves that girls tend to have different preferences than boys when making consumer decisions.” 12/3/2018
The Right - “The mere fact that ‘girl’ scooters exist proves that girls tend to have different preferences than boys when making consumer decisions.” 12/3/2018Trump’s Real Victory Is Redefining the Republican Party
The Center - “Johnson understood that winning an election was much less important than winning a party. Elected offices came and went every couple of years; parties were institutions anchored in place by their coalitions and organizers.” 11/27/2018
The Center - “Johnson understood that winning an election was much less important than winning a party. Elected offices came and went every couple of years; parties were institutions anchored in place by their coalitions and organizers.” 11/27/2018From UC Berkeley to Washington, Radicalism Prevails
The Right - “In a democracy like ours, perception is reality, and the predictable outcome at Berkeley (and other places) was groupthink and radicalization because a fact-based discourse failed to materialize.” 11/25/2018
The Right - “In a democracy like ours, perception is reality, and the predictable outcome at Berkeley (and other places) was groupthink and radicalization because a fact-based discourse failed to materialize.” 11/25/2018New Jersey Should Not Be Funding Local Journalism
The Right - “I agree that without local news, communities suffer from a dearth of necessary information, but this bill opens up way more problems than it fixes.” 11/14/2018
The Right - “I agree that without local news, communities suffer from a dearth of necessary information, but this bill opens up way more problems than it fixes.” 11/14/2018Let Them Speak: Censoring Controversial Speakers Gets Us Nowhere
The Right - “If a speaker from the alt-right attracts listeners, it is useless to rush to block him. The better approach is to engage in deep thinking to determine why so many people are willing to follow these messages.” 11/8/2018
The Right - “If a speaker from the alt-right attracts listeners, it is useless to rush to block him. The better approach is to engage in deep thinking to determine why so many people are willing to follow these messages.” 11/8/2018U.S. Attorney: A Plan to Curb the Opioid Epidemic
The Center - “Through persistent and coordinated action by federal, state, and local authorities, together with the assistance of medical professionals and other leaders in our community, we can put a stop to the spread of opioids and their wake of destruction.” 11/7/2018
The Center - “Through persistent and coordinated action by federal, state, and local authorities, together with the assistance of medical professionals and other leaders in our community, we can put a stop to the spread of opioids and their wake of destruction.” 11/7/2018Anderson Cooper Is Wrong; Journalists Should Vote Too
The Center - “I hope that on Tuesday, Anderson Cooper—and all journalists wrestling with the same question—show up to the polls.” 11/6/2018
The Center - “I hope that on Tuesday, Anderson Cooper—and all journalists wrestling with the same question—show up to the polls.” 11/6/2018Mobs, Jobs, and the Need for a National Gang Prosecution Law
The Right - “Putting Georgia gang membership calculations into chilling context, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia Bobby Christine imparted, ‘Think about that. At its height, ISIS probably didn’t have 35,000 members.'” 11/1/2018
The Right - “Putting Georgia gang membership calculations into chilling context, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia Bobby Christine imparted, ‘Think about that. At its height, ISIS probably didn’t have 35,000 members.'” 11/1/2018Jordan Peterson, Women, and Who Really Makes 80% of Consumer Decisions
The Right - “The debate about gender and the market can’t be won with a single sentence—or with a single disputed statistic like the 80% figure. It is a nuanced discussion.” 10/22/2018
The Right - “The debate about gender and the market can’t be won with a single sentence—or with a single disputed statistic like the 80% figure. It is a nuanced discussion.” 10/22/2018Feminists of the West, Women Are Hurting in the Middle East
The Center - Instead of worrying about “manspreading” or subtle displays of sexism, feminists in the West need to focus on major problems affecting women in the world, like being shot going to school or female genital mutilation. 10/16/2018
The Center - Instead of worrying about “manspreading” or subtle displays of sexism, feminists in the West need to focus on major problems affecting women in the world, like being shot going to school or female genital mutilation. 10/16/2018Are Hispanics White? The Answer Has Sweeping Political Implications
The Right - “For those of us nerdy enough to frequent the annals of the U.S. Census, it was a jarring thing to hear that Puerto Rico is 70 percent white, according to its own inhabitants!” 10/5/2018
The Right - “For those of us nerdy enough to frequent the annals of the U.S. Census, it was a jarring thing to hear that Puerto Rico is 70 percent white, according to its own inhabitants!” 10/5/2018When Facebook Spills Blood
The Center - “There is no debate about whether social media might fuel genocidal violence. It already has. The question is how best to meet our moral responsibility.” 9/25/2018
The Center - “There is no debate about whether social media might fuel genocidal violence. It already has. The question is how best to meet our moral responsibility.” 9/25/2018Winning the Sanctuary City Debate Through Passage of a National Gang Prosecution Law
The Right - “Most Americans would be astonished to discover that, despite the devastating size, scope, and magnitude of gang crime, no federal statutory framework specifically designed to prosecute gangs exists.” 9/19/2018
The Right - “Most Americans would be astonished to discover that, despite the devastating size, scope, and magnitude of gang crime, no federal statutory framework specifically designed to prosecute gangs exists.” 9/19/2018Georgia Attorney General: It’s Time to Stand Up to Gangs
The Center - “In America, nearly half of all violent crimes are gang-related.” 9/17/2018
The Center - “In America, nearly half of all violent crimes are gang-related.” 9/17/2018How Attorneys May Attack Future Mueller Prosecutions
The Center - “Rarely do media reports focus on the political leanings of prosecutors, investigators, or witnesses. It is, however, often a highly relevant consideration in cases where selective prosecution claims are made.” 8/31/2018
The Center - “Rarely do media reports focus on the political leanings of prosecutors, investigators, or witnesses. It is, however, often a highly relevant consideration in cases where selective prosecution claims are made.” 8/31/2018Jordan Peterson Deserves a Closer Reading Than the Media Gives Him
The Right - “With that mindset, no wonder we feel bitter, absurd, and helpless. Even though we are living in great times, it is hard to see it.” 8/20/2018
The Right - “With that mindset, no wonder we feel bitter, absurd, and helpless. Even though we are living in great times, it is hard to see it.” 8/20/2018“Extra Time” in School Is Just Another Way the Wealthy Game the System
The Left - Families with money are using doctors and psychologists to get their kids a leg up, at the expense of those playing by the rules. 8/5/2018
The Left - Families with money are using doctors and psychologists to get their kids a leg up, at the expense of those playing by the rules. 8/5/2018When It Comes to the Environment, Don’t Let the “Perfect Become the Enemy of the Good”
The Right - “There won’t always be a happy marriage between impactful environmentalism and progressive values. For environmental groups to weather the political storm, they’ll have to be able to tap sources of support from outside the left.” 8/4/2018
The Right - “There won’t always be a happy marriage between impactful environmentalism and progressive values. For environmental groups to weather the political storm, they’ll have to be able to tap sources of support from outside the left.” 8/4/2018Manchin Needs to Vote His Conscience, Regardless of What That Means for November
The Left - “Signs point to another yes vote from Manchin. Yet, for all this posturing, voting out of fear of losing an election is not any more morally commendable than being whipped.” 8/1/2018
The Left - “Signs point to another yes vote from Manchin. Yet, for all this posturing, voting out of fear of losing an election is not any more morally commendable than being whipped.” 8/1/2018Prince: The Biggest Problem When It Comes to Polarization
The Center - “As Mayor Koch used to say: ‘If you agree with me on 9 out of 12 issues, vote for me. If you agree with me on 12 out of 12 issues, see a psychiatrist.'” 7/27/2018
The Center - “As Mayor Koch used to say: ‘If you agree with me on 9 out of 12 issues, vote for me. If you agree with me on 12 out of 12 issues, see a psychiatrist.'” 7/27/2018The Troubling Effort to Silence Animal Rights Activists
The Left - Last year, The Intercept published an article following the dollars, tracing a link between campaign contributions by big agriculture and laws meant to silence animal rights activists. But what’s happened since? 7/23/2018
The Left - Last year, The Intercept published an article following the dollars, tracing a link between campaign contributions by big agriculture and laws meant to silence animal rights activists. But what’s happened since? 7/23/2018Do Poverty, Inequality, and Mobility Have a lot in Common? Not Really.
The Right - “Despite the stellar success of ordinary people lifting themselves out of poverty through production and access to a stable market, the income inequality narrative has come to dominate our current public policy discourse, especially in the United States.” 7/5/2018
The Right - “Despite the stellar success of ordinary people lifting themselves out of poverty through production and access to a stable market, the income inequality narrative has come to dominate our current public policy discourse, especially in the United States.” 7/5/2018What a Recent Supreme Court Ruling Means for Employment Law
The Center - “As with all matters legislative, right now our partisan polarization stands in the way. But hope springs eternal that our better angels, and our ability to compromise—on this and other matters, will eventually return.” 7/2/2018
The Center - “As with all matters legislative, right now our partisan polarization stands in the way. But hope springs eternal that our better angels, and our ability to compromise—on this and other matters, will eventually return.” 7/2/2018Friedman’s Take on Corporate Social Responsibility is Brilliant and Elegant—But Obsolete
The Right - Milton Friedman’s argument that corporations refrain from engaging themselves in social and political issues is compelling. But his argument likely doesn’t apply in today’s world, a world where “social consciousness” actually drives business. 6/30/2018
The Right - Milton Friedman’s argument that corporations refrain from engaging themselves in social and political issues is compelling. But his argument likely doesn’t apply in today’s world, a world where “social consciousness” actually drives business. 6/30/2018The Left-Leaning Media is Following the Money. Not the Issues that Matter
The Left - “As newscasters reported in painstaking detail about the intricacies of a politician’s body language or outfit, 3.2 million Americans lost health insurance in 2017. Only 39 percent of Americans can afford a $1k emergency. And 41 million Americans are hungry.” 6/25/2018
The Left - “As newscasters reported in painstaking detail about the intricacies of a politician’s body language or outfit, 3.2 million Americans lost health insurance in 2017. Only 39 percent of Americans can afford a $1k emergency. And 41 million Americans are hungry.” 6/25/2018The Real Questions You Should Ask Your Economics Professor
The Right - “Students are commonly told that Jesus was amenable to socialism because he favored the sharing of wealth. But in fact, he taught personal responsibility, voluntary charity, and doing good from the heart, not from someone else’s wallet.” 6/23/2018
The Right - “Students are commonly told that Jesus was amenable to socialism because he favored the sharing of wealth. But in fact, he taught personal responsibility, voluntary charity, and doing good from the heart, not from someone else’s wallet.” 6/23/2018Glitz: The Problem Goes Deeper than the Cake
The Left - “When it comes down to it, most of us realize the cake a Christian baker refuses to bake for a gay couple isn’t just a cake—it stands for so much more.” 6/14/2018
The Left - “When it comes down to it, most of us realize the cake a Christian baker refuses to bake for a gay couple isn’t just a cake—it stands for so much more.” 6/14/2018Licensing: From Barber Shops to Interior Designers, Restricting the Flow of Labor
The Right - Thinking about opening a barber shop, what do you do? If your answer was something other than, “Find out how to obtain the state’s permission,” you’re in for a surprise. 6/10/2018
The Right - Thinking about opening a barber shop, what do you do? If your answer was something other than, “Find out how to obtain the state’s permission,” you’re in for a surprise. 6/10/2018I Support Affirmative Action, Even Though It May Hurt Me
The Left - “As a person of Indian heritage, I’m willing to lower my odds in November’s game of chance if it makes the admissions process, as a whole, more inclusive.” 5/22/2018
The Left - “As a person of Indian heritage, I’m willing to lower my odds in November’s game of chance if it makes the admissions process, as a whole, more inclusive.” 5/22/2018Is College Still Worth It? No Easy Answers to a Simple Question
The Right - Professor Caplan thinks students are wise to the true value of a degree, which could help to explain why almost no student ever audits a class and why students spend only about 14 hours per week studying, down from 24 hours per week in 1961. 4/24/2018
The Right - Professor Caplan thinks students are wise to the true value of a degree, which could help to explain why almost no student ever audits a class and why students spend only about 14 hours per week studying, down from 24 hours per week in 1961. 4/24/2018Cory Booker’s Critics from the Left Are Missing the Point
The Right - The cost of a Senate seat, after all, averaged $10,476,451 during the 2012 elections. With that steep of cost, can we expect anything other than politicians sometimes having to speak out of both sides of their mouths? 4/22/2018
The Right - The cost of a Senate seat, after all, averaged $10,476,451 during the 2012 elections. With that steep of cost, can we expect anything other than politicians sometimes having to speak out of both sides of their mouths? 4/22/2018