In 1964, while we were busy tearing down the leftovers of the social institutions of the 1940′s and 50′s – (civil rights, voting rights, the rights of women and the war in Viet Nam), John W. Gardner, a prolific social science writer, was thinking about about the process of social change. The result of his efforts was aRead more
Societal Issues
The Loss of Spirituality
In ancient Greece the balance of the natural order was represented by the Arcadian nymph Nicostrate or Themis. She personified not only earthly unity, but also the intrinsic balance of the great universe itself. You have no doubt seen her image with the balancing scales because it has been adopted by our legal profession. It was Themis’ statueRead more
Violence
Violence has always been part of the landscape, but recent events have brought it more to the forefront. We will probably fuss about it, blame minorities for it and then once again, turn our backs to the people in society who really need our help. Like prejudice, we view violence as an external thing - someone hurting someoneRead more
Domestic Violence
We call it “domestic violence” as one way of segregating out violence against women (which it largely is). Thirty five percent of women in America have experienced rape, physical violence or stalking by a partner. Although this problem is concentrated in poor and minority households, it is not unknown throughout the culture (1). Around the globe, 30 percentRead more
The Origins of Violence
By Ross Bishop This article is something of a departure. There is a good deal of violence in our world and little meaningful response to it. I am going to address the root causes of two kinds of violence – crime and terrorism. They come from the same sources. Tragically, we are not predisposed to address their causesRead more