Category Archives: Politics

Stop “Secure Communities” in Massachusetts

Posted on May 15, 2012 by David

I’ve written before about the misnamed “Secure Communities” program, a federal initiative in which state and local police departments share information about their arrests with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). For those they suspect of being undocumented immigrants, ICE issues … Continue reading →

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Oppose HR 4970 – save the Violence Against Women Act

Posted on May 3, 2012 by David

Among other things, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) provides routes to legal immigration status for certain undocumented immigrants who are victims of domestic violence. Recently, the Senate passed a bill to reauthorize VAWA for the next few years – … Continue reading →

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The Republican war on immigrants

Posted on April 7, 2012 by David

In a post last week, I was critical of the Obama administration for increasing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement efforts and for promoting the “Secure Communities” program, leading to more undocumented people jailed and deported, more abuse of detainees … Continue reading →

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The cruelty and violence of immigration enforcement

Posted on March 30, 2012 by David

The United States has always been a nation of immigrants. Yet today, an arcane and arbitrary system of immigration laws prevents many people from immigrating to this country legally. Today, America is home to a population of an estimated eleven … Continue reading →

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Reflections on social justice

Posted on March 27, 2012 by David

This morning, I learned some horrific news. In Germany, an 11-year-old transgender girl has been forcibly institutionalized by the state in an attempt to “cure” her of her gender identity. I had hoped that we had moved beyond the days … Continue reading →

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Bread and roses: in memory of Anna LoPizzo

Posted on January 29, 2012 by David

This Sunday, January 29th, will mark the one hundredth anniversary of the death of Anna LoPizzo, an Italian immigrant textile worker who was shot dead by police during the famous Bread and Roses strike of 1912 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. She … Continue reading →

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The case for open borders, part deux

Posted on December 21, 2011 by David

Dear readers – if I have any left – I realise that I have neglected you entirely for the last three months. In my defence, I have been busy studying. This semester, I’ve been participating in an immigration and refugee … Continue reading →

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In defence of hereditary monarchy

Posted on September 3, 2011 by David

This post will be something of a departure from the usual theme of my blog. Many of my friends and acquaintances have long found it curious that I continue to identify as a monarchist and to support the British monarchy … Continue reading →

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More anti-traveller bigotry

Posted on September 2, 2011 by David

Not long ago, I wrote about the impending eviction of travellers from the Dale Farm site near Basildon in Essex. My attention was drawn a few days ago to a particularly appalling article on the subject at Telegraph Blogs, to … Continue reading →

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A philosophical critique of libertarianism

Posted on September 2, 2011 by David

Until very recently, I described myself as a libertarian. That is to say, I was a proponent of a political system which maximises the liberty of the individual in both the social and the economic spheres, and of an economic … Continue reading →

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