All Commentary
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Opinion: The resurgence of vinyl records: why analog lives on
Vinyl sales are up, while CDs continue their downward slide. Like most boomers, I hauled my last turntable to Goodwill back in the ’80s. I recently bought another to hear my son’s new album, released on vinyl. Vinyl becomes personal in a way that digital music never does.
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The Monitor's View: In a gathering of presidents, a model for Washington
Five current and past US presidents met Thursday for the dedication of the George W. Bush presidential library The conviviality and civility should set a standard for politicians.
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Opinion: To nudge Iran talks, new UN resolution needed
UN Security Council resolutions that Iran must stop 'all' enrichment activities are outmoded, unrealistic, and hurt the Iran talks. A new resolution should promise to lift sanctions if the parties reach a reasonable agreement on Iran's nuclear program.
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Opinion: Boston bombings and a Muslim identity crisis
The Tsarnaev brothers had a jumbled identity. I know, because I also had one as a Muslim immigrant to the United States. The challenge of the Boston bombings is for Muslim communities and law enforcement to help create a generation of Muslims with an American identity.
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The Monitor's View: What history should record of the Boston bombings
Just as memorable as the Boston bombings was the shared, collective response. Yet the focus remains on divisions, such as classifying the bombers by their background and motives. Isn't the display of shared humanity just as important?
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Opinion: Death penalty: A pragmatic case for repeal
Momentum in the states is shifting toward the repeal of the death penalty. There are practical reasons for this: The death penalty is expensive, it does not work, and it is administered with a clear racial bias. Repealing it is a matter of justice, public safety, and effective governance.
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The Monitor's View: Europe's ideals win a Serbia-Kosovo pact
An agreement approved Monday by Serbia and Kosovo will put an official end to 1990s genocidal conflict. It also serves as a model for ending other conflicts driven by ethnic, religious, and land disputes.
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Opinion: After Boston bombings: Beware Russia-US cooperation on counter-terrorism
After the Boston bombings, Russian President Putin and US President Obama announced closer cooperation on counter-terrorism. But Americans should have their eyes wide open about any counter-terrorism agreements with Russia.
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Readers Write: How to stop illegal immigration; 'Sequester' is hurting criminal justice
Letters to the Editor for the April 22 & 29, 2013 weekly print issue: It's fair to say that if there were no hiring of illegal immigrants, none would come. Sweeping federal spending cuts are having a devastating effect on the criminal-justice system and its ability to carry out constitutional mandates.
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Opinion: Immigration reform is a women's issue
The overwhelming majority of undocumented women are mothers – high-value, low-risk members of society. As workers, wives, and pillars of their communities, they have particular needs from any immigration reform bill.
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The Monitor's View: Search for motives in Boston bombing: What it means for everyone
What might have motivated suspects Tamerland and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in the Boston bombings? Simplistic answers – say, Islamic militancy or immigrant anger – may not suffice. Yet knowing such motives may help everyone act to prevent such attacks.
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Opinion: Motive in Boston bombings: Look to tribal code of honor
The Tsarnaev brothers, suspects in the Boston bombings, are ethnic Chechens, stemming from a tribal society in which a code of honor and revenge plays a major role. As questions turn to motive, this code may be far more relevant than the brothers' views of Islam.
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Egypt's misguided search for heroes
A change of mind-set about Egypt's history and future is necessary in that country. The history of nations is not defined by heroes in the presidential palace but by heroes on the street. Egypt must focus on building citizen-led institutions to best meet current and future challenges.
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The Monitor's View: The right way to put more women in boardrooms
Japan and Germany each announced goals last week to put more women in top company slots. Yet their approaches differ. And new research indicates gender qualities can't be stereotyped according to sexual differences. This suggests official bias based on sex could be misplaced.
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Opinion: Boston bombing: Media haste makes mistakes
The rush for information about the Chechen suspects in the Boston bombing has led to mistaken reporting and pointing to innocents. The authorities, though, have not misled the public. It is important to let them do their jobs, and not rush to a judgment that may well be false.
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The Monitor's View: Post-bomb faith service for Boston reaches for the light
Three days after the Boston Marathon bombing, President Obama and local clergy join in a healing service that shows how to respond to the hatred of a terrorist act.
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Opinion: Why the 90 percent lost on gun background checks
The Senate defeated background checks for gun sales, despite 90 percent of Americans favoring broader checks. The simplest explanation for this is Senate procedures, but NRA intensity counts for a lot. The way ahead for gun control groups is to match the NRA email for email.
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Opinion: Talks with North Korea? Better to apply financial pressure (+video)
South Korea and the US must be skeptical about future talks, not least because North Korea has no incentive to change. However, the North is vulnerable to financial pressure, as seen when the US once sanctioned an Asian bank that handled North Korean money.
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The Monitor's View: What the immigration reform bill still needs
The eight senators who crafted an immigration reform bill deserve praise for finding a bipartisan compromise. But the bill needs a theme other than economics and security to help place immigration's role in defining the nation's identity.
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Opinion: Mexico should take a more active stance on US immigration reform
The Mexican government cannot afford the luxury of ignoring what is happening on immigration reform in the big and powerful North. And yet, it has taken a passive attitude. There are good historical reasons for this, but not a good one today.
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