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Feb. 6, 2015
My article, “You’ve come a long way, baby: Part III” appeared in today’s edition of The Los Angeles Daily Journal and The S.F. Daily Journal. This article discusses the increase of women terrorists, reviews new research that debunks old theories of the impressionable shrinking violet, and gives a brief historical perspective on the “Red Queen of Terror” and her ilk.
The playwright William Congreve wrote “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” That may be true; but truer still, one should never underestimate the power of a woman. Especially, one donning an explosives-laden vest.
You’ve come a long way, baby. Indeed.
Full article off copyright and now available:
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https://www.vagabondlawyer.com/uploads/News/You’ve_come_a_long_way,_baby._Part_III.pdf
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Jan. 9, 2015
My article "The murderous cost of free speech" appeared in today’s edition of The L.A. Daily Journal and The S.F Daily Journal. This article focused on the terrorist execution of 11 journalists at the Right Bank offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris on Wednesday and what it means for France and its secular mandate of laicité, separation of church and state, and the French identité.
May rational thinkers everywhere prevail. In’shalah.
At the very same time, Vive la France.
Full article off copyright and now available:
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https://www.vagabondlawyer.com/uploads/News/The_murderous_cost_of_free_speech._Je_suis_et_nous.pdf
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Dec. 17, 2014
My article "World Cup, courtesy of modern slavery" discusses the indentured servitude of thousands of South Asian migrant workers in furtherance of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and appears in today’s edition of The LA Daily Journal and The S.F. Daily Journal.
Full article off copyright and now available:
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https://www.vagabondlawyer.com/uploads/News/Modern-day_slavery_in_Qatar.pdf
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Nov. 19, 2014
My article “The basic right to die with dignity” appeared in today’s edition of The L.A. Daily Journal and The S.F. Daily Journal. This article discussed the Pope’s recent comments to the Association of Italian Catholic Doctors, comments by the Vatican’s most senior bioethics officials, the recent physician-assisted death with dignity case of 29-year-old Californian Brittany Maynard in Oregon (where it is legal), and Monday’s unanimous passage of California’s first resolution supporting dying with dignity by the West Hollywood City Council. Hopefully this passage in West Hollywood will result in a catalyst for statewide legislation that will guaranty a most basic right – to die with dignity – if one is faced with a terminal illness.
Full article off copyright and now available:
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https://www.vagabondlawyer.com/uploads/News/Death_with_dignity.pdf
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Nov. 13, 2014
My article on Ebola’s impact on the East African safari industry will appear in The Los Angeles Times Travel Section this coming Sunday, November 16, 2014. The article will cover my recent travel to Kenya.
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Nov. 7, 2014
My article “Despite Progress, challenges remain in fight to end FGM” appeared in today’s edition of The L.A. Daily Journal and The S.F. Daily Journal.
The article covered my interview two weeks ago in Kenya of Naomi S., a 23-year-old Maasai woman who was a victim, at age 11, of female genital mutilation (FGM). Despite that FGM is now illegal in Kenya – since 2011 – the rate of FGM among Maasai women is 73 percent. Over 125 million women have been victims of FGM in the 29 countries in which it is concentrated.
A few days after I left Kenya, on Oct. 30, UN chief Ban Ki-moon launched a global campaign to end “within our generation,” the often deadly FGM. Here’s hoping.
Full article off copyright and now available:
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https://www.vagabondlawyer.com/uploads/News/The_tribal_divide_–_protecting_women_against_FGM.pdf
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Nov. 3, 2014
While in Kenya last week I had the interview of a lifetime. I was able to interview a 23-year-old Masai victim of female genital mutilation (FGM), which occurred in her village when she was 11. She is adamant that her three-year-old daughter will not suffer the same ordeal she did despite family and village pressure in the Masai Mara region.
Progress. One woman at a time.
I am finishing up an article on FGM and this woman’s incredible story, which shall appear next week in The L.A. Daily Journal and The S.F. Daily Journal.
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Nov. 3, 2014
While in East Africa last week on assignment, I was informed by my publisher that my book Fifty-Fifty is currently under consideration for a movie deal in China. Now THAT would be something.
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Sep. 10, 2014
My travel article on Laos will appear in the September 14, 2014 edition of The Los Angeles Times, Sunday Travel Section. It will cover my recent journey to the world heritage city of Luang Prabang and the capital of Vientiane and will include a selection of the photographs taken there. Happy reading and Bon Voyage.
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Aug. 16, 2014
I am pleased to report that my book Fifty-Fifty: The Clarity of Hindsight will be on offer to Chinese publishers at the Beijing International Book Festival taking place in Beijing at the end of August.
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Jul. 10, 2014
I’m currently traveling in Asia on a writing assignment. My article “The hopeful cadence of Cambodia’s health care struggle” appeared in the Los Angeles Daily Journal yesterday, Wednesday, July 9, 2014. If you are a subscriber to the LADJ, you may wish to have a look at it. And remind yourself of how fortunate we in the U.S. are, whatever the state of the health care debate is right now.
Full article off copyright and now available:
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https://www.vagabondlawyer.com/uploads/News/Health_care_in_Cambodia.pdf
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Jun. 19, 2014
My article “Free speech and community standards” appeared in today’s edition of The LA Daily Journal. The article discussed the recent hosting by Facebook of a Photoshopped image of Adolph Hitler in bed with Shoah victim Anne Frank, in what appears to be a post-coital embrace. Facebook initially refused to remove the image stating that it “reviewed the photo reported for containing hate speech or symbols and found it did not violate its Community Standards.”
Seriously?
The image has since been removed. Apparently, the Community Standards of the audience are higher that the standards of Facebook administrators. Shame on Facebook.
Full article off copyright and now available:
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https://www.vagabondlawyer.com/uploads/News/The_divorce_of_free_speech_from_community_standard.pdf
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Jun. 4, 2014
My article “The speech that never was” appeared in today’s edition of The LA Daily Journal. This article discussed the disinvitation of intellectual heavy hitters Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Christine Lagarde, Robert Birgeneau and Condoleeza Rice from delivering commencement speeches at Brandeis, Smith, Haverford and Rutgers, respectively. It reflected on the increasing and frightening lack of tolerance on university campus’ today, aided and abetted by social media. The article also delivered a slightly tongue-in-cheek commencement address of my own to the 2014 graduates.
Full article off copyright and now available:
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https://www.vagabondlawyer.com/uploads/News/The_speech_that_never_was.pdf
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May 30, 2014
My article “Shoot first – ask questions later” appeared in today’s edition of The LA Daily Journal. The article discussed the recent Isla Vista mass murders, the NRA’s outrageous unofficial slogan that “Guns don’t kill, people do,” and the incredible sadness of mourning those victims instead of honoring over the Memorial Day weekend those fallen soldiers who fought to preserve our freedoms. The new normal.
Full article off copyright and now available:
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https://www.vagabondlawyer.com/uploads/News/The_new_normal_of_Shoot_first_–_ask_questions_la.pdf
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May 8, 2014
My article "The ‘rape myth’: alive and well?" appeared in yesterday’s edition of The LA Daily Journal. This article discussed in detail the underlying Montana rape case in which a 47-year-old teacher raped a 14-year-old student multiple times, then was convicted and sentenced to just 30 days in jail, in contravention of Montana’s sentencing guidelines. The judge in that case, G. Todd Baugh, also made several outrageous comments from the bench, including that the 14-year-old victim was “as much in control of the situation” as her rapist and that the victim was “older that her chronological age,” both of which go against the foundation of statutory rape laws. Last week the Montana Supreme Court decided the appeal and overturned the 30-day sentence and ordered the rapist to be resentenced by a different judge. Baugh is retiring at the end of the year.
Full article off copyright and now available:
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https://www.vagabondlawyer.com/uploads/News/The_rape_myth.pdf
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Apr. 16, 2014
My article “More speech, not less” appeared in today’s edition of The L.A. Daily Journal. The article discussed at length the shocking “disinvitation” by Brandeis University of Ms. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born Muslim turned Athiest, feminist and former Dutch Parliament member, who was originally invited to speak at its commencement. That an American university with a history such as Brandeis – a school that was founded as a direct result of anti-Semitism prevalent in this country post WWII – would cave to the pressure of a vocal few who were disinterested in the free exchange of ideas and theories was a stunning display of total disregard of the freedom of speech tenets so central to our notions of democracy. If the exchange of ideas and critical thinking don’t occur at universities, then where should they? If not then, when?
Full article off copyright and now available:
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https://www.vagabondlawyer.com/uploads/News/More_speech,_not_less.pdf
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