The Opinion Page http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5139316&ft=1&f=5139316 Every Monday, Talk of the Nation hosts a live discussion with the author of a provocative op-ed from the Sunday papers. The audience is encouraged to read the commentary each week at npr.org and call or e-mail during the show with questions and comments. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Mon, 06 May 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif The Opinion Page http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5139316&ft=1&f=5139316 Op-Ed: How Favoritism Is Driving Minority Unemployment Job seekers often rely on friends, family members and other connections to land jobs. Nancy DiTomaso, professor at Rutgers Business School, explains her research that shows that such seemingly harmless favoritism in networking is driving black unemployment in the U.S. Mon, 06 May 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/06/181636285/op-ed-how-favoritism-is-driving-minority-unemployment?ft=1&f=5139316 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/06/181636285/op-ed-how-favoritism-is-driving-minority-unemployment?ft=1&f=5139316 Job seekers often rely on friends, family members and other connections to land jobs. Nancy DiTomaso, professor at Rutgers Business School, explains her research that shows that such seemingly harmless favoritism in networking is driving black unemployment in the U.S.

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]]> Op-Ed: Did Boston Law Enforcement Drop The Ball? The Boston Police Department and cooperating law enforcement entities were praised for working together to track down suspects in the marathon bombings. <em>Boston Globe</em> columnist Joan Vennochi asks whether police could have done more in the months, weeks, and even hours before the explosions. Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/29/179851902/op-ed-did-boston-law-enforcement-drop-the-ball?ft=1&f=5139316 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/29/179851902/op-ed-did-boston-law-enforcement-drop-the-ball?ft=1&f=5139316 The Boston Police Department and cooperating law enforcement entities were praised for working together to track down suspects in the marathon bombings. Boston Globe columnist Joan Vennochi asks whether police could have done more in the months, weeks, and even hours before the explosions.

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]]> Big Op-Ed: Shifting Opinions On Surveillance Cameras Investigators in the Boston Marathon bombings were able to identify the suspects using footage from surveillance cameras. Some believe that this shows the need for surveillance cameras in public spaces, while others believe that such cameras encroach on our civil liberties. Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/22/178436355/big-op-ed-shifting-opinions-on-surveillance-cameras?ft=1&f=5139316 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/22/178436355/big-op-ed-shifting-opinions-on-surveillance-cameras?ft=1&f=5139316 Investigators in the Boston Marathon bombings were able to identify the suspects using footage from surveillance cameras. Some believe that this shows the need for surveillance cameras in public spaces, while others believe that such cameras encroach on our civil liberties.

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]]> Op-Ed: What Exhumation Means For A Legacy Chilean poet Pablo Neruda was exhumed in early April, with the goal of discovering whether the poet's death was from prostate cancer or poison. In a <em>The New York Times</em> op-ed, Amherst College professor Ilan Stavans argues that Neruda's legacy is more important than the way he died. Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/15/177341742/op-ed-what-exhumation-means-for-a-legacy?ft=1&f=5139316 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/15/177341742/op-ed-what-exhumation-means-for-a-legacy?ft=1&f=5139316 Chilean poet Pablo Neruda was exhumed in early April, with the goal of discovering whether the poet's death was from prostate cancer or poison. In a The New York Times op-ed, Amherst College professor Ilan Stavans argues that Neruda's legacy is more important than the way he died.

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]]> Op-Ed: The Nonexistent Line Between Justice And Revenge Law professor Thane Rosenbaum says it's time for Americans to be honest about the role revenge plays in our lives. "The distinction between justice and vengeance is false," he writes in <em>The Chronicle of Higher Education.</em> "A call for justice is always a cry for revenge." Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/08/176583581/op-ed-the-nonexistent-line-between-justice-and-revenge?ft=1&f=5139316 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/08/176583581/op-ed-the-nonexistent-line-between-justice-and-revenge?ft=1&f=5139316 Law professor Thane Rosenbaum says it's time for Americans to be honest about the role revenge plays in our lives. "The distinction between justice and vengeance is false," he writes in The Chronicle of Higher Education. "A call for justice is always a cry for revenge."

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]]> Op-Ed: The Iraq War's Lessons For Syria <em>Washington Post</em> deputy editorial page editor Jackson Diehl says that the Iraq War taught him a lot about how we should deal with the civil war in Syria. In an op-ed he argues that without U.S. intervention, Syria could produce "a much worse humanitarian disaster" than Iraq. Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/01/175938447/op-ed-the-iraq-wars-lessons-for-syria?ft=1&f=5139316 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/01/175938447/op-ed-the-iraq-wars-lessons-for-syria?ft=1&f=5139316 Washington Post deputy editorial page editor Jackson Diehl says that the Iraq War taught him a lot about how we should deal with the civil war in Syria. In an op-ed he argues that without U.S. intervention, Syria could produce "a much worse humanitarian disaster" than Iraq.

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]]> Op-Ed: The Battles Ahead Over Driverless Cars Google's driverless cars have traveled more than 300,000 miles in real world conditions without any accidents. Advances in this technology raise questions about the future of U.S. transportation industries. In the <em>Washington Times</em>, Joshua Jacobs, Conservative Future Project, says a fight lies ahead. Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/03/25/175277337/op-ed-the-battles-ahead-over-driverless-cars?ft=1&f=5139316 http://www.npr.org/2013/03/25/175277337/op-ed-the-battles-ahead-over-driverless-cars?ft=1&f=5139316 Google's driverless cars have traveled more than 300,000 miles in real world conditions without any accidents. Advances in this technology raise questions about the future of U.S. transportation industries. In the Washington Times, Joshua Jacobs, Conservative Future Project, says a fight lies ahead.

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]]> Op-Ed: March Aside, College Basketball Has Lost Its Madness Dave Kindred, a member of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame, says that even though March Madness still generates a lot of buzz around the water cooler, the regular college basketball season has lost its epic stories and, therefore, its charm. Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/03/18/174647306/op-ed-college-basketball-has-lost-the-madness?ft=1&f=5139316 http://www.npr.org/2013/03/18/174647306/op-ed-college-basketball-has-lost-the-madness?ft=1&f=5139316 Dave Kindred, a member of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame, says that even though March Madness still generates a lot of buzz around the water cooler, the regular college basketball season has lost its epic stories and, therefore, its charm.

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]]> Op-Ed: We Need More Aaron Swartz-Style Hacktivism When Internet activist Aaron Swartz committed suicide, he faced federal charges for illegally downloading and releasing articles from JSTOR, the digital library of academic journals. Northwestern University professor Peter Ludlow says Swartz was right to fight for public access to scholarship. Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/03/11/174027290/op-ed-we-need-more-aaron-swartz-style-hacktivism?ft=1&f=5139316 http://www.npr.org/2013/03/11/174027290/op-ed-we-need-more-aaron-swartz-style-hacktivism?ft=1&f=5139316 When Internet activist Aaron Swartz committed suicide, he faced federal charges for illegally downloading and releasing articles from JSTOR, the digital library of academic journals. Northwestern University professor Peter Ludlow says Swartz was right to fight for public access to scholarship.

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]]> Op-Ed: There's An App For Everything, And That's A Problem Technology companies are constantly developing new apps and tools to make our lives easier. In an op-ed for <em>The New York Times</em> Evgeny Morozov, author of <em>To Save Everything, Click Here</em>, argues that Silicon Valley's quest for perfectionism is problematic. Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/2013/03/04/173440431/op-ed-theres-an-app-for-everything-and-thats-a-problem?ft=1&f=5139316 http://www.npr.org/2013/03/04/173440431/op-ed-theres-an-app-for-everything-and-thats-a-problem?ft=1&f=5139316 Technology companies are constantly developing new apps and tools to make our lives easier. In an op-ed for The New York Times Evgeny Morozov, author of To Save Everything, Click Here, argues that Silicon Valley's quest for perfectionism is problematic.

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]]> Op-Ed: It's Time To Raise The Minimum Wage In his State of the Union address, President Obama proposed a plan to boost federal minimum wage from 7.25 an hour, to 9 dollars. Columnist Robert Reich, Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton, argues that plan is "a no-brainer." Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:19:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/2013/02/25/172892375/op-ed-its-time-to-raise-the-minimum-raise?ft=1&f=5139316 http://www.npr.org/2013/02/25/172892375/op-ed-its-time-to-raise-the-minimum-raise?ft=1&f=5139316 In his State of the Union address, President Obama proposed a plan to boost federal minimum wage from 7.25 an hour, to 9 dollars. Columnist Robert Reich, Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton, argues that plan is "a no-brainer."

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]]> Op-Ed: It's Time To Recognize The Valor Of Cyber Warriors Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that the military will award a new medal to recognize exceptional accomplishments in areas including drone and cyber warfare. Brookings Institution senior fellow Peter Singer argues that this is an important step in recognizing the changing nature of war. Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/2013/02/19/172412891/op-ed-its-time-to-recognize-the-valor-of-cyber-warfare?ft=1&f=5139316 http://www.npr.org/2013/02/19/172412891/op-ed-its-time-to-recognize-the-valor-of-cyber-warfare?ft=1&f=5139316 Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that the military will award a new medal to recognize exceptional accomplishments in areas including drone and cyber warfare. Brookings Institution senior fellow Peter Singer argues that this is an important step in recognizing the changing nature of war.

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]]> Big Op-Ed: When Private Comments Go Very Public After eating at Applebee's with a large group, St. Louis pastor Alois Bell — frustrated that gratuity was already included — wrote this comment on the receipt: "I give God 10%. Why do you get 18?" A sympathetic co-worker posted a picture of the receipt online, and it soon went viral. Mon, 04 Feb 2013 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/2013/02/04/171079146/when-private-actions-go-very-public?ft=1&f=5139316 http://www.npr.org/2013/02/04/171079146/when-private-actions-go-very-public?ft=1&f=5139316 After eating at Applebee's with a large group, St. Louis pastor Alois Bell — frustrated that gratuity was already included — wrote this comment on the receipt: "I give God 10%. Why do you get 18?" A sympathetic co-worker posted a picture of the receipt online, and it soon went viral.

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]]> The Role For The U.S. In The East China Sea Dispute The territorial dispute over islands in the East China Sea continues to create tensions between China and Japan. Joseph Nye, former chair of the National Intelligence Council, says that the U.S. efforts in the region are seen as an extension of the Cold War containment policy. Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/2013/01/30/170667524/reality-and-perception-on-the-containment-of-china?ft=1&f=5139316 http://www.npr.org/2013/01/30/170667524/reality-and-perception-on-the-containment-of-china?ft=1&f=5139316 The territorial dispute over islands in the East China Sea continues to create tensions between China and Japan. Joseph Nye, former chair of the National Intelligence Council, says that the U.S. efforts in the region are seen as an extension of the Cold War containment policy.

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]]> A 'Permatemp' Economy: The Idea Of The Expendable Employee Nearly 13 million people head to work as temporary and contract employees each year, according to the American Staffing Association. In an opinion piece for <em>The New York Times</em>, sociologist Erin Hatton argues that it's time to get rid of the "anti-worker ideology that has come to accompany it." Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/2013/01/28/170473478/the-ideology-of-the-expendable-employee?ft=1&f=5139316 http://www.npr.org/2013/01/28/170473478/the-ideology-of-the-expendable-employee?ft=1&f=5139316 Nearly 13 million people head to work as temporary and contract employees each year, according to the American Staffing Association. In an opinion piece for The New York Times, sociologist Erin Hatton argues that it's time to get rid of the "anti-worker ideology that has come to accompany it."

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