Let’s Talk about Genocide

June 11, 2024 by Miguel De La Torre

Genocide is a powerful word. We should use it sparingly. Its over-usage cheapens the horrors signified by the term and dishonors those who the act has victimized. When employing the term, two obvious examples come to mind – the annihilation of the indigenous people of…

All Men Are Created Equal

June 4, 2024 by Miguel De La Torre

At the founding of the United States, two conflicting philosophies vied for supremacy. The first, influenced by the more liberal aspects of the so-called Enlightenment, argued for a more democratic social-political structure under the assumption that all men are created equal. This philosophy sprang forth…

Psalm 137: Assimilation Is Not Belonging

May 21, 2024 by Miguel De La Torre

“Beside the rivers of Miami, we sat and wept at the memory of our people. There by the palm trees we hung our conga drums, for there Christian nationalists asked us for songs, white supremacists demanded songs of joy; they said ‘Sing us one of…

Rejecting Original Sin

May 13, 2024 by Miguel De La Torre

We must reject the heresy known as “original sin” if we strive for human liberation. This inherent element of the human condition constructed by theologians argues that we are born with a “stain” on our soul that requires an individualized need for divine atonement. Although…

Why I Don’t Eat Hamburgers

April 10, 2024 by Miguel De La Torre

For over a decade, I have not eaten meat or poultry. Although many good reasons exist for this stance, including better health and animal rights, my primary motivation is the environment. What we eat hurts our planet. Your hamburger is responsible for much of the…

Ending White Affirmative Action Programs Known as “Legacy”

April 2, 2024 by Miguel De La Torre

Intellectual deficiency is best signified by the belief that a political opponent cannot generate good ideas and lacks reason, common sense or morality. But people are seldom purely evil or purely good. While some lean closer toward one of these extremes, most of us vacillate…

The Problem Isn’t Their Age, It’s Their White-Savior Complex

March 12, 2024 by Miguel De La Torre

Biden is too old, at 81. He seems senile. Trump is just as old, at 77. He seems confused. Both men have made many gaffes that raise questions about their age. Biden confused the leader of Egypt with the leader of Mexico. Trump confused the…

My Callous Heart

March 5, 2024 by Miguel De La Torre

I remember my first reaction to a mass killing. It was the summer of 1984. I was a young man in my twenties, sitting in my La-Z-Boy reading the Miami Herald. This was before mass shootings were frequent occurrences, so I was not yet desensitized….

Redefining Antisemitism

February 12, 2024 by Miguel De La Torre

The term “antisemitism” is being redefined to silence those standing in solidarity with the disenfranchised and dispossessed. It is being weaponized to intimidate those speaking against apartheid. Antisemitism has always been rooted in conspiracy theories– Jews kidnapping Gentile babies to drink their blood. Plagues caused…

The Business of the Supreme Court

February 2, 2024 by Miguel De La Torre

When we think of monumental Supreme Court decisions, we usually think about cases that fuel the culture war, such as abortion, affirmative action, marriage or racial equality. To our detriment, we often ignore those cases regarding business. The justices recently heard arguments for two corporate…