Like anyone else in this late industrial age, I know several people with cancer. One friend reports that people seem shy about using the “c” word in her presence, so they resort to euphemisms; they ask about her “health” or her “condition.” For these people, perhaps even the word “cancer” is too much, perhaps they […]

This week’s story is a fable, and since this is an age of instant gratification, I’ll give you the moral up front: honesty is always the best policy. Here’s the story: Once upon a time, a nation at war discovered one of its chemical weapons, Agent Orange, was not just killing trees and non-combatants, but […]

“Nothing is either good or bad, only wishing makes it so.” It’s an adage that fits snugly around Monday’s Supreme Court ruling on medical marijuana. At first glance, it seems to be bad news: the court votes eight to nothing (with one recusal) to prohibit the distribution of marijuana for medical purposes. It’s well-known that […]

There are people, judges and law school professors and tee vee pundits, mostly, who would have us believe the law is a thing apart from everyday society – above mere politics and fashion and moved only by logic, precedent and justice. But it’s not so. The statutes our legislatures pass and the decisions our courts […]