In 2009, whilst on an artist’s residency in Shanghai, a friend persuaded two soldiers at an army firing range to shoot a few sheets of paint for me. The intention had been to gather some texture with geopolitical references. The resulting bullet holes were spectacular and unmistakeable flower like shatters, their beautiful forms denying the [...]

Many of my fellow Obama supporters contend that the president can only do so much, which is absolutely true. But what he can do is use the bully pulpit of the presidency to educate the people, which he’s failing miserably at. The entire GOP agenda is based on flat-out lies, the blatant corruption of facts, [...]

In April, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launched Joining Forces, a national initiative to mobilize all sectors of society around providing opportunities to military families. It was an important move to support America’s service members — and their children. We were thrilled that Reach Out and Read was on the short list [...]

Read it and weep, Sophocles. The war in Vietnam is the American tragedy of our lifetimes. The saddest part of the story is that it’s not over yet. Long after the last bombs dropped and the shooting stopped, the war we lost has profoundly influenced American foreign policy. This new volume, Haunting Legacy: Vietnam and [...]

You know, I understand that the media today mainly wants to dispute whether or not the Bush administration deserves some credit in the wake of the operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. After all, it’s a hell of a lot easier than asking if the ongoing war in Afghanistan is actually [...]

You know, I understand that the media today mainly wants to dispute whether or not the Bush administration deserves some credit in the wake of the operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. After all, it’s a hell of a lot easier than asking if the ongoing war in Afghanistan is actually [...]

Newscaster: The failure of today’s pre-dawn Special Forces raid in Tripoli to catch or dispatch Moammar Gaddafi leaves the Obama Administration with a dwindling set of options on Day 32 of the Libyan War. The wily colonel had already moved from his Bab al-Azizia compound to an alternate headquarters, leaving the assault force of Navy [...]

Last week, former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson announced his candidacy for president of the United States. This was a historic event, because 1) Gary Johnson wants to end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and 2) Gary Johnson is a Republican. He also wants to slash the military budget. Gary Johnson is also opposed [...]

Imagine attending nine schools before graduating from high school. Dealing with the emotional strain of having to end and restart friendships every year. Never establishing a lasting relationship with a favorite teacher. Being barred from participating in a favorite sport because you don’t meet residency requirements. Further imagine the frustration of falling academically behind because [...]

In 1992, Bonnie Carroll’s life stopped. That was the year her husband, Tom, a commanding officer for the Alaska Army National Guard, was killed along with seven other officers in an Army C-12 King Air plane crash. “I thought I had the training and understanding to handle this, to really step up and help my [...]