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Do Employers Really Need to Give Drug Tests for Pot?

By Kelly McGannahan, AlterNet. January 22, 2010.
Many former police officers, city officials, even corrections officers now favor a new drug paradigm. Surely it is time to revisit a system that protects few and harms many.

Why Commonly Used Pesticides May Be To Blame for the Deaths of So Many Members of My Farming Family

By Sandra Zellmer, Center for Progressive Reform. January 14, 2010.
Food: We need to delve deeply into the potential link between a widely used chemical and the health of our food producers and their communities.

We Love Seeing Bad Parents Punished, But Why Don't We Care How It Affects Their Kids, Like Me?

By Cassie Frequelz, Mother Jones. January 13, 2010.
Civil Liberties: Despite our obsession with punishment as entertainment, there is nearly no news coverage of children with incarcerated parents.

My Big Phat Same-Sex Prison Wedding

By Dawn Davis II, New America Media. January 11, 2010.
Dawn Davis married her lover in prison because she was afraid that by the time she left prison, same-sex marriages would be illegal.

My Big Phat Same-Sex Prison Wedding

By Dawn Davis II, New America Media. January 10, 2010.
Sex & Relationships: Dawn Davis married her lover in prison because she was afraid that by the time she left prison, same-sex marriages would be illegal. She was right.

War Vet: I Served 40 Months in Iraq, After Which I Didn't Want to Go Back HomeWar Vet: I Served 40 Months in Iraq, After Which I Didn't Want to Go Back Home

By Anonymous, New America Media. December 24, 2009.
World: Veteran with PTSD: "I don't feel comfortable at home anymore. My threat tolerance and response to perceived threats is so finely tuned that I felt safer in Iraq. "

AlterNet Audience Breaks Funding Records, Again: Continues to Buck the TrendAlterNet Audience Breaks Funding Records, Again: Continues to Buck the Trend

By Don Hazen, AlterNet. November 11, 2009.
We broke all of our fundraising records. Thank you for showing us you care about strong, independent journalism.

30 Hours Clashing with Corporate Lobbyists on a White House Committee Showed Me How Hard 30 Hours Clashing with Corporate Lobbyists on a White House Committee Showed Me How Hard "Change" Really Is

By Sarah Anderson, Foreign Policy in Focus. November 5, 2009.
News & Politics: The "cow-boy" model of capitalism has failed dramatically, but corporate America still wants to roam the planet free of regulation.

Fetus-Shaped Potatoes? Going Undercover Inside the Weird World of Right-Wing Abortion FoesFetus-Shaped Potatoes? Going Undercover Inside the Weird World of Right-Wing Abortion Foes

By Ann Neumann, AlterNet. November 3, 2009.
Gender: I went undercover to a Pro-Life Federation conference. What I found there was not "middle America" or even conservative America. It was fringe America.

Boobs to Die ForBoobs to Die For

By Elisheva Wolfe, Nerve.com. November 1, 2009.
Sex & Relationships: I love my boobs. I'm going to use them every day until they start to kill me.

It's All About the People: Meet the AlterNet PeopleIt's All About the People: Meet the AlterNet People

By Don Hazen, AlterNet. October 29, 2009.
The progressive super stars and the key players who bring you the stories you want.

How I Realized I'm BisexualHow I Realized I'm Bisexual

By Rachel White, SeXis Magazine. October 21, 2009.
Sex & Relationships: I wanted to have sex with both women and men. But how could I tell if I was really bisexual, or acting out "Girls Gone Wild" faux lesbianism?

Why Running Can Be a Feminist ActWhy Running Can Be a Feminist Act

By Courtney Wilder, Minnesota Women's Press. October 14, 2009.
Gender: Nothing -- especially nothing involving women and their bodies -- can remain politically neutral for long.

Is Our High-Tech Health Care System Better Than War-Ravaged Sudan's?Is Our High-Tech Health Care System Better Than War-Ravaged Sudan's?

By David Morse, AlterNet. October 12, 2009.
Personal Health: Americans have shaped our technology into a health care system that is less humane than those in nations plagued by colonialism and war.

The Story of My 'Socialist Kidney'The Story of My 'Socialist Kidney'

By Jennifer Nix, AlterNet. October 5, 2009.
Personal Health: If a public option works for one disease, there's no reason why Americans shouldn't enjoy the same level of care for all of them.

Therapy to Help Couples Break Up?Therapy to Help Couples Break Up?

By Josey Vogels, My Messy Bedroom. October 1, 2009.
Sex & Relationships: Counseling can't keep some couples together. But it can help them break up.

A Day in the Life of an Abortion Clinic EscortA Day in the Life of an Abortion Clinic Escort

By Anonymous, RH Reality Check. September 28, 2009.
Gender: Every day that our doors are open to women seeking abortions, the sidewalk in front of our clinic is occupied by stalkers, harassers, and creeps.

Unbelievable: As a Lesbian Mother, I Have to Pay More For Health CareUnbelievable: As a Lesbian Mother, I Have to Pay More For Health Care

By Elizabeth G. Hines, Women's Media Center. September 16, 2009.
Gender: Gays and lesbians remain separate and utterly unequal in the eyes of the law when it comes to obtaining health insurance for their families.

The Best of Times: A Former Prisoner Remembers Ramadan at GuantánamoThe Best of Times: A Former Prisoner Remembers Ramadan at Guantánamo

By Moazzam Begg, AlterNet. September 13, 2009.
Civil Liberties: My final Ramadan was spent alongside the world's most dangerous terrorists (according to Bush) and its finest examples of patience and fortitude (according to me).

I See Things You Don't: I Have SynI See Things You Don't: I Have Syn

By T.L. Reid, The Tyee. September 12, 2009.
Personal Health: My brain gives colors to numbers, visual textures to words.

Making a difference in an afternoon

By Robert GreenwaldSeptember 4, 2009.
Take Action: It’s over l00 degrees in Los Angeles with fires staining the sky and smoke clouding the hillsides.

Journalistic Outrage: The Pentagon Paid a Disgraced PR Firm to Profile My ReportingJournalistic Outrage: The Pentagon Paid a Disgraced PR Firm to Profile My Reporting

By Nir Rosen, Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. September 1, 2009.
World: "A public affairs officer told me it was the most alarming report about a journalist that he had ever seen."

What Happened When I Legally Exposed My Breasts in PublicWhat Happened When I Legally Exposed My Breasts in Public

By Meghan Pleticha, Nerve.com. August 28, 2009.
Sex & Relationships: In some parts of America, it's perfectly legal for women to go topless in public. This doesn't stop the discomfort and accusing stares.

Ever Wonder if You Could Kill What You Eat? We Did the Other NightEver Wonder if You Could Kill What You Eat? We Did the Other Night

By Makenna Goodman, Chelsea Green Publishing. August 28, 2009.
Environment: Were we traumatized? Did we feel sorry for the chicken? Are we dreading this weekend, where we'll have to kill 150 more? Here's why not.

VIDEO: A Tour Through the Farmer's Market: How to Buy More and Spend LessVIDEO: A Tour Through the Farmer's Market: How to Buy More and Spend Less

Chelsea Green Publishing. August 28, 2009.
Environment: Author Elise McDonough takes us through a farmers market in New York and shows us how to make sustainable, healthy, and delicious food choices.

Farewell SenatorFarewell Senator

By Sen. Bernie SandersAugust 27, 2009.
News & Politics: Ted Kennedy will go down in history as one of the giants of the U.S. Senate and one the most accomplished legislators in American history.

Injustice: Young Student Who Has Lived Her Whole Life in U.S. Is to Be Deported to AlbaniaInjustice: Young Student Who Has Lived Her Whole Life in U.S. Is to Be Deported to Albania

By Kyle de Beausset, AlterNet. August 18, 2009.
Take Action: Anyone who believes Herta should be given the opportunity to stay in the U.S. should direct all of their energy towards urging DHS to allow her to stay.

A Statement On My Friends, Three U.S. Hikers Reportedly Detained at Iran/Iraq BorderA Statement On My Friends, Three U.S. Hikers Reportedly Detained at Iran/Iraq Border

By Shon Meckfessel, The Nation. August 7, 2009.
World: "I hope that people understand my friends' presence in the area for what it was: a simple and very regrettable mistake."

Let's Bring Love and Revolution TogetherLet's Bring Love and Revolution Together

By Grace Lee Boggs, Boggs Center. July 24, 2009.
Take Action: Radical activist for more than sixty years, Boggs says a new generation of change-makers have embraced the idea of love to bring about revolution.

"Hello Mum, This Is Going to Be Hard for You to Read..." -- Letters from a Dead Soldier in Afghanistan

By Cyrus Thatcher, Independent UK. July 21, 2009.
World: Rifleman Cyrus Thatcher's letters reveal the excitement of a teenager who dreamed of war, and his growing realization he may not make it home.

Nudism: Stick It to Your Puritan Forebears By Stripping DownNudism: Stick It to Your Puritan Forebears By Stripping Down

By Liz Langley, AlterNet. July 21, 2009.
Sex & Relationships: Nudism might be a marginalized lifestyle today, but eons ago it was all the rage. And no wonder: public nudity is natural, healthy and fun.

My Son Was Taught to Believe in Jesus by His Mother -- How Do I Help Him Become a Free Thinker?My Son Was Taught to Believe in Jesus by His Mother -- How Do I Help Him Become a Free Thinker?

By Danny Postel, New Humanist. July 20, 2009.
Civil Liberties: Panicked by his son's Jesus references, an agnostic dad discovers a skeptic's reading list for kids. But is counter-indoctrination really the answer?

The Valley Club's Exclusive All-White Swimming Pool -- Let's Protest and Stage a Pee-inThe Valley Club's Exclusive All-White Swimming Pool -- Let's Protest and Stage a Pee-in

By Tim Wise, CounterPunch. July 15, 2009.
Civil Liberties: A swim club in outer Philadelphia expelled sixty kids of color from its pool, reminding us that America is far from overcoming its racist past.

Looking Back on the Day I Won Over Jerry FalwellLooking Back on the Day I Won Over Jerry Falwell

By Jerry Sloan, AlterNet. July 14, 2009.
Civil Liberties: Falwell, in the height of his Moral Majority days, was in San Francisco to harass the Democrats and the fairies of San Francisco.

Judge Sonia Sotomayor Denied My Appeal and I Spent 16 Years in Prison For a Crime I Didn't CommitJudge Sonia Sotomayor Denied My Appeal and I Spent 16 Years in Prison For a Crime I Didn't Commit

By Jeffrey Deskovic, AlterNet. July 10, 2009.
Civil Liberties: Sotomayor put procedure over innocence as a federal judge.

Why Iran's Turmoil Makes Me Want to Take to the Rooftops and Shout 'Allah-o-Akbar'!Why Iran's Turmoil Makes Me Want to Take to the Rooftops and Shout 'Allah-o-Akbar'!

By Layli Shirani, AlterNet. July 9, 2009.
World: Recently, I've found myself murmuring those words, Allah-o-Akbar -- God is great.

A Message from the Average Black PersonA Message from the Average Black Person

By Elon James White, Huffington Post. June 27, 2009.
The next time you talk to a Black person you can feel comfortable in knowing that you have no clue what they think or feel based on their skin color.

How Unions Gave My Redneck Family a Chance at the American DreamHow Unions Gave My Redneck Family a Chance at the American Dream

By Joe Bageant, AlterNet. June 22, 2009.
Economy: Restoring dignity to laboring America won't be easy. It won't be pretty, and it won't be "within the system." Because the system is the problem.

What Do You Do With Father's Day When You Grew Up With a Deadbeat Dad?What Do You Do With Father's Day When You Grew Up With a Deadbeat Dad?

By James Spooner, AlterNet. June 20, 2009.
Civil Liberties: Father's Day, for me, is usually just a reminder of what should have been. But that's about to change.

I Would Likely Be Dead by Now if it Wasn't for One Thing ... Health InsuranceI Would Likely Be Dead by Now if it Wasn't for One Thing ... Health Insurance

By Ray McGovern, Consortium News. June 20, 2009.
Personal Health: My own medical emergencies have made me more conscious of the scandal in our country when it comes to health care.

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