10 Murder-Suicides a Week in America: “By its very nature, murder-suicide defies the rote answer offered by the NRA and its supporters: ‘lock ’em up’ (after the killing is done). And, of course, drawing the clear link between the unique lethality of firearms and their role in such shootings only results in creative pro-gun rationalizations. But perhaps most beneficial to the NRA is that fact that until murder-suicide is recognized as a national–and preventable–phenomenon, each shooting can be dismissed as one single, discrete, event that shocks the neighbors but is soon forgotten.” (HuffPo)

Tom Hayden on the taboo against discussing withdrawal: “George Packer writes more eloquently about Iraq than anyone in the establishment, usually for the very influential audience who read the NY Times magazine, the New Yorker, etcetera. His special talent is writing persuasively and gracefully about how impossible it is to withdraw from Iraq. His function is to freeze liberals where they are, which his crowd thinks is better than supporting withdrawal.

In fact, withdrawal is virtually taboo, delegitimizing, for anyone seeking a mainstream forum. In fact, the spectrum of ‘serious’ debate nearly eliminates the option of withdrawal altogether. Like Packer, we apparently are to accept the tragic burden of justifying a war which is unjustifiable, but which will somehow become more tragic if we stop the justifications.” (HuffPo)