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Comments allow readers to respond to an article instantly, asking questions, pointing out errors, giving new leads. At their best, comment threads are thoughtful, enlightening, funny: online communities where readers interact with journalists and others in ways that enrich the Guardian’s journalism. But at their worst, they are something else entirely. The Guardian was not the only news site to turn comments on, nor has it been the only one to find that some of what is written “below the...

Violence in all of its manifestations is a part of the fabric of American history. One cannot address violence without addressing institutionalized racism, the legacy of colonialism and religious conquest. Often times, when we do discuss violence within poverty stricken communities, we forget these key factors. We forget the trauma of these various historical incidences have yet to be addressed. We forget that violence within these communities, are stemming from dysfunctional coping...

The leaders of the Attawapiskat First Nation, an isolated Cree community in northern Ontario, Canada, have declared a state of emergency over a series of suicide attempts. The CBC reports that about 2,000 people live in the community. On Saturday night, according to Chief Bruce Shisheesh, 11 people attempted suicide. That comes after 28 suicide attempts in March, the Canadian news service reports: "Including Saturday's spate of suicide attempts, a total of 101 people of all ages have tried...

One of Judge Mark A. Ingram’s proudest memories in a long and storied career occurred a few years ago when a couple in his rural Idaho town invited a teen to their backyard barbecue, the same teen who had broken into their home and was sent to a residential treatment facility by the judge. The couple, who Ingram referred to as Darrin and Sam, did not want the teen there for his company. Darrin had admitted to feeling emasculated by the burglary. But, Darrin said, his two young children had...

On Monday, Kansas became the latest state to overhaul its juvenile justice system, with a set of reforms projected to reduce the number of juveniles in custody by more than half and save tens of millions of dollars. Gov. Sam Brownback, a conservative Republican, signed the sweeping legislation, SB 367 , after it cleared the Republican-controlled legislature earlier this year with only a handful of dissenting votes during a tough budget season. [For more of this story, written by Sarah Barr,...

Here is a quote from psychcentral == Depressive disorders often cause acutely uncomfortable feelings such as overwhelming sadness, hopelessness, numbness, isolation... == Hang on? Does this say that depression causes sadness, hopelessnes, feeling alone? Or does extreme sadness, lots of loss, feeling powerless, hopeless and alone cause depression? In other words, which comes first? The chicken or the egg? In my experience, and in my observations, the painful feelings I listed above, along...

For years, women’s pay has slowly increased relative to men’s, but, strangely, in 2015 that trend seemed to stall (or even reverse course). This apparent stagnation is discouraging for lots of reasons: More women are working and many are the primary, if not sole, earners in their households. And young women are more likely than young men to hold a college degree. This is clearly bad for women. It’s also bad for men. And the economy as a whole. A new report from the McKinsey Global Institute...

Editor’s Note: MAPP, Mobilizing for Action through Planning & Partnerships, is a local coalition that aims to use and build upon our strengths to improve our individual, family and community health. Health is defined broadly to include cultural, economic, educational, environmental, mental, physical and spiritual health. Role models are truly vital to a healthy and resilient community. I’m not just saying that, that is science. Luckily, this community has so many wonderful people with...

Central Community Unit School District 301 teachers, principals, school board members and administrators met to watch and learn from the film "Paper Tigers." According to Dr. Kim Paulus, Central Education Association president and seventh grade science teacher at Prairie Knolls Middle School in Elgin , the Friday presentation in the Burlington Central High School auditorium was "a collaborative effort with the CEA, the District Leadership Team, the Illinois Education Association, and the...

For thousands of Detroit families, the daily trek begins in darkness, before dawn. Myesha Williams, a mother of eight on Detroit’s west side, sets out at 7 a.m. to deliver her three school-aged sons to three different schools on opposite ends of the city—and she considers herself lucky. She has a car and a large family that can help share the driving. Total daily journey: up to 93.5 miles, 3 hours. Monique Johnson starts her trek even earlier, just after 6 a.m. when she and her son Shownn, a...

Tara is a working mother of two, with a son just shy of two and a daughter, Baby C, born in late January 2016. I met Tara on Facebook when she contacted me after watching my TED talk on parental leave in the United States. She is one of the many American parents who have no access to parental leave, paid or unpaid. Tara’s time off with her new baby consisted of her 13 days of accumulated vacation time; she was back at work 20 days after giving birth. [For more of this story, written by...

Have you ever admired a co-worker who’s able to navigate challenging situations with ease and professionalism, no matter the politics and difficult personalities involved? You know the type: She has a Teflon-like ability to deflect anger and frustration in the problem-solving process and doesn’t settle for an outcome that would sacrifice her self-respect or clout among colleagues. What she’s exhibiting is a key personality attribute that’s important in both business and life: assertiveness .