Column: White people's burden: Learning, not shying, from anger over bias

AMHERST - I can't get tacos off my mind. The city of East Haven, Conn., has been embroiled in controversy, primarily because four city police officers were recently arrested by the FBI on charges of deprivation of rights and obstruction of justice for waging a campaign of harassment against Latino citizens. The cherry on top occurred when a television reporter asked Mayor Joseph Maturo, "What are you doing for the Latino community today?" and he responded, "I might have tacos when I go home. I'm not sure yet."

Amy Pybus: How should an adult address youth's racism?

EASTHAMPTON - The other day before school I heard an eighth-grade boy drop the n-word. He didn't know I was close enough to hear him, or I doubt he would have said it. And I didn't reveal myself to him, I just listened. I didn't want to run over and say, "Never use that word!" until I heard what the context was.

Column: Occupying vs. taking up space

NORTHAMPTON - Engaging in direct and transparent participatory democracy; exercising personal and collective responsibility; recognizing individuals' inherent privilege and the influence it has on all interactions.

Sound familiar? If so, you have been, like myself, participating in one of the nation's greatest movements since the counterculture revolution of the 1960s.

Jay Fleitman: Liberty bows in health care shift

NORTHAMPTON - As chairman of the board of a local health care corporation, I recently prepared for our annual meeting, which was attended by over 100 physicians and representatives of the hospital administration and board of trustees. I discussed new and coming health care vehicles we have with the major insurance companies of Massachusetts.

Andrew Morehouse: Stop demagoguing our food safety net

HATFIELD - Former Northampton Mayor Clare Higgins made some eloquent points about hunger and food stamps in her recent column, "Beyond food stamp buzzwords" (Jan. 28).

Jonathan Klate: Divide, distract and conquer

"When the slaves get together that's the beginning of getting out of slavery." - The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

AMHERST - Money is permission to exercise power. The more money one acquires, the more power one can access.

Vijay Prashad: Fog of needless war grows thicker over Iran

NORTHAMPTON - Something is bound to happen. The United States and Europe have attempted to cage Iran in harsh economic sanctions. The Iranian rial has spiraled out of control, with imports so expensive that goods are simply not available in many parts of the country.

Assassination of four Iranian scientists has chilled the academic community in the country.