Opinion

The heroes of the French train attack have given us all a gift—hope

Source: The Guardian

The passengers who thwarted an armed assailant on a European train didn’t just save dozens of lives. They also inspired hope and action around the world.

Germany’s leap of faith in migrant crisis

Source: The Boston Globe

With migrants from Syria and other troubled locales flooding into Europe comes an opportunity for one nation to change its image.

Error of Century? Balboa Park With No Statue of Balboa

Source: Times of San Diego

Historian Helen Otfield argues that a statue of Vasco Núñez de Balboa should be erected in San Diego’s Balboa Park, and she provides some history of the Spanish explorer.

Remembering the fight for women’s rights: Suffragists at Seneca Falls laid groundwork for others in the struggle for equality

Source: The Buffalo News

The first convention for women’s rights in the United States took place in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. Writer Michael Sainato remembers the people who met there and highlights the influence they had on those that followed.

‘Map: Collected and Last Poems,’ by Wislawa Szymborska

Source: The Washington Post

Read this review of a recent collection of poetry by Wislawa Szymborska.

Emma Watson calls on men to help fight gender inequality: ‘It’s your issue too’

Source: The Independent

During a speech to launch the UN “HeForShe” campaign, actress Emma Watson argued that men play a major part in achieving gender equality.

Does Fiction Have the Power to Sway Politics?

Source: The New York Times

Two writers argue that works of fiction can trigger political change, sometimes directly, but more often, indirectly. Upton Sinclair, author of The Jungle, is one example.