Social Issues

Thousands have signed a petition urging Bernie Sanders to refuse an invitation from AIPAC to speak at its upcoming policy conference in Washington, DC. The right-wing American Israel Public Affairs Committee invited all the presidential candidates to speak at the conference which is due to start on March 20th. Hillary Clinton was the first to confirm and Donald Trump followed closely behind her. Roger Waters, the Pink Floyd co-founder and bassist is among the 4,000 who have signed petition.

A children’s research organisation has said that the use of drugs such as Ritalin to treat children who suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has no long-term health benefits.  The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute say that early research shows that Ritalin is ineffective at helping children academically and mentally as they get older. They followed 178 children suffering from ADHD and 212 children without ADHD for three years to identify what factors effect the development of children suffering with the disorder.

As a direct result of Europe's refugee crisis, new and very unpleasant social fractures have started to emerge.

One particularly troubling issue is the extent to which officials have tended to “blame the victim" in the ever more frequent sex attacks resulting from Europe's refugee surge, something we first touched upon earlier this week. For instance, Cologne mayor Henriette Reker drew sharp criticism for suggesting that it was German womens' duty to prevent assaults by keeping would-be assailants “at arm’s length.”

As Trymaine Lee notes, "literally the longest line I've ever seen..."

Trump rally. Literally the longest line I've ever seen. pic.twitter.com/eQlRFk2x24

— Trymaine Lee (@trymainelee) March 11, 2016

And it's not just angry white men.

The Conservative Political Action Conference once again took up the subject of same-sex marriage last week, with one big change to the political landscape: this time the discussion took place under the shadow of Obergefell v. Hodges. “Dearly Beloved: A Conversation on Religious Liberty and Marriage in America” presented differing perspectives on the issue of religious freedom and gay rights, and during the discussion, one panelist revealed the particular quandary he faced in light of the freedoms lost and freedoms gained with the decision.