(Optional) In case we ever need them, here are my Tips for using Zoom in the Classroom.

(Optional) I never used to cold-call on students. I've changed partly because I think cold-calling helps keep people involved in a class. But, I've also been influenced by this September 2019 article about Elizabeth Warren's Teaching Style. Warren adopted a cold-calling approach that sought to involve as many students as possible in every class period. "In essence, Warren's approach was borne of her concern that the classroom tends to reproduce societal inequalities. By only calling on students who raised their hands, the professor limited class discussion to those who traditionally felt the most comfortable speaking up." If interested, the article explains more about her reasoning.

[Optional]  After the first class or two, I will post the Opening Day Questions I presented (PDF or Powerpoint)  if you want to look at them again. Many of the items linked to will be used at some point during the semester.

1. Gay & Lesbian optional readings

[Optional]  Some researchers have done a very impressive job of documenting 20th Century LGBTQ student activism at the University of Notre Dame  and St. Mary's College utilizing Observer Archives.

[Optional]  In a famous study, Texas Sociologist Mark Regnerus challenges the claim that gay families are just as good for children as same-sex ones. But the American Sociological Association (and numerous others) criticized his work and filed a court brief reviewing the evidence on gay marriage. Here is the complete ASA brief on Gay Marriage. Stephanie Pappas reviews the empirical evidence and argues that gay parents may be the best parents. The world's largest study on the children of same-sex parents says they are doing as well or better than the rest of the population on key health indicators.

[Optional] In October 2021, the Irish Rover argued that on issues of gender and sexuality, the university's stance regarding Church teachings raises concern.

[Optional]  Memories Pizza in Walkerton Indiana created a firestorm of controversy when it said it would not cater a gay wedding (something it had never been asked to do anyway) - and received $840,000 in donations as a result. An anti-gay group blasted JC Penney's Father's Day ad. But Avis went after the gay market. The Hallmark Channel Apologizes for Pulling Ads With Brides Kissing.

[Optional] Mark Joseph Stern Fact Checks Ted Cruz's Video Defense of Religious Liberty.

[Optional]  John Harwood says that the vast majority of US corporations have already voted yes on gay marriage. Spencer Bokat-Lindell says only some queer people get married, but almost all of them work. He explains why he thinks the June 2020 Supreme Court Ruling on L.G.B.T.Q. Worker Rights Is Such a Big Deal. Gavin Ferlic argued that being gay-friendly was good for the local South Bend economy.

[Optional]  A group of Notre Dame faculty and staff offer a Catholic Justification for support of the LGBTQ community. Nate Silver notes that change doesn't usually come this fast.

[Optional-Video] In 2011 Barbara Bush (George's daughter) joined the ranks of Republican offspring who support gay marriage (here is her 22 second video) and Iowa college student Zach Wahls (3 minute video) made an impassioned appeal on behalf of his lesbian parents. In this short video clip, The Golden Girls made the case for gay marriage more than 20 years ago. Notre Dame graduate President Bartlett turns the tables on those who use the Bible to attack gays. Preacher Phil Snider gives a gay rights speech with an unusual twist. Wikipedia lists several Christian denominations affirming LGBT people.

[Optional] Gay activist Katherine Franke warns that same-sex marriage is a mixed blessing. June Thomas says I'm a lesbian and I'm never getting married. Why are you?

[Optional] Here is Abigail Ocobock's full article on Status Or Access? The Impact Of Marriage On Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Queer Community Change

[Optional] In same-sex partnerships, how do couples decide who asks who to get married? ND Sociology Professor Abi Ocobocks examines that and other questions in Freedom and Constraint in Same-Sex Engagements: How Age and Gender Shape Adherence to Marriage Scripts.

[Optional] Notre Dame alum Greg Bourke was named one of National Catholic Reporter's 2015 Persons of the Year for his efforts to legalize gay marriage. Notre Dame Press interviewed him about his book Gay, Catholic, and American.

[Optional-Video] Notre Dame Athletics says If you can play, you can play.

[Optional] Some people predict that the first openly gay President of the United States will be South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. But historians speculate that there might have been other gay presidents before him.

[Optional - Many find it fascinating while others don't like it at all] In one of the most controversial sociological studies ever done, Laud Humphries examined the covert lives of closeted homosexuals in Tea Room Trade. Laura MacDonald did an update in America's toe-tapping menace.

[Optional] An August 2004 op-ed piece lamented that Notre Dame was ranked as the most homophobic school in the country and urged students to prove the ranking wrong. A horrible anti-gay cartoon that somehow got published in the Observer in January 2010 probably didn't help. But in 2015 ND suddenly dropped out of the top 20. Maybe it was because in early 2012 members of the 4 to 5 movement said It Needs to Get Better at Notre Dame -- and then in late 2012 the University responded by making major changes in LGBT policy. A few months before that Notre Dame students exposed The Gay Agenda. In 2018 a student described what it is like to be Gay and Catholic at Notre Dame.

[Optional] A Notre Dame student issues A Call for Empathy from a Gay Catholic. Two underclassmen ask Does Notre Dame fear the queers? The Observer tells Notre Dame Don't just include, protect.

[Optional] A Conversion therapy center founder who sought to turn LGBTQ Christians straight now says says he is gay, rejects 'cycle of self shame'.

[Optional] The Notre Dame Leprechaun was recently denounced as the 4th most offensive mascot in college football. In its defense, Notre Dame noted that the leprechaun began in England -- as a disparaging symbol of Irish people. "Irish-Americans -- including those at Notre Dame -- again have turned back on former oppressors as a sign of celebration and triumph," the university wrote. "In both the upraised fists of the leprechaun mascot and the use of the word 'fighting', the intent is to recognize the determination of the Irish people and, symbolically, the university's athletes." What other group has taken a once-derogatory term and transformed it into a symbol of Pride?

[Optional] In August 2021, the Sycamore Trust blasted Notre Dame for sterilizing "welcome week of heteronormative messages that created an unwelcoming or awkward environment for many students."

2. Transgender Optional Readings

[Optional] A report reveals that, while the numbers are still small, there is a sharp rise in Transgender Young People in the US. The article also discusses generational factors that might account for the fact that younger people account for a disproportionately large share of the transgender population.

[Optional] Dr. Anne Fausto-Sterling explains why Sex is not Binary. Former Notre Dame Anthropologist Agustin Fuentes say Biological Science Rejects the Sex Binary, and that's good for Humanity.

[Optional] The CDC reports that nearly half of gay and bisexual teens considered suicide in 2021. Michael DePeau-Wilson notes that hospitilizations due to suicidality and self-harm are far more common in young people with gender dysphoria diagnoses. The parents of an Oklahoma transgender girl fear for their child's safety. German Lopez attacks The ugly myth about transgender people opponents of a Houston civil rights law used to win. Lopez debunks what he calls 10 common myths about transgender people. Johnson & Rogers discuss how peer support and community involvement can enhance the mental health and well-being of trans people.

[Optional] A parent was shocked to learn that her child identified as transgender - and her school knew but wasn't required to tell her. But, while she was sympathetic, Michelle Goldberg argued that Trans Kids Deserve Private Lives, Too.

[Optional] Michigan's Womyn's Fest was torn by controversies over transgender exclusion. Julian Wyllie outlines how Women's Colleges Are Handling Transgender Applicants. Rebecca Jane Morgan explores how TERFS (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists) became so powerful in Great Britain. Responding to the JK Rowling and Elliott Page controversies, the Women's Media Center contends that Feminists Need to Do More for Trans Men. Human Life International contends that the number of transgender people who want to detransition is far higher than has been estimated. Elinor Burkett discusses What Makes a Woman -- and doesn't think that Caitlyn Jenner qualifies.

[Optional] GOP State Lawmakers are pushing a growing wave of anti-transgender bills.  The father of a trans boy says that Florida's Don't Say Gay law is working as intended -- and he isn't happy about it.

[Optional] Runner's World describes how NCAA Transgender Athletes are fighting for the Right to Compete. Ashley and Chu make the case for Trans Inclusion in Sports. Notre Dame Anthropologist Cara Ocobock argues The idea that trans-gender women are going to dominate sports is not based in reality, it is based in fear and bias. Nova reviews the debates on whether or not Testosterone should be regulated in Female Athletes.

[Optional] Sociology has often had internal battles over what to study, and how. Kristen Schilt describes how scholars working in new areas of inquiry (e.g. transgender studies) have had to fight The "Not Sociology" Problem-- i.e. the claims that their work isn't really sociology or is too fringe to be worth doing.

[Optional] There are eight Catholic Womens' colleges in the US and seven of them admit transgender women. Bowing to intense pressure, in December 2023 St. Mary's College reversed a decision to join them.

[Optional] Jennifer Finney Boylan contends that, by prohibiting nonbinary gender markers on birth certificates, Oklahoma is erasing real Oklahomans.

[Optional] Harry Potter author J.K. may have sold 500 million books, but even some of the stars of her movie stars criticized her when she got involved in the TERF (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist) wars.

[Optional] A ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth has a mother in Texas fearing for the welfare of her transgender son.

[Optional] Former All-American swimmer Riley Gaines is crusading against trans athletes in women's sports. Olympic silver medalist Brooke Forde says Lia Thomas has followed the rules and she has no problem with racing against her.

 [Optional] A transgender college swimmer shattered records, sparking debates about fairness.

 [Optional] Transgender women aren't the only ones facing bans in sports. Because of shifting rules Intersex athletesa with naturally elevated levels of testosterone face bans too.

[Optional] The Independent challenges widespread beliefs and argues that the data show that LiaThomas does not have an unfair advantage.

[Optional] The Human Rights Commission lists steps to address anti-transgender stigma, discrimination and higher rates of violence (pp. 26-27 are especially useful; the rest of the 31 page report is recommended).

[Optional] CNN offers some Fast Facts on Roe V Wade. In 2022 the Pew Research Center provided a demographic breakdown of abortion attitudes of Americans. A national longitudinal study finds that almost no women regret their abortions five years later. Guttmacher further claims that Abortion Is a Common Experience for U.S. Women, Despite Dramatic Declines in Rates. The Guttmacher Institute also provides estimates of Unintended Pregnancy and Abortion Worldwide. A 2018 study by the World Health Organization and the Guttmacher Institute says nearly half the world's abortions are unsafe. Here is PRB's detailed 2021 report on Abortion Facts & Figures. In July 2022 The Pew Research Center offered key facts about the abortion debate in America.  Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux  of 538 says the Supreme Court sent the issue of abortion back to the voters -- and the voters were not pleased.

[Optional] The Washington Post assessed where the battles over abortion stood at the end of 2023.

[Optional] Katie Rose Guest Pryal warns the mental health of women on campus will be endangered. A UCSB professor says Myths about abortion and women's mental health are widespread, and that the vast majority of women feel they made the right choice, and they don't experience regret. Researchers from Child Trends agree that Research Strongly Indicates Abortion Restrictions Harm People's Health and Well-being. St. Joseph County Public Health officials argued that there could be  'More dead women' in Indiana without exemptions to abortion ban. An Indiana doctor who attracted national attention after providing an abortion to a 10 year old girls says I don't believe in turning patients away. College students said they were terrified, elated, and anxious about living in a world where the right to abortion is not guaranteed (you can just skim this; it takes a ridiculously long 17 pages but most of that is white space). Doctors' fear of lawsuits is making some horrible situations even worse. Law proffesor Greer Donley says that What Happened to Kate Cox Is Tragic and Completely Expected.

[Optional] Teresa Collett says Rape and incest are deeply tragic -- but they do not justify killing a child.

[Optional] Students for Life lists several documentaries and films with pro-life themes. The French film Happening tells the true story of Nobel Laureate Annie Ernaux's illegal abortion in 1963, a story which some say has an unfortunate timeliness. [Warning: Some of these films -- even the trailers for them -- are pretty intense.]

[Optional] After Dobbs, what happens now? If some pro-lifers have their way, fetal personhood will be next. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham unveiled a bill that would impose a federal ban on abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy with a few very narrow exceptions. Mark Joseph Stern fiercely objects, saying If enacted, Graham's bill would criminalize abortion at the exact moment in pregnancy when dangerous fetal anomalies and maternal health problems come to light. Ruth Marcus says Lindsey Graham's 15-week abortion ban gives the endgame away.

[Optional] On the pro-choice side, Mayday Health is one of the many groups trying to expand abortion access even in states where it is banned. Ruth Marcus says Abortion Pill Providers are working  to broaden access.

[Optional] Donald Trump allegedly claimed that the Dobbs decision would hurt Republicans at the ballot box. He may be right. Nate Cohn estimates that the Kansas Result Suggests 4 Out of 5 States Would Back Abortion Rights in a Similar Vote. 538 explains Why Republicans Keep Failing to Pass Abortion Bans.

[Optional] Phillip Elliott notes that Democrats have won some early races by focusing on abortion, and that should worry Republicans. Former Presidential speech writer Peggy Noonan warns pro-lifers that they lost in Kansas because they asked for too much.

[Optional] Today a rabbi in Florida claims that anti-abortion laws violate the religious freedom of Jews and several other groups are also claiming that Dobbs violates their religious beliefs. Columnist Jennifer Rubin agrees that doctors and patients deserve a 'conscience' exception to abortion bans. Two South Bend rabbis contend that "As more states, including our own, outlaw and criminalize abortion, Jewish women and their partners may not be able to continue to freely practice their Judaism."

[Optional] Ruth Graham profiles The Pro-Life Generation of Young Women Fighting Against Abortion Rights. Pro-Life Marchers share their thoughts on how you stop abortion. (Sorry if a firewall blocks you. I tried to create a PDF but it loses almost all the content in the article.)

[Optional] Maureen Dowd says once, Ireland seemed obsessed with punishing women. Now it's America, and Irish eyes aren't smiling about changes in US abortion policies. Alexander Burns cautions that States With Abortion Bans Risk Losing Their Economic Edge.

[Optional] Susan Venker says To be Catholic and vote for Democrats in 2020 is just wrong.  Ramesh Ponnuru and Robert P. George say Biden's stance on abortion contradicts his Catholicism.  Conservative evangelical David French discusses how to be pro-life in Joe Biden's America. Evangelical minister Rob Schenck explains why he switched from being an anti-abortion crusader to an advocate for Roe V Wade.  Nicholas Kristof asks abortion opponents some tough questions.

[Optional] In 2004, it was Notre Dame intramural warfare as scholars Mark Roche, Gerard Bradley, and Charles Rice battled over whether or not Catholics could vote in good conscience for John Kerry. Douglas Kmiec is a conservative legal scholar, a former law professor at Notre Dame, and a past advisor to Ronald Reagan and Mitt Romney.  But in 2008, he said Sorry McCain. Barack Obama is a natural for the Catholic vote.

[Optional] Professor Ralph McInerny claimed that Notre Dame forfeited its right to call itself a Catholic university when it invited Barack Obama to speak at commencement.  Bishop Fabian W. Bruskewitz of Lincoln said he was "utterly appalled" by Omaha native and ND President John Jenkins' "absolute indifference to the murderous abortion program and beliefs of this President of the United States." Professor Richard Williams had kinder words for his fellow Nebraskan. 

[Optional] The National Catholic Reporter contends that the hyperfocus on abortion obscures the focus on other issues Catholics care about.

[Optional] Four Notre Dame students argue that Planned Parenthood may have a new face, but it still has the same (dismal) legacy. (I'm linking to the original source because the online comments are also very good. But if the link doesn't work, a pdf version is here.)

[Optional] In 2012, Notre Dame Professor Carter Snead and Princeton Professor Robert George blasted abortion provider Planned Parenthood. About the same time,  John Saveland explained why he's pro-life and supports Planned Parenthood while William Saletan argued that funding Planned Parenthood was the best way to reduce the need and demand for abortions. America Magazine argues Erasing Margaret Sanger from Planned Parenthood doesn't change abortion's eugenic logic.

[Optional] Katha Pollit doesn't agree that feminists can be pro-life. In January 2020 Notre Dame students battled fiercely over pro-life and pro-women marches.The Feminists for Life web site expands on its call for a pro-woman, pro-life feminist revolution. Ruth Graham notes that many dispute the idea that Susan B. Anthona was a pro-life heroine. Pro-choice advocate Ronald Klain (who later became Joe Biden's White House Chief of Staff) fears that Reversing Roe V Wade will be just the beginning of the judicial attack on women's reproductive rights.

[Optional] View Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow's seemingly innocuous Super Bowl ad that ignited a national controversy. William Saletan countered with what he called the grisly truth about the ad.

[Optional] Georgia Right to Life touched off a firestorm of controversy when it launched a campaign claiming abortion is the primary tool in a decades-old conspiracy to kill off Black people. But Linda Greenhouse says Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman in Congress, would strongly disagree. Today Black Republican Senator Tim Scott says Abortion is not the way to help Single Black mothers.

[Optional] Sister Margaret McBride was excommunicated for agreeing to an abortion that probably saved a woman's life. Pro-life Catholic Julianna Baggott and columnist Nicholas Kristof defended her.

[Optional] Studies from the Guttmacher Institute offer facts on induced abortion in the United States and worldwide, and also examine the reasons US women have abortions. The Guttmacher Institute further notes that the abortion rate is at an all time low -- and claims that better birth control is largely to thanks. Anti-abortion groups, however, argue that the drop shows new state restrictions on abortion are working.

[Optional] Columnist Margaret Carlson is pro-choice - but even she isn't comfortable with Partial-Truth Abortion.

[Optional] Some said "The poster child jumped off the poster" when Norma McCorvey (Roe of Roe V. Wade) converted to being a pro-life advocate. The Washington Post profiled McCorvey when she died in 2017. But on her deathbed, McCorvey stunningly revealed her anti-abortion routine was all just an act.

[Optional] Emma Green discusses whether Science Is Giving the Pro-Life Movement a Boost. Religious groups, scientists and doctors debate whether some popular forms of contraception cause abortions. The New York Times reviews the scientific evidence and concludes abortion qualms on the morning after pill may be unfounded. In Dec 2022 the FDA changed Plan B packaging to clarify that it is not an abortion pill. Father John Jenkins chose not to include alleged abortion-causing drugs when he announced Notre Dame's new contraceptive coverage policy. Tara Culp-Pressler argues that the birth control method Hobby Lobby won't cover is leading to a decline in teenage pregnancies.

[Optional-Video] In this one minute clip, Dr. Willie Parker, the only abortion provider in Mississippi, is confronted by an angry protester. The Washington Post explains Why Willie Parker changed his mind about abortion. In one of the most memorable moments of the ND Obama protests, Father Norman Weslin was arrested for defending the unborn (see especially the first 3 minutes or so). Pam and Bob Tebow expand on their pro-life beliefs and their decision not to abort Tim despite the great risks. Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton argued that, for the women of the world, abortion should be legal, safe, and rare.

[Optional-Video] In a famous 1984 speech at Notre Dame, New York Governor Mario Cuomo explained why he thought a Catholic Pro-Life Politician can support the right to have an abortion. Thirty years later the South Bend Tribune discussed the controversy over the speech. If interested, you can read the entire text of the speech or watch a video of it.

[Optional-Video] Professor Richard Williams & Father Jonathan Morris debated Barack Obama's visit to Notre Dame. Richard Williams and Randall Terry offered their opinions of each other. [NOTE: I hesitate to include videos of myself, partly because I don't like how I look but mostly because I don't want anyone to feel like they have to agree with what I say. You are free to take whatever positions you want so long as you can defend them. Also note that Williams praises the efforts of both the pro-life and pro-choice students on campus.]

[Optional] Ruth Graham discusses How Down Syndrome is Redefining the Abortion Debate. It is called "screening" but George Will says it is really a search and destroy mission in the attack on kids with Down Syndrome. Time notes that the life prospects for those with Down Syndrome have never been better - and the ability to abort them has never been greater. Mark Schrad has a child with Down Syndrome. He explains why he and his wife decided not to abort - and why he supports the right of others to choose differently. Rachel Adams says My son with Down syndrome is not a mascot for abortion restrictions. Likewise Emily Barbero opted to keep her baby, knowing that he might never walk or talk - and she tells Republicans how they can prove they are pro-life too. If you are curious about how Jonathan Will is doing, George Will updates his story here and here.

[Optional] NPR explains how China's One_Child Policy led to forced abortions and 30 million batchelors.

[Optional] Margo Kapan asks Fertility clinics destroy embryos all the time -- Why aren't conservatives after them? Some Church leaders say the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should be avoided if possible. But ethicists worry Catholic Bishops may be making "pastorally dangerous" statements about vaccines. Jesuit priest Sam Sawyer says Some bishops are choosing the culture war over the common good. Public health officials are enthusiastic about the potential of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to reach vulnerable populations.

[Optional but highly recommended] Here is Alice Goffman's complete 19 page 2009 ASR paper On the Run: Wanted Men in a Philadelphia Ghetto, that later led to her book. [Warning: There are a lot of obscenities and racist terms in this piece, but in each case they are direct quotes from the people Goffman is writing about.]

[Optional but highly recommended] Heather MacDonald contends that the criminal justice system is not racist and  that the high percentage of Black people behind bars reflects crime rates, not bigotry. [NOTE: This is a great article, albeit a difficult one. I have stopped requiring it but I still highly recommend it.] Debra Dickerson writes Know your Enemy: Heather MacDonald. Some of the reader comments (especially the first one by Michael Cohen) are much better than the article itself. MacDonald makes a powerful case in her article about the criminal justice system not being racist but some of the comments provide strong counter (or supporting) arguments.

[Optional but highly recommended] The ACLU supplements Alexander's arguments and elaborats on The Racist Roots of Denying Incarcerated People Their Right to Vote. Conservative writer George Will says there is no good reason to stop felons from voting.

[Optional] Jonathan Ben-Menachem counters claims that anti-police protests have led to an increase in violent crimes.

[Optional] Jamila Michener claims that Racial discrimination pervades nearly every aspect of American life, and offers the data to prove it. Radley Balko says There's overwhelming evidence that the criminal justice system is racist. Purnell and Stahly-Butts say the police can't solve the problem. They are the problem. Elie Mystal says Cops lynched Tyre Nichols because they knew they could.

[Optional-Video] These pictures from Katrina sparked controversy over how Black and White crime are depicted. The NY Times offers several videos that are sparking outrage of Black Lives upended by policing. Example videos include Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, and Teenagers at a Pool Party.

[Optional] The NY Times won a 2022 Pulitzer Prize for a series of articles on Deadly Police Encounters. NYT Reporters elaborate on Why Many Police Traffic Stops turn Deadly.

[Optional]  The New York Times further examines video evidence of 120 vehicle stops over five years in which police officers killed motorists who were not brandishing a gun or knife or being pursued for violent crimes.  In dozens of incidents, footage shows, officers made tactical mistakes that put themselves in positions of danger then used lethal force to defend against that danger. NYT Also examines  The Demand for Money Behind Many Police Traffic Stops.

[Optional] Several reports claim that In City After City, Police Mishandled the Summer 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests. Liberal NYT columnist Maureed Dowd, herself the daughter of a police officer, reminds us that we should be proud of the good cops even as we weed out the bad ones.

[Optional] David French may be a conservative but he is also the father of an adopted daughter from Ethiopia and he says that with American Racism, we've still got a very far way to go. Former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough explains why he still believes in the American Dream but he understands why others don't (here is a  pdf version). Caroline Randall Williams, the descendant of Black slaves and White rapists, says My Body is a Confederate Monument -- and no one should dare her to celebrate her White ancestors.

[Optional] German Lopez says Riots are destructive, dangerous, and scary - but can lead to serious social reforms.

[Optional] A 2020 report from the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law claims that $372 billion in earnings are lost in the United States each year for those who have a criminal conviction or have spent time in prison - enough money to close New York City's poverty gap 60 times over.

[Optional] Eric Garner made the phrase "I can't breathe" famous. But the NY Times found that over the last decade at least 70 people have died in law enforcement custody after saying the same words. [You can read the first few pages and then skim the rest. The online version is very cool but if you can't get through the firewall here is the pdf.] The optional readings include several other compilations of readings accusing police of misconduct.

[Optional] These articles all have long, in-depth discussions. The Washington Post claims there is massive bias in our police systems and offers what it calls overwhelming proof. (Here is a pdf if the direct link doesn't work.) The New York Times maintains a chronology of stories on Police Brutality, Misconduct and Shootings. The NYT also talks about the stubborn problem of testilying by the police.

[Optional] Black Lives Matter Activists blasted the kid gloves treatment the Pro-Trump mob received on January 6, 2021.

[Optional] Rolling Stone presents what it claims are 11 racist police killings with no justice served.

[Optional] Matthew Yglesias warns that White-on-White Murder is Out of Control. (Some might suspect he is being a little sarcastic or satirical, but his numbers are valid.) John Haltiwanger adds that White Men have Committed  More Mass Shootings than any other group.

[Optional-Video] RedState is a very right-wing web page -- but contributor Leon Wolf says Many Conservatives are Blowing it on the Ferguson DOJ report. Erick Erickson, former editor of RedState, makes a similar argument in Ferguson is not Binary.

[Optional] Adam Driver (Mishawaka High School class of 2001) says there were plenty of KKK rallies when he was growing up in St. Joseph County, and the facts support him.

[Optional] Here is the complete Sentencing Project's Report on Eliminating Racial Inequity in the Criminal Just System.

[Optional] Alice Goffman's On the Run is one of the most highly acclaimed Sociological books in years. The New York Times hailed it as "A remarkable feat of reporting . . . The level of detail in this book and Goffman's ability to understand her subjects' motivations are astonishing--and riveting." But in summer 2015 several critics started questioning her honesty and ethics. Here is a very detailed attack and a much shorter one. Goffman wrote a reply to her critics but Steven Lubet said she just raised even more concerns.

[Optional] In President Obama's Department of Injustice, Alec Karakatnis blasted the Obama administration for keepings tens of thousands of poor people languishing in federal prisons on illegal sentences.

[Optional] The Ban the Box Movement aims to end structural discrimination against people with conviction and incarceration histories, primarily in the areas of hiring and housing policy. This video explains the movement. To learn more, check out the campaign's web page. However, businesses have expressed concerns about the movement, and the Pew Institute warns that Ban the Box laws may be hurting young Black men seeking jobs. 

[Optional] The New York Times (April 2015) says that, because of early deaths and incarceration, more than 1.5 million Black men are missing.

[Optional] A 2015 study says mass incarceration did not lower the crime rate.

[Optional] Facebook was torn by controversy when the Notre Dame Women's Basketball team declared I can't breathe. Here is the famous video of Eric Garner that inspired the protest.

[Optional] Former Notre Dame basketball superstar Brianna Taylor, the daughter of two police officers, gives her views about the dialogue on race.

[Optional] The Marshall Project is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that seeks to create and sustain a sense of national urgency about the U.S. criminal justice system. It includes several articles on Police Accountability and other topics.

[Optional] A lot of people claimed that a gender double-standard hurt Serena Williams at the 2018 US. But the NY Times shows that men are actually penalized more often.

[Optional] In The Underpolicing of Black America, Jill Leovy says that police are better at stopping African Americans at random than they are at halting an epidemic of murder. Viewing things from the left, Emory Professor Carol Anderson says Ferguson isn't about Black rage against cops. It's White rage against progress.

[Optional] Toella Pliakas says The Left shouldn't Scrap Defund the Police. They should rebrand it. The Guardian explains what defunding the police means. Dionne Searcey further discusses What Would Efforts to Defund or Disband Police Departments Really Mean? Jenifer Eberhardt explains why she supports police reform but doesn't believe in defunding. Criminologist Rod Brunson notes Protests focus on over-policing. But under-policing is also deadly (pdf version). Geo Maher says Yes, we should defund the police. Wilfred Reilly says Defunding the police is stupid and counterproductive. Radley Balko challenges the claim that policing shortages is fueling crime.

[Optional] Radley Balko counters Giuliani and says there is no war on cops and that those who claim otherwise are playing a dangerous game.

[Optional] Some African-American Community Activists were not Happy with South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. In August 2019 the local chapter of Black Lives Matter called for Buttigieg to resign.

[Optional] Gallup found that in September 2020 Perceptions of White-Black Relations had Sunk to New Low. A study finds that 93% of Black Lives Matter protests have been peaceful.

[Optional] In Bellevue Nebraska The Police Chief is hiring Female Officers to Fix Toxic Policing. (Use this alternate link if necessary.)

[Optional] The NY Times has interesting statistics on economic diversity and student outcomes at Notre Dame. You can look up other schools too if you want. For a broader picture see here. Notre Dame isn't the richest school out there, but it is pretty high up, and we also seem to be on the lower side as far as economic diversity goes. Notre Dame's Office of Student Enrichment tries to help lower-income students succeed.

[Optional] Want to improve your kid's chances of getting into Harvard? Then spending $100,000+ to make them into a good fencer may be a great idea. John Miller laments how America sold out little league baseball.

[Optional] Here are the Census Bureau figures for Poverty and Wealth in the United States, 2020. The  World Hunger Education Service overviews Poverty and Hunger in the United States.

[Optional] Kyle Spenser talks about students who are in College and Homeless. Nicholas Casey outlines how The Coronavirus Exposed Just how Unequal College Students Lives are.

[Optional] In 2014 Barbara Ehrenreich wrote about how it is expensive to be poor.

[Optional] Amia Srinivasan argues that the rich are dependents of the state too. To deal with income inequality, Nicholas Kristof says we should soak the rich - and they will still be wealthy. But Brian Reidl scoffs and says You cannot fund socialism by taxing the wealthy.

[Optional] Here is the Children's Defense Fund Full report on The State of America's Children 2021. Child Trends notes that Childhood Poverty has actually been declining since 1993. Vox and the NY Times elaborate on recent declines in childhood poverty.

[Optional] Eduardo Porter attacks the Myth of Welfare's Corrupting Influence on the Poor. Linda Tirado was poor herself -- and she explains why she thinks poor people make bad decisions.

[Optional] Andrew Jabobs reviews Sidewalk, where Mitchell Duneier discusses how he spent five years examining the lives of poor book vendors in New York. Here are some excerpts from Sidewalk.

[Optional-Video] Here is the hour-long video for Sidewalk. You may or may not need to download it first (1.3 GB). It is in mpg4 format and is freely available. Here is the whole DVD (7 GB, in iso format) which has some extra features if you want it.

[Optional] William Julius Wilson reviews Edin and Shaefer's book  $2 a day: Living on Almost Nothing in America.

[Optional] Brian Goldman reports that Housing insecurity in the nation's richest cities is far worse than government statistics claim.

[Optional] In Working the System that is working her, Jennifer Friedman and Laurel Graham describe how one woman dealt with poverty and all the obstacles it presented her with. (Fascinating albeit long; you can skim though, you don't have to read it super-carefully.)

[Optional] Byron Auguste says that Requiring a college degree hurts millions of qualified workers unnecessarily.

[Optional] Robert Reich warns that a weak middle class hurts everyone, including the rich.

[Optional] Allison Shrager says that Bernie Sanders' plan for free college tuition is a terrible idea.

[Optional] Eden & Shaefer describe one survival strategy of the poor -- Donating Plasma.

[Optional-Video] Gary Rivlin describes how payday lenders and others have helped to turn poverty into a multibillion dollar industry and says more about Fat times for the poverty industry. In this humorous, profane, but also accurate clip, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver discusses Predatory Lending. Warning: Language is a bit crude at times. The Center for Responsible Lending has some more conventional but also very good videos. The CRL also addresses Payday Lending: Myths and Facts.

[Optional] Mark Rank says we need to rethink poverty and its solutions. His ConfrontingPoverty.org site offers several tools for understanding American inequality.

[Optional] In 2016 the Republican Party proposed what it thought was a better way to deal with Poverty, Opportunity, and Upward Mobility.

[Optional] Jesse Miler discusses The Disappearing Black Middle Class.

[Optional] In this 2012 report, Elizabeth Warren and Deborah Thorne update how bankruptcy is affecting the middle class. Thorne further discusses how financial distress affects families, especially women. Deborah Thorne explains why many find it hard to make a fresh start after bankruptcy.

[Optional] In October 2020, William Galston noted the current recovery is the most unequal in modern history

[Optional] Business Week discusses the role that luck plays in making someone rich or poor. Saez and Zucman say it is absurd that the working class is now paying higher tax rates than the richest people in America. They explain how to Tax our Way back to Justice.

[Optional] Michael Hobbes says The Glass Floor Is Keeping America's Richest Idiots At The Top.

[Optional] An MIT Economists claims Escaping Poverty Requires Almost 20 Years With Nearly Nothing Going Wrong.

[Optional] The New York Times reports on What Middle-Class Families want Politicians to Know.

[Optional] Several studies suggest that African American adults and their children receive less effective health care than their white counterparts - and their doctors may not even realize it. Racial stereotypes & a lack of minority doctors and condescending communication with patients may be among the reasons.

[Optional] The Marshall project finds COVID-19's Toll on People of Color Is Worse Than We Knew. African American orthopedic surgeon Kenneth R. Alleyne describes how covid-19 is a perfect storm for black Americans. Black Chicagoans say they have long confronted racism in medicine -- and Covid-19 didn't help.

[Optional] What should be done about poverty? Edin and Shaefer blast the Clinton-era welfare reforms and claim America's Poorest are getting virtually no assistance. Catholic Charities of Fort Worth praised Paul Ryan for his understanding of poverty. In 2014 the future Speaker of the House blasted the Obama administration for a system that perpetuates poverty. In investing in our children, Robert Samuelson argues that government programs can only do so much to combat poverty.

[Optional] Elizabeth Warren says $1.2 trillion in student loan debt is keeping young people out of the middle class, and describes what she thinks should be done about it. [Note: The article is only a few pages long. But, I left the comments in, in case you want to skim through them. A lot of people agree with Warren while others have no sympathy for students whatsoever!] But Charles Lane says proposed student debt plans violate principles of social justice.

[Optional] In her famous "You didn't build that" speech, Elizabeth Warren noted some of the many ways that government has helped people build and secure wealth. She'd probably add the American banking system to that list -- and she is very upset at how legislators and regulators helped make it possible for Silicon Valley Bank to abuse that system. (One interesting quote: "It's no wonder the American people are skeptical of a system that holds millions of struggling student loan borrowers in limbo but steps in overnight to ensure that billion-dollar crypto firms won't lose a dime in deposits.") Nobel Prize winning Economist Paul Krugman shares his concerns with the fairness and long-term consequences of the SVB bailout.

[Optional] Claire Cain Miller says part of the reason women's wages trail men's is that As Women Take Over a Male-Dominated Field, the Pay Drops. Politifact analyzes the claim that women make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns.

[Optional] Demographer Phillip Cohen argues that Childhood Poverty isn't that hard to solve.

[Optional] Robert Reich claims that those at the top would be better off with a smaller share of a rapidly growing economy than a large share of one that's almost dead in the water.

[Optional]  Notre Dame Web Pages describe Healthcare That is Available Following a Sexual Assault and What You Should do Immediately After a Sexual Assault. I would encourage students to read these pages now, because if you ever are a victim of sexual assault you may not be in the best mental shape for determining what you can or should do.

[Optional]  Sexual assault often goes unpunished when victims fail to fight back. But investigators, psychologists and biologists all describe freezing as an involuntaryresponse to trauma. Jen Percy provides a detailed discussion of What People Misunderstand About Rape.

[Optional]  Time Magazine named The Silence Breakers -- the men and women who spoke up against sexual harassment and assault -- as its 2017 Person of the Year. (The article is much shorter than it looks -- much of it is pictures -- and you can feel free to skim through it.) If the link doesn't work then here is a PDF version. Ashley Judd, Taylor Swift, Megan Kelly, and a lot of other people you may or may not have heard of are featured. Time's editors explain their choice of The Silence Breakers for 2017 Person of the Year. This two minute Washington Post video explains why Taylor Swift deserved to be on Time's cover.

[Optional]  An October 2019 study of 180,000 college students found that most don't believe their reports of sexual assault will be taken seriously. Twitter offers several accounts of #WhyIDidntReport. (This gets updated all the time, but try skimming through a few entries.) Rebecca Traister assesses the toll of #MeToo for those who came forward. The NSVRC warns that misconceptions about false reporting rates cause many sexual assault victims to not report at all.

[Optional] The claim that one in five college women have been sexually assaulted has been hotly disputed. The Hunting Ground says numerous studies support the figure and the ones that don't are flawed.  But Christina Hoff Sommers warns that the numbers are vastly overstated. Angus Johnston counters that Hoffman is a rape denialist. (First 4 pages recommended; remaining pages are comments you may find interesting.) A detailed 2017 study reviews numerous studies that have been done on the one in five statistic and concludes the figure sounds about right. (See especially Pages 566-572 if just want the most important points.)

[Optional] Sexual assault victim Emily Yoffe expresses her concerns about the Kavanaugh hearings and the problems she sees with the #BelieveSurvivors movement. Yoffe earlier wrote about how she was sexually assaulted three times before she was 20 and explains why she never told her family or the police.

[Optional] After several rape accusations in 2021, Fraternities Faced Protests and Growing Anger

[Optional]  In some #MeToo cases, there is near universal agreement about how terrible the person's behavior was. Vox explains why Anziz Ansari's case is not one of them. Bari Weiss says Aziz Ansari is guilty - of not being a mind reader.

[Optional]  The case of Al Franken continues to be controversial. David Burke says #MeToo got it wrong.

[Optional]  NBC reports that Science is changing how police respond to sexual assault victims.

[Optional]  In this July 2018 article, the Chair of Columbia Sociology and his colleagues explain the social risks of labeling, telling, and reporting sexual assaults. This article deploys ethnographic data to explain why some students do not label experiences as sexual assault or report those experiences. You may want to read the abstract and pp. 441-456 and skim the rest.

[Optional]  Patti Davis, Ronald Reagan's daughter, explains why she doesn't remember many of the details from her sexual assault.

[Optional]  The NY Times reports how saying #MeToo changed the lives of Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow, and 18 others,

[Optional]  Michelle Goldberg discusses Why Sex-Positive Feminism Is Falling Out of Fashion.

[Optional] If you have Amazon Prime, you can watch The Hunting Ground. Segments on Notre Dame appear at around the 36:20 and 47:30 marks. Florida State shows up at about 1:12:00. Lady Gaga's 5 minute graphic video Til it gets better was featured in the film.

[Optional] Lizzy Seeberg's dad says Notre Dame Deeply Let us Down. A former Notre Dame Police officer is critical of the University's handling of sexual assault cases. Melinda Henneberger elaborates on her condemnation of Notre Dame's handling of the Lizzy Seeberg incident.

[Optional] The former Notre Dame linebacker accused in the Lizzy Seeberg case insists he did nothing wrong. John Jenkins said that Notre Dame's investigation of the Seeberg case was thorough and careful and that he could not allow the integrity of Notre Dame to be challenged so publicly. The National Review claims that Florida State Quarterback Jameis Winston got railroaded by the Hunting Ground.

[Optional] Regardless of who is right, Notre Dame made important changes to its Sexual Assault policies in September 2011 and May 2015. In September 2020 The Observer discussed how the conversation on sexual assault continues 10 years after Lizzie Seeberg.

[Optional] In this lengthy article, Emily Yoffe criticizes Campus Rape Policies for their lack of due process and the destructive effects they can have on the unjustly accused.

[Optional] The Council on Contemporary Families reviews the research on Sexual Assault on Campus. The U.S. Department of Justice provides rape and sexual assault statistics The DOJ also explains why reported victimization rates differ widely across sources.

[Optional]  In these 5 minute videos Christina Hoff Sommers attacks Sexual Assault Myths,  more sexual assault myths and adds Rape culture panic is not the answer. She makes some similar points in the article Panic is not an answer. In this 6 minute video, she asks #MeToo: Movement or witch hunt?

[Optional] Heather Mac Donald attacks the #MeToo's movement impossible premise.

[Optional] For a somewhat lighter take on the issues, female satirist Alexandra Petri warns that every man should be worried.

[Optional] Monica Lewinsky says Bill Clinton should apologize. Both Bill Clinton and Donald Trump have had numerous allegations of sexual harassment and assault made against them.

[Optional] Here is a cutesie version of Baby its Cold Outside by Idina Menzel & Michael Buble (they also performed it at Disneyland!) that cleans it up a bit. Other versions are from  Lady Gaga, Glee, and Leon Redbone. Many more versions can be found. A blogger argues  that Baby, it's Cold Outside is actually a feminist anthem.

[Optional] Pharrell Williams now denounces Blurred Lines. Supermodel Emily Ratajkowski says Robin Thicke sexually assaulted her on the set.

[Optional] Promising Young Woman has been called a rape-revenge satire about a society that thinks what a shame it would be if the career of a promising young man were ruined over some alleged incident in which both parties were probably drunk.

[Optional] Propublica claims that Liberty University discourages and dismisses students' reports of sexual assaults. Conservative columnist David French speaks further on The Moral Collapse of America�s Largest Christian University.

[Optional] Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai alleges she was sexually assaulted by a high-ranking official in the Chinese Communist Party -- and has been barely heard from since.

[Optional] Here are several resources for the victims of sexual assault.

[Optional]  Former anti-vaxxers explain what changed their mind.

[Optional]  The Washington Post describes how States are Rushing to Respond to the crisis in teenage mental health. Dr. Richard Friedman asks Why are so many Young People Killing Themselves?

[Optional]  The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that Trauma and Social Anxiety Are Growing Mental-Health Concerns for College Students.

[Optional] Princeton struggled with the question Should Suicidal Students Be Forced to Leave Campus? Sarah Richards outlines how colleges are struggling with ways to treat suicidal students. The New York Times provides an in-depth analysis of Why More American Teenagers Than Ever are Suffering From Severe Anxiety. Sabrina Tavernise reports that younger Americans die earlier and live in poorer health than their counterparts in other developed countries.

[Optional]  Not that many college students died during the pandemic, but that doesn't mean Covid didn't cause them health problems. Notre Dame Sociology graduate student Abby Jorgensen describes what it is like to be Under the Long Haul -- Long Haul Covid, that is.

[Optional]  Kate Hidalgo Bellows says Colleges are reaching a breaking point in campus mental health.

[Optional]  Gluckman and Mangan add that When suicide is a risk, campuses struggle with doing too little -  or too much. Sarah Rose Cavanagh challenges popular opinion and argues that mandated mental health breaks do more harm than good.(Note: At least in my classes I don't think this has ever been an issue. I don't know about other Notre Dame professors.)  Kate Marijolovic offers ideas on what colleges can do that may help.

[Optional]  The NRA told doctors to stay in their lane. Doctors responded that this is our lane. Other doctor responses to the NRA, some of them pretty graphic and gory, can be found at Mashable, CNN, NPR, and The New York Times.