The nice thing about anger is that as an emotion it's strong enough to unplug me from the comedian's mind for a minute and just be a frustrated member of the citizenry.

Insurgents have capitalized on popular resentment and anger towards the United States and the Iraqi government to build their own political financial and military support and the faith of Iraqi citizens in their new government has been severely undermined.

Half a century ago the amazing courage of Rosa Parks the visionary leadership of Martin Luther King and the inspirational actions of the civil rights movement led politicians to write equality into the law and make real the promise of America for all her citizens.

Here's a proposal offered only partly in jest: no resident of the United States whether born here or abroad should get to be a citizen until age 18 at which time each such resident has to take a test.

I was taught from a young age that many people would treat me as a second-class citizen because I was African-American and because I was female.