Author: Michael Shank

Racism and Classism in the Heart of America’s Capital

AL JAZEERA 11/13/12 By Michael Shank Of the two rivers that cup our nation’s capital – the Potomac and the Anacostia – the latter of the two is, perhaps, the most apt reflection of where America is at socio-economically. The Anacostia River – the Anglicised namesake of which was first […]

How To Stop The Stone-Throwing in Anacostia

Washington Post 11/08/2012 By Michael Shank The Post couldn’t be more right in reproaching Metro for its proposal to cut back bus service in parts of Anacostia [“The wrong route,” editorial, Nov. 6]. The given reason for the possible change is people throwing stones and bricks at buses. While this […]

Why We Heart Hurricanes: The Climate Change Connection

POLITICO 11/02-04/12 By Michael Shank Watching television this week, as Hurricane Sandy descended on Washington D.C. and meteorologists scurried to remain atop the latest forecasting, myriad presidential election campaign advertisements were met with one major marketing competitor: the American Petroleum Institute and its various oil, coal and gas bedfellows. It […]

Hurricane Sandy: Time to Do Something About Climate Change

AL JAZEERA 11/01/12 By Michael Shank Watching television this week, as Hurricane Sandy descended on Washington, DC, and meteorologists scurried to remain atop the latest forecasting, myriad presidential election campaign advertisements were met with one major marketing competitor: the American Petroleum Institute and its various oil, coal and gas bedfellows. […]

Folly of Freedom is Plaguing the US Right Now

FINANCIAL TIMES 10/09/12 By Michael Shank Sir, It is confounding that America’s presidential candidates, in their first debate, failed to address one of the growing epidemics killing our countrymen and women, that of gun violence (“Gun lobby pours millions of dollars into campaign to unseat Obama”, October 4). Sadly, they […]

‘Free Speech’ on the DC Metro

AL JAZEERA 10/09/12 By Michael Shank If someone got physically violent on the Metro in Washington, DC, they would get kicked off the train or bus. Similarly, if someone indecently exposed him or herself (as noted in the new Metro ads threatening action against indecent exposure) or yelled incendiary, racist […]

Hill Climbers: Aide Sees a Future in Congress

ROLL CALL 10/01/12 By Emily Cahn Michael Shank is driven by his commitment to progressive values. The returning communications director and senior policy adviser in Rep. Mike Honda’s (D-Calif.) office was raised in an Amish-Mennonite community in Kidron, Ohio, where the ideas of helping the downtrodden, sustainable development and nonviolence […]