Category: My Favorites

Be Wary of a Unanimous Political Opinion

Be Wary of a Unanimous Political Opinion May 18, 2020 Shauli Bar-On via: Independent Voter News I was scrolling through social and found a thread that can be summarized as follows: - Someone posts a political opinion, - Someone else comments his disagreement and explains why, - and the original poster comments back saying something … Continue reading Be Wary of a Unanimous Political Opinion

Law and Religion: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Click for the article with Chicago style footnote citations: Law and Religion_ To Sides Of The Same Coin Law and Religion: To Sides Of The Same Coin Introduction  Donald Davis’ The Spirit of Hindu Law challenges readers to push back on the parochial notions of ‘law’ being a set of rules enforced by the state and … Continue reading Law and Religion: Two Sides of the Same Coin

American Slavery: History or Memory? My Jewish Perspective

American Slavery: History or Memory? My Jewish Perspective Originally featured in The Times of Israel JUL 2, 2019, 8:09 AM Photo by Shauli Bar-On As a proud Jew, I am committed to the principle of the presumption of innocence and defending the disenfranchised, the condemned and even the guilty. I find this consistent with Judaism’s … Continue reading American Slavery: History or Memory? My Jewish Perspective

Lady Justice And Her Scales: An Appropriated Icon

Justice. It’s a term that is difficult to represent visually. In fact, few will claim they can envision what “perfect justice” would look like. But humankind’s idealism can be made apparent through works of art. Enter Lady Justice, a depiction of justice so iconic, it is recognized around the globe in numerous settings, all striving … Continue reading Lady Justice And Her Scales: An Appropriated Icon

The Bar-On Brief: Standardized testing is an effective tool — when it is actually standardized

The Bar-On Brief: Standardized testing is an effective tool — when it is actually standardized By SHAULI BAR-ON March 26, 2019 in Columns, Opinion Shutianyi Li/Daily Trojan This month, USC was rocked by scandal once again. Once dubbed the “University of Spoiled Children,” the school is now being ridiculed as the “University of Scandal and Corruption.” So-called experts across … Continue reading The Bar-On Brief: Standardized testing is an effective tool — when it is actually standardized

The Bar-On Brief: Free speech rights must extend to all groups, not just agreeable ones

The Bar-On Brief: Free speech rights must extend to all groups, not just agreeable ones By SHAULI BAR-ON November 20, 2018 in Columns, Opinion   This past weekend, USC’s crosstown rival UCLA hosted a national conference for the Students for Justice in Palestine. Established in 2010, the organization advocates for the rights of Palestinians living in Israel, with over … Continue reading The Bar-On Brief: Free speech rights must extend to all groups, not just agreeable ones

The Bar-On Brief: Diversity of opinion must be considered in faculty hiring

Link -- The Bar-On Brief: Diversity of opinion must be considered in faculty hiring By SHAULI BAR-ON September 11, 2018 in Columns, Opinion   “Diversity” is a word that gets thrown around daily without anyone stopping to think about what it really means. Employers want diverse workplaces, colleges want diverse applicants, and now the University of California school system … Continue reading The Bar-On Brief: Diversity of opinion must be considered in faculty hiring

Zuckerberg: Holocaust Deniers Deserve A Platform — He Isn’t Wrong

By Shauli Bar-On Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced intense scrutiny after discussing his company’s policy regarding removing fake news from the platform. Zuckerberg was interviewed about what Facebook was doing to combat fake news, and he came under fire after saying that his company would not remove content claiming the Holocaust never took place. His … Continue reading Zuckerberg: Holocaust Deniers Deserve A Platform — He Isn’t Wrong

#MeToo Movement Sets Dangerous Precedent Over Judge Recall

By Shauli Bar-On Last updated May 22, 2018   Judge Aaron Persky campaigning against his recall in Los Altos Hills, Calif. on May 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Link: https://factswanted.com/2018/05/22/metoo-movement-sets-dangerous-precedent-over-judge-recall/ #MeToo. These two simple words represent today’s era of women’s empowerment and holding powerful men accountable for sexual harassment. These two words do something that has never been done before … Continue reading #MeToo Movement Sets Dangerous Precedent Over Judge Recall

Comparing Jewish Legal Philosophies with Modern American Law (Sinai Scholars Academic Symposium National Finalists Paper)

This paper was written for the Sinai Scholars Symposium, where I -- along with nine other national finalists -- was invited to present to a panel of academics at the annual Sinai Scholars Symposium on April 15, 2018. The paper was also published in the annual Sinai Scholars Academic Journal. To read the paper, click … Continue reading Comparing Jewish Legal Philosophies with Modern American Law (Sinai Scholars Academic Symposium National Finalists Paper)

COUNTERPOINT: Ideological inclusivity is essential to a complete college education

Link: Counterpoint: Ideologicial inclusivity is essential to a complete college education By SHAULI BAR-ON February 27, 2018 in Opinion, Point/Counterpoint Art by Di Wu The word “education” appears in the Constitution exactly zero times. The 10th Amendment specifically states that everything not under the federal government’s jurisdiction in the Constitution is reserved exclusively for the states or the people to … Continue reading COUNTERPOINT: Ideological inclusivity is essential to a complete college education

COUNTERPOINT: Colleges have the obligation to protect speakers’ free speech

Link: Colleges have the obligation to protect speakers’ free speech By SHAULI BAR-ON Art by Lisa Kim February 14, 2018 in Opinion, Point/Counterpoint Self-identified white nationalist Richard Spencer was invited to speak at the University of Cincinnati on March 14. No, the school did not deny the controversial speaker the right to speak. They did not refuse to give him … Continue reading COUNTERPOINT: Colleges have the obligation to protect speakers’ free speech

OPINION: Dining halls must adapt to Jewish dietary needs

OPINION: Dining halls must adapt to Jewish dietary needs  By SHAULI BAR-ON January 9, 2018 in Opinion   Los Angeles is a metropolitan hub for Jews. After the New York City area, Los Angeles has the most Jews in the United States. And yet, in a city with over 600,000 Jewish people, USC does not adequately offer dining … Continue reading OPINION: Dining halls must adapt to Jewish dietary needs

The Bar-On Brief: America did not fail you

As you might have been able to tell from the radio silence, I’ve taken this summer as a break from column writing. But there’s just something about the Fourth of July that I couldn’t help but reignite the Bar-On Brief. The United States is a world superpower. There is no other country that has the … Continue reading The Bar-On Brief: America did not fail you