Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Shackled at Birth: Massachusetts’ Mistreatment of Pregnant Prisoners
A month after Governor Patrick signed a 90-day ban prohibiting the practice of shackling pregnant inmates in jails and prisons, the Massachusetts House and Senate have moved forward in passing S.2012, the Anti-Shackling bill. It still awaited the governor’s approval and signature as of press time. Corrections officials are already banned from shackling pregnant inmates…
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Poetry
CLOUDS Some are white, some gray, others help the sky turn blue. Restless, yet never static, the sky’s most active occupants are a treasured source of beauty Some days are bright and lively, others mope and droop cheerlessly. Nature responds to the moods of clouds. When “Sol”, our source of light and warmth shines, they…
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Love Letter to a Soldier, Part Three
We are connected by fiber-optic cables, technological threads that crisscross the world. Over 4,200 kilometers of fiber optics exist in Afghanistan, and you are there, a mere 11,297 kilometers away from me. Messages of hope, frustration and the mundanities of everyday life—both in Arlington, Virginia and there in Kabul, Afghanistan—are transmitted over thousands and thousands…
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Fat Tuesday Brings Jazz to Old South Church
Just as the clock strikes six on Thursday evening, people gather in the cathedral-like Gordon Chapel at Old South Church in Copley Square—with its soaring arches, stone walls and stained glass—for prayers and music. The worship service included prayers and a sermon led by Reverend Anthony Livolsi, the church’s associate minister, along with gospel songs…
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From Tacoma to Texas, Hunger Strikers Challenge Private Immigration Detention Centers
CONROE, Texas—Adelina Cáceres doesn’t understand why her husband, David Vásquez, who is a documented resident, remains detained at the privately run Joe Corley Detention Facility in Conroe, Texas, as a result of a prior charge he already served time for years ago. “Why do they call him a criminal?” Cáceres asked as she sobbed during…
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Cambridge Considers Adding More Public Porcelain
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—We have all been there: You are out on a Sunday afternoon, minding your own business, when suddenly … nature calls. Hopefully you are near a public restroom when it happens, or a business that allows the public to use its facilities. However, most shops ask you to buy something before using the bathroom,…
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MBTA Launches Late-Night Service
BOSTON, Mass.—The MBTA’s Late Night Pilot Program launched on Friday, March 28, extending service on the subway and 15 key bus routes by 90 minutes early Saturday and Sunday mornings. According to the MBTA, they will run subway service every 15 to 20 minutes, with the last trains leaving downtown stations around 2:30 a.m. Trains…
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A Sheltered Life No. 14
Got any book recommendations?