Civil Rights Debate

Jeff Jacoby has been an op-ed columnist for the Boston Globe since February 1994.  Seeking a conservative voice to balance its famously liberal roster of commentators, the Globe hired him away from the Boston Herald, where he had been chief editorial writer since 1987.  Within months of his debut at the Globe, The Boston Phoenix dubbed his twice weekly assays "a must read," describing Jacoby as "the region's pre-eminent spokesman for Conservative Nation."  In 1999, he became the first recipient of the Breindel Prize, a major award for opinion journalism.  In addition to his print work, Mr. Jacoby has been a political commentator for WBUR, Boston's National Public Radio Affiliate.

A lawyer, social critic and civil libertarian, Wendy Kaminer says she likes to think words have power but knows they don’t cast spells. She is a contributing editor for The Atlantic, a senior correspondent for The American Prospect, and a frequent commentator on National Public Radio.  Her articles have also appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Nation and Newsweek. Her books include “Free For All: Defending Liberty In America Today,” “Sleeping with Extra-Terrestrials: The Rise of Irrationalism and Perils of Piety,” and “Women Volunteering: The Pleasure, Pain & Politics of Unpaid Work.”