Colman McCarthy directs the Center for Teaching Peace, a Washington non-profit. He is the author of I'd Rather Teach Peace and has written for NCR since 1965.
Show full bio ↓
Column
Joan Baez, singer and peacemaker, finally honored by Kennedy Center
"I'm hard put to think of any musician whose professional life onstage is as uplifting as her commitments to justice and peace are strong in her personal life offstage," I wrote, ending by recommending that Joan Baez is "perfect for a Kennedy Center award."
Column
The families against the death penalty, no matter their personal pain
It's Happening: With the outgoing administration supporting a surge in federal executions, our attention and gratitude goes to the stories of families who have lost loved ones to homicide but publicly lobby against governmental vengeance.
Column
How Biden deals with stuttering reveals his character
It's Happening: "It's not a heavy load, but it's always with me, like a touchstone, as a reminder that everyone carries his or her own burdens," Biden has said. I, too, carry the speaking impediment.
Column
Why I don't vote
It's Happening: I've never voted in any election, going back to when Kennedy and Nixon were offering their services to the country. Why? Because I'm a pacifist — and on my better days, a pacifist-anarchist.
