May 8, 2015 | Climate Change and Other Environmental Issues, General Advice, mic
Published: Daily Dot (May 8, 2015) Right now, more than a billion people live without access to fresh water. When the number is expanded to include those who spend at least one month out of the year without fresh water, it comprises more than one-third of the world population. Even though water covers 71 percent of our planet’s surface, very little of it can be used by humans. “More than 97...
May 7, 2015 | Autobiographical, Gender and Sexism, General Advice, mic
Published: Good Men Project (May 7, 2015) Matthew Rozsa explores an unusual aspect of the question: Why aren’t men supposed to cry? A funny thing happened on the way to my thirties: I’ve started crying again. This would normally be the part of the editorial in which I’d denounce our culture’s inability to differentiate between masculinity and mindless machismo, followed by a discussion of how...
May 4, 2015 | Asperger's Syndrome, Autobiographical, General Advice, Love and Dating, mic
Published: Mic (May 4, 2015) "Love is the only game that is not called on account of darkness." This quote, a favorite on the Internet, may be referring to the dating habits of the general population. But as someone who's grown up with Asperger's Syndrome, I find the quip uniquely fitting for the autistic community. Dating on the spectrum involves more darkness than usual. But despite the...
Apr 30, 2015 | Class Issues, Criminal Justice/Prison-Industrial Complex, General Advice, mic, Race and Racism
Published: Daily Dot (April 30, 2015) Language matters, and in light of how frequently the word “thug” is used as a substitute for outright racial slurs, it’s time for everyone to eliminate it from their vocabulary when discussing the Baltimore protests. It may not seem like a big deal that Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake sent out a tweet referring to the predominantly African American...
Apr 30, 2015 | General Advice, History, mic, Science and Technology
Published: Good Men Project (April 30, 2015) Matthew Rozsa shares a brief story from Roman history to teach a life lesson. ___ Whenever I discover an anecdote from ancient history that offers a clear lesson for the present, my inner history nerd rejoices at the opportunity to share my latest find with anyone who might offer me their attention. Much as you, dear reader, are doing right now. Which...
Apr 28, 2015 | Criminal Justice/Prison-Industrial Complex, General Advice, Race and Racism
Published: Good Men Project (April 28, 2015) Matthew Rozsa argues that it’s time for Americans to pay their debt to non-whites suffering from racial discrimination. If Americans truly wish to eradicate the scourge of racial oppression from our nation, we must start by paying our debts. Last week, The New Yorker obtained footage from two surveillance cameras that depicted the horror of Kalief...
Apr 18, 2015 | Arts and Entertainment, Gender and Sexism, General Advice, mic
Published: Good Men Project (April 18, 2015) It’s admirable that Joss Whedon doesn’t want to criticize other artists, but he wasn’t wrong in his observation about “Jurassic World.” ___ During an interview with Variety at the premiere for The Avengers: Age of Ultron, director Joss Whedon was asked about his recent criticism of an allegedly sexist clip from Jurassic World. His response was...
Apr 11, 2015 | Autobiographical, General Advice, mic
Published: Good Men Project (April 11, 2015) Millennials need to stop being flaky. There is no excuse for this generational habit. Listen, I’m not one of those writers who constantly trashes the younger generation. I even wrote an article defending millennials for being opinionated – and to the anonymous journalist whose diatribe inspired that piece, let it be known that I stand by every word I...
Apr 2, 2015 | General Advice, Internet Culture, mic, Millennials
Published: Good Men Project (April 2, 2015), Daily Dot (April 6, 2015) Is it entitled for millennials to believe their opinions matter? Matthew Rozsa argues: No. ___ Writers tend to be argumentative creatures (it’s part of our opinionated personality type), and consequently some of my most memorable debates have been with other practitioners of my craft. Such was the case a couple months ago...
Mar 31, 2015 | Civil Liberties, Foreign Policy, General Advice
Published: Daily Dot (March 31, 2015) If there was any doubt that Jeb Bush would repeat his brother’s mistakes on the use of torture if elected president, it has been decisively dispelled. Last December, the Senate published a report that harshly criticized the use of torture by George W. Bush’s administration. Although it noted that the president himself wasn’t informed of the details of these...