Newsweek My Turn

My Turn: My Land for Peace With the Palestinians

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:11:00 GMT

Sometimes you can live next to people for years and not know exactly what they think. I gave an interview to a local paper in my town recently in which I said that in exchange for real peace with the Palestinians, Israel should give up the West Bank and dismantle its settlements. When the interview appeared, my neighbor stopped me on the street to complain. "How could you say such a thing?" he wanted to know. "This is a betrayal." It stands to reason that he would be surprised. After all, he and I are both residents of Maale Adumim in the West Bank—and Maale Adumim is a Jewish settlement.

My Turn: Kids, Health Care, and 'Rationing'

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:24:07 GMT

Your son just got a concussion playing soccer. You want a CT scan to make sure he's OK—or do you?

My Unromantic Health Care Proposal

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:04:53 GMT

My boyfriend's proposal was more about my need for health care than our shared romance.

My Turn: Dignity in Dying at Home

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 19:01:33 GMT

As a doctor at a cancer hospital, I'm often asked about death—not the spiritual side of it, but the practical. Specifically, people ask me if it is better to die in a hospital or at home. Until recently I had always voted for death at home, given its promise of relative serenity. I still think it's better. But a friend's recent experience with his elderly father reminded me that hospitals, despite their noise and hurry, still do a few things well in those difficult last moments.

My Turn: To Survive, Detroit Needs to 'Right-Size'

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 19:14:24 GMT

During the summer of 2007, I drove every street in Detroit—2,700 miles—for a series of newspaper articles looking at the condition of the city. It was an astonishing experience: every day for four and a half months, I saw people living ordinary American lives amid an extraordinary landscape of abandoned and burned-out homes, factories, schools, and stores in what was once the epicenter of American manufacturing. Even Detroit's many gracious neighborhoods have boarded-up homes, and some blocks are ghost towns in miniature, with house after house empty and crumbling. A number of areas have reverted to pasturelike lands, where trees, tall grasses, wildflowers, and weeds have replaced that which was man-made.

My Turn: Bikers & the City

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 17:47:17 GMT

On July 8, 2005, I overslept, as usual, grabbed a quick gulp of orange juice on the way out the door, and arrived at my office on the other side of London in 20 minutes. For hours that day, I was the only person in the office and one of the few Londoners to arrive at work on time, if at all. You see, the day before, the city's public--transportation infrastructure was crippled by a terrorist attack. But I commuted by scooter.

Luu Doan Huynh: Making Peace With McNamara

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:31:10 GMT

During the war I was a news analyst at Hanoi's American Affairs Department. From the beginning, we could tell that Robert McNamara was the mastermind. Each day, when we held a conference to discuss new developments, we always talked about McNamara first.

Getting Away With Murder

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:42:33 GMT

It's a sad irony: as the world celebrates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Russia is relapsing into some of its Soviet ways. Much of what we've been seeing with the intimidation of journalists in Iran is routine in Russia—in fact, for reporters, Russia is now more dangerous than it was even during the Cold War. Seventeen have been murdered since 2000; in only one case has the killer been punished. Only Iraq and Algeria have worse records.

My Turn: Ban Smoking in Public Housing

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:11:27 GMT

Ten years ago, I was the doctor for an 18-year-old with cystic fibrosis whose mother was a heavy smoker. The patient told me how she coughed, wheezed, and choked when she was at home. I became close with her; it seemed she was always in the hospital, and I couldn't help but think it was because she wanted to escape a toxic environment. Three years later, at 21, she died—more than 14 years before a person with cystic fibrosis could be expected to live at that time.

My Turn: Gitmo North? Put It in Hardin, Montana

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:58:32 GMT

In 2004, the state of Montana was faced with overcrowded prisons. With the endorsement of our then governor, Judy Martz, the Two Rivers Authority, the -economic--development arm of the town of Hardin, began building a prison. We had hoped Two Rivers Detention Center would create jobs, helping to stop the economic spiral that was crippling this town of 3,400. But after our current governor, Brian Schweitzer, was elected, he decided the prison wasn't needed, even though a month ago the state's own consultant disagreed. Three years after we broke ground, it's still empty.

My Turn: Coming Out to My Dad, Twice

Sat, 02 May 2009 17:13:03 GMT

Because of Dad's Alzheimer's, I had to come out of the closet twice. We got it right the second time.

My Turn: A Muslim-American on Obama's Outreach

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:51:55 GMT

Did Obama's trip to Turkey help Muslims here at home? It depends on how you view my headscarf.

Class of 2009: Will My College Degree Pay Off?

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:55:03 GMT

I went to school to be a journalist. But will I ever be one?

My Turn: Childless By Choice

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:35:26 GMT

Because of my ominous genetic history, I decided I would never have children. Got a problem with that?

Could I Measure Up to My Fiance's Deceased Wife?

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 18:00:10 GMT

My fiancé's first marriage ended in tragedy. Before we could be happy, he had to make peace with it. So did I.

Economy: How Libraries Are Becoming Career Centers

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:36:37 GMT

As a librarian, my world was always about books. But in this economy, I've evolved into a career counselor.

A New Dad's Postpartum Depression

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 16:19:21 GMT

I thought being a dad would come easily to me. But soon after my son's birth, I was looking for a way out.

My Daughter's Search for a Gay-Friendly College

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:59:23 GMT

High-school seniors are receiving the final college admissions decisions this week. It's an important choice for any kid, but for gay teens, finding a welcoming campus can be a life saver.

Gay, Muslim and coming out to Mom and Dad

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:12:29 GMT

I thought I'd never tell my Muslim parents that I'm gay. Then a terrifying encounter gave me no choice.

My Turn: Hollywood's Economic Casualties

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:54:19 GMT

In the entertainment industry, we're used to feast or famine. But this time, things are different.