American History

The Night I Saw Ferguson Burning From 8,000 Miles Away

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In August 2014, I was living in Cebu City, Philippines, more than 8,000 miles from the Missouri town where I grew up. Then one night I turned on the national news—and there was Ferguson. My hometown had suddenly become world news, and the Ferguson on television looked nothing like the one I carried in my memory.

When Did Americans Become Afraid to Say What They Think?

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Americans have always disagreed. What may have changed is the perceived price of disagreement. When a comment can be recorded, shared, labeled, and judged by thousands of strangers, keeping your mouth shut can start looking like the safest option.