Rich Barlow
Cognoscenti contributor
Rich Barlow writes for BU Today, Boston University's news website.
Recently published
Summer is the perfect time to adopt a cat
Animal shelters, scrambling for temporary foster homes to avoid overcrowding and the resulting health issues, face myths and misapprehensions about cats that scare off potential fosters, writes Rich Barlow. Allow...
I dreaded jury duty. Then I became a juror
Sparing two days to fulfill an essential role felt a small price to pay as a bulwark of small-d democracy, writes Rich Barlow.
Cost-sharing ministries are not the answer to what ails our health care system
Faith-based cost-sharing medical plans face the same relentless economics as traditional insurance – but without the same regulatory requirements, writes Rich Barlow. God is merciful; economic and bureaucratic forces are...
Dartmouth's connection to the Trump brand of right-wing populism
During the winter of 1986, Dartmouth student activists squatted on the campus quad to protest apartheid in South Africa. Then, one night, student journalists from the conservative Dartmouth Review "beautified"...
A woman now leads a department in the Vatican. It's a big step, but not enough
Pope Francis has said he wants to give women greater leadership roles in the Roman Catholic Church. If he really wants to make good on that vow, writes Rich Barlow,...
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The sacred spirit of Christmas — at my local drug store
Dr. Seuss’s Grinch found redemption in a simple insight: Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. But, writes Rich Barlow, each year my local pharmacist provides a Christmas meal —...
The power — and comfort — of rituals
Rituals give us a sense of security in our impermanent, ever-changing and often fretful lives, writes Rich Barlow. No one knows this better than parents.
Steven Wise fought tirelessly for animal personhood. We humans are better for it
As an attorney, Steven Wise fought for personhood rights for his clients, who were captive chimps, elephants and whales. You may scoff at some of his arguments, writes Rich Barlow,...
Higher ed got it wrong — the SAT still matters
A recently released Dartmouth report calls for reinstating standardized test scores as an admissions criterion. Knee-jerk critics of the SAT and ACT may not read it, writes Rich Barlow. They...
The GOP candidates' approach to immigration is bad for everybody. Including Republicans
Republican rants against immigration come in a historical context of American xenophobia, writes Rich Barlow. That ugliness, not economics or national defense, is what animates MAGA Republicans.