Jim Calio

Journalist, Producer

Here I was, alone with the brother of Lee Harvey Oswald, the presumed assassin of President John F. Kennedy, and he was holding two guns.

Jeanne Bishop

Public defender and human rights activist

They're angry that violence exists and that in this culture, it's acceptable to some degree. They understand that where you live can determine whether you have a better future than someone else."

Tony Newman

Director of Media Relations, Drug Policy Alliance

Annan and Cardoso have delivered a devastating critique on the failed war on drugs and are calling on governments to adopt more humane and effective ways of controlling and regulating drugs.

Angie Epifano

Rape Survivor and Activist

What if, one day, my rapist walks into a room with me? What would I do? How would I react?

David Protess

President, Chicago Innocence Project

"Who Committed Murder?" the editorial's headline blared. Its focus was on a double homicide of a young couple that led to the conviction and near-execution of Anthony Porter in 1998. Porter was freed after another man, Alstory Simon, confessed to the slayings on videotape.

Rev. Romal J. Tune

Founder & Executive Director, Faithforchange.org

When I look at what's happening in Detroit and in many other cities, I find myself asking, "Is there anything people of faith can do to meet the needs of hurting children?"

Andrew Becker

Reporter, Center for Investigative Reporting

Tammy Leigh Stephens, 52, of Phoenix, admitted in U.S. District Court in Tucson to aiding and abetting an illegal entry.

Phillip Martin

Sr. Investigative Reporter WGBH Radio Boston; Sr. Fellow Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism, Executive Editor Lifted Veils Productions

Minutes after news went out that Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had been flushed out of the boat where he was hiding, Watertown exhaled.
"Go Watertown!" crowds shouted.

Daniel Gross

President, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence

When James Carville said ,"It's the economy, stupid," it wasn't meant to insult anyone. It was to emphasize a point that should be obvious, but had instead been obscured by over-complication. We need to apply that same sense of pragmatism to the national conversation about guns.

Morris W. O'Kelly

Host of "The Mo'Kelly Show" on KFI AM640/XM Satellite Radio and "Mo'Kelly in the Morning" on KTLK AM1150

Gang signs, gold chains and blackface are way more "funny" when there's no likelihood of real black people walking through the door. That's the whole point.

Courtney O'Donnell

Transgender actress, advocate, and writer; star, 'Lexie Cannes'

I did this for the first time last year. The 20-odd transgender deaths that passed my desk during 2012 were compiled into a post presenting the victims' names and how they died in order to convey the importance of observing the Transgender Day of Remembrance. I'm doing it again for 2013.

David A. Love

Executive Director, Witness to Innocence

The miscarriages of justice plaguing Randy's case provide us with clear reasons as to why the death penalty is a problem. In essence, Randy Steidl was framed by the police and the prosecutors.

Rep. Adam Schiff

Congressman from California

Thanks to a unique and unprecedented law passed by Congress called the "Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act," sellers and manufacturers of the most dangerous consumer products, firearms, enjoy almost total protection from liability when they act irresponsibly.

SpearIt

Associate Professor, Texas Southern University - Thurgood Marshall School of Law

With election day around the corner, millions of Americans will be out voting. Many, however, will be denied this opportunity due to their criminal record. Increasingly, this is the case for Muslim-Americans.

Tim Robbins and Ted Lieu

Any successful system of rehabilitation requires multiple components, ranging from mental health and drug treatment to education and skills training. One aspect that may not be initially obvious, however, is the power of art and theater.

Jill Herzig

Editor in Chief, Redbook

It's not enough to care for your own children. We need to care about everyone's kids. We need to work harder at the project of treating each other with decency and respect, and raising the next generation to do the same.

Mark I. Pinsky

Author, journalist

Book tours are rarely the stuff of high drama, but when one stop includes the scene of an infamous crime you claim to have solved, the tension and the room temperature tend to rise.