by Marguerite Elisofon | Nov 20, 2015 | autism, CDC, disabilities, George Orwell, homeless, ISIS, jihad, millennials, Muslims, Obama, Paris, Paul Ryan, refugees, suicide bombers, Syrian refugees, terrorism, xenophobia
After the mass murder of 129 innocent people in Paris by ISIS terrorists, are you surprised that many countries—including the US—are reluctant to allow Syrian refugees entrance? Paul Ryan and other conservative politicians are rightly worried about the wolf in...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Oct 23, 2015 | adolescents, Boardwalk Empire, crime, Democrats, gangsters, Governor Cuomo, Koch brothers, legalizing pot, marijuana, minorities, New York, Obama, politicians, prisons, Republicans, social programs, taxes, youth
Is there any way on earth to end government gridlock? Will it ever be possible for the “No!” party (See “The ‘No!’ Party,” 10/16/15) to plod forward and grapple with the yes-word instead? Call me crazy, but I wanted to offer a couple of positive suggestions...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Aug 27, 2015 | adrenaline, American heroes, Ayoub El Kahzani, France, Hollande, Inspector Clouseau, ISIS, Legion of Honor, Napoleon, Obama, Pink Panther, Sadler, Skarlatos, social media, Spain, Stone, Syria, terrorism, train gunman
After last week’s post (“Religion, Rape and Slavery,” 8/21/15), what could be more uplifting than the story of three young Americans, whose heroic efforts to subdue an armed terrorist saved the lives of over 500 people aboard a crowded bullet train between...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Jul 31, 2015 | baby boomers, crime rates, criminal justice reform, drug counselors policies, John Boehner, millennials, Obama, prisons, psychologists, sentencing laws, slavery, youthful offenders
Did you know that America has by far the highest incarceration rate of any Western nation, with 750 humans in jail per 100,000 people? If that statistic isn’t horrifying enough, consider the fact that over 50% of inmates are in federal prison for drug crimes...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Jan 9, 2015 | Brooklyn, Crown Heights, deBlasio, Elliott Elisofon, empty nest, iconic restaurants, Marimekko, Obama, Peter Luger's, porterhouse steak, reservations, River Cafe, terriers
No, we didn’t drop in on DeBlasio or Obama this past weekend. More exciting—to us anyway—was our inaugural visit to our son’s new home in Brooklyn. Despite the relentless rain this past Saturday, Henry and I made our first pilgrimage to Crown Heights to visit...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Nov 7, 2014 | 1960s, American Dream, baby boomers, children, democacy, elections, freedom, industrialized nations, middle class, millennials, Obama, Republicans, statistics, U.S. rankings, unemployment, upward mobility, Wikipedia
Growing up in the ‘60s, I believed being born American was like winning the world lottery. Our country was the wealthiest, most powerful nation on earth! (Wasn’t it?) Other nations—particularly democratic ones—respected and envied our freedom, our prosperity,...
Marguerite Elisofon is a New York City writer and the author of My Picture Perfect Family, a memoir about how her family navigated life with a child on the autistic spectrum before the internet and support groups existed. She also blogs about parenting young adults and disability related issues in The Never Empty Nest. Her writing has been featured in a variety of publications, including Time and NY Metro Parents magazine, and her family’s story has been featured by the NY Post, Fox News, The Daily Mail, and on Jenny McCarthy’s Dirty Sexy Funny radio show. A Vassar graduate, Marguerite was born and raised in New York City, where she still lives with her husband, Howard, in their mostly-empty nest. She is available to speak about a wide variety of issues relating to twins, parenting, and autism. 