Just as outlawing alcohol did not work in the 1920s, current attempts to prohibit online gambling will not work, either.

Back in 1792, Dr. Benjamin Banneker, the famed African-American inventor and scientist in Washington, proposed a Department of Peace for the new Nation to his friends George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. His prophetic suggestion was not implemented; but now, more than 200 years later, the need for a Peace Department is too compelling to ignore.

There is no better illustration of that crisis than the fact that the president is openly violating our nation's laws by authorizing the NSA to engage in warrantless surveillance of U.S. citizens.

If we want to build the Iraqis' confidence about our intentions in their country, if we want to stop adding fuel to the fire of insurgency and terrorism, we must clarify our intent.

It is distressing to me that we live in an age in which we still must fight to protect our civil rights as Americans, in which a hate crime perpetrated against someone based their sexual orientation can go unpunished, and in which discrimination is being written into our laws.

We must ensure that these acts of terror do not accomplish in a slow burn what the fires of the World Trade Center and Pentagon could not - subversively destroying the foundation of our democracy.

It's not enough for women to speak out on the issue - for the message to be strong and consistent, women's voices must be backed up by men's.