RIP Gil Scott-Heron & Geronimo Pratt.

The picks of the week from around the web.

  • “How America Screws Its Soldiers,” writing on Memorial Day, Andrew J. Bacevich explains how perpetual war comes at a huge cost to the country and especially its soldiers. Nothing new here, but the argument is well-made and passionate (thanks, Noah!).
  • On the topic of Memorial Day, David J. Blight’s history lesson in the New York Times, unearthing a spectacular commemoration made by Union soldiers and freedmen in Charleston, SC, in 1865, is a fascinating read.
  • “Sex Trafficking: The Girls Next Door,” writing for Vanity Fair, Amy Fine Collins examines a particular series of sex trafficking cases in Hartford, CN. A harrowing piece.