Portside

Prayer vigils, a funeral, daily marches and rallies for the slain teenager Andy Lopez have overtaken the city of Santa Rosa and show no sign of abating. At least two of the marches were attended by over 1,000 people, and the steady patrols and surveillance by helicopters have added to the tension in the city. More events are scheduled as the community's cry for justice mounts.

When Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker proposed sharply curtailing union rights in 2011, he presented his legislation as a response to the particular fiscal conditions facing Wisconsin. Indeed, in each state where anti-union legislation was advanced, voters typically perceived it as the product of homegrown politicians and a response to the unique conditions of their state. In fact, however, broadly similar legislation was proposed simultaneously in multiple states.