Nathaniel Frank, 9/20/11

Author, 'Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America'

"Don't ask, don't tell" -- the policy and even the mere phrase -- says much about who we are as Americans. What we do in its wake will help shape what it means to be an American in the twenty-first century -- well beyond the rise and fall of this bizarre and convoluted law.

Alec Baldwin, 9/19/11

Actor

I want to take this opportunity to clarify why I did not attend last night's Emmy broadcast.

Arianna Huffington, 9/18/11

While Obama's ideas about the changes the system needs in his second term are welcome and necessary, there is another kind of change he needs to talk about if he is to be believed. He needs to make clear the changes he intends to make in himself.

Marian Wright Edelman, 9/23/11

President, Children's Defense Fund

What is our values compass as we seek solutions to rampant joblessness and poverty among millions of Americans, including 16.4 million poor children?

Robert Redford, 9/24/11

Actor; Director; Environmental Activist

The Keystone XL, as proposed, would run from Canada across the width of our country to Texas oil refineries and ports. It would carry diluted bitumen, a kind of crude oil, produced from the Alberta tar sands. I say this is a bad idea.

Maria Shriver, 9/23/11

Emmy-winning journalist; Best-selling author; Activist

Get out and play tomorrow. Volunteer, coach someone, referee, cheer or do anything else that includes people with intellectual disabilities. My mother believed that, by doing so, our nation would be a better place and indeed the entire world would be a better place for everyone.

Mark Cuban, 9/21/11

Owner, Dallas Mavericks; Chairman, HDNet

Our Congress has progressively lost the moral hazard of doing what is right for the country rather than doing what is right for the party and politician.

Melinda Gates, 9/23/11

Co-chair, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Almost everyone has a warm memory of an instructor who inspired us, challenged us and believed in our potential. I still think about my favorite teacher, Mrs. Bauer, who changed my life.

Dr. Michael J. Breus, 9/23/11

Clinical psychologist; Board certified sleep specialist

The results of a recent study indicate that every additional hour of sleep young children receive can reduce their risk of being overweight.

Elizabeth Abbott, 9/19/11

Writer; Historian

In the 21st century, egalitarianism reigns -- or does it? Why, if a husband can have a mistress, can his wife not have a mister? Not just a "piece on the side," certainly not a gigolo, but a man with whom she shares a long-term, extramarital romantic and sexual relationship?

Kevin Smith, 9/22/11

That fat guy who got thrown off the plane

My most cherished responsibility as a bona fide indie filmmaker is to let everyone know the shot is always worth taking. It costs nothing to encourage an artist, and the potential return is immeasurable.

Sarah Brown, 9/19/11

Founder, PiggyBankKids

I urge you -- women from around the world -- to join with us to do what you can to involve others in the efforts in your communities. We, all of us, can find our way to each play our part.

Robert Kuttner, 9/18/11

Co-founder and co-editor, The American Prospect

Deficit reduction as a cure for a prolonged jobs recession not only mixes the message, it does nothing to put unemployed people back to work and it deprives government of the resources it needs to help the needy and get the economy back on track.

Bianca Jagger, 9/20/11

Founder and Chair, Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation

Troy Davis' execution would only serve to complete the cycle of violence. By reconsidering their decision, the Board of Pardons and Paroles would demonstrate Georgia's commitment to upholding the law, and the principles of fairness and justice.

Mark Penn, 9/18/11

CEO, Burson-Marsteller

Obama should be working as a president, not a candidate. He should be claiming the vital center, not abandoning it. And most of all, he should be bringing the country together rather than dividing it through class warfare.

Christy Turlington Burns, 9/20/11

Model; Writer; Entrepreneur; Spokesperson; Advocate; Filmmaker

The UN GA provides a great opportunity to reflect on global leaders' commitments to a number of development challenges. But it also means that many organizations compete for the attention of heads of state and other notables.

David Crosby, 9/21/11

Singer-songwriter; Social justice activist

Let's go through it again, shall we? We'll keep it simple, and not even wander into the economics of it. Human beings make mistakes. Therefore, having humans run devices that can kill literally millions of people is a mistake. A bad idea.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, 9/22/11

U.S. Representative for New York's 14th District

This President not only supports women and the issues that impact them on a daily basis, but puts policies in place to help women and their families thrive. Questioning his commitment is sadly misplaced.

Jeffrey Sachs, 9/21/11

Director, the Earth Institute, Columbia University; Author, 'The Price of Civilization'

Obama may be leaning against the right-wing juggernaut, but he is not changing its direction, only slightly blunting its force. He has already given in where it counts by agreeing with the Republicans in August to slash the core of the discretionary civilian budget.

Ann Pettifor, 9/23/11

New economist; Author, 'The Economic Consequences of Mr. Osborne'

As mayhem breaks out on stock markets; as Eurozone banks freeze up; and as the global financial system approaches a frightening 'danger zone,' the champions of the globalised 'free market' are in search of a scapegoat.

Dan Rather, 9/22/11

Host, 'Dan Rather Reports'

Why should we care about the plight of honeybees? Because the entire food chain is at risk. One in three bites of food we eat is directly dependent on insect pollination.

Dr. Peggy Drexler, 9/21/11

Author, 'Our Fathers Ourselves. Daughters, Fathers, And The Changing American Family'

Note to Michele Bachmann. Here's a suggestion from someone you will never invite to lunch. What if you used your presence to speak for women who so far have been invisible and irrelevant to the message planners? These are real issues out there. What have you got to lose?

Reza Aslan, 9/20/11

Founder, AslanMedia.com; Author, 'Beyond Fundamentalism'

As the Palestinian Authority heads to New York this week to confront the Israeli government at the United Nations with a declaration of statehood, back in Israel a group of Jewish and Arab kids are laying the foundations for a more hopeful future through the art of storytelling.

Dimitri Hamlin, 9/23/11

Ontological Anarchist

Nothing is the positive yet indeterminate impression on the horizon, just before becoming something definite. It is nothing and it is not-nothing. Together with the present, it is the future and it is the past.