Working families can’t compete with billionaires. Let’s stop the flood of dark money into our political system and do it now.   – Harry Reid, Senate Democratic Leader Dark money is the term used to describe funds given to non-profit organizations that are permitted, by law, to receive unlimited donations from individuals, unions, and corporations. These non-profits, typically 501(c)(4) and (c)(6)s,...

The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office. – Dwight D. Eisenhower “In 2013, the director of the Idaho Racing Commission told state lawmakers that controversial ‘instant racing’ machines could help save the state’s...

With an avalanche of serious stories occupying most of the news cycle, I’ve decided to go light. And what better way to celebrate turkey day than to reconnect with The Ethics Stupid Turkey Awards – honoring the strange, outlandish and just plain, well… you decide. * (Still honorable mention) – ‘Rudy’ (the tweeting) parrot: Still alive and kickin’! …and feistier...

Since the attacks in Paris more than a week ago, so much of the political talk has centered on radical Muslims. (Although some leave the word “radical” out of the discussion). Before a packed crowd on Saturday (Nov. 21) in Birmingham, Alabama, GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said, “I want surveillance of certain mosques, O.K.?” Earlier in the week, in...

Since the attacks in Paris last Friday, like many, I have been struggling to understand why some people are so consumed by hate that it leads them to commit monstrous acts. I remembered a book I’ve had since college, Man’s Search for Meaning, by psychiatrist Viktor Frankl. In the book’s preface, psychologist Gordon Allport writes, “As a longtime prisoner in...

That’s the Japanese word for survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The word translates as “explosion-affected people.” Rarely have I listened to such a compelling personal story. It’s the story of Setsuko Thurlow, a hibakusha, who, at just 13-years-old became a victim of war. Today, she is a Peace Ambassador of the United Nations University of Peace...

“A hero has two basic qualities: a selfless devotion to what’s right, whether that’s his duty or not, and the courage of his convictions.”  – Dale Dye, Marine Captain (Ret.) In 2012, while fighting in Afghanistan, Army Captain Florent Groberg demonstrated the kind of selfless devotion to duty Dye speaks of when he knowingly rushed a suicide bomber who was...

On his recent visit to the United States, Pope Francis talked about several Americans who had an impact on Catholics in general and the Church, in particular. One of them was journalist Dorothy Day, a name not readily familiar to most. Former Washington Post columnist and current Peace Studies teacher, Colman McCarthy, offered a fuller background on Day and the...

The choice of stories selected by broadcast news directors sometimes amazes me — example: the Starbucks Red Cup “Controversy.” What began as a YouTube rant about Starbucks alleged lack of acknowledgement of Christmas turned out to be a red herring that was a complete waste of news time. After years of offering cheery Christmas designs on their cups, coffee monster...

“One of the worst and most boring political pundits on television is @krauthammer. A totally overrated clown who speaks without knowing the facts.” – Donald Trump, tweet, June 4, 2015 Okay, boys and girls, it’s time for America’s number one ignored show, Checking the Candidates’ Facts!; the show where you don’t have to participate, and are completely free to disregard...