Character Counts! is the name of the character education program established by The Josephson Institute of Ethics utilized by schools and communities nationwide. While character in professional athletes can appear to be lacking, more organizations are waking up to the reality that reputation matters, and if a player has behavior issues it reflects directly on the organization for which they...

Although the arrest of six Baltimore police officers accused in the death of Freddie Gray demonstrates that the course to justice has, indeed, begun, there is another more difficult ethical path that the family and citizens will need to consider – forgiveness. I was recently contacted by Melissa (Mel) Coulson. “Throughout my life I’ve experienced mental health problems, and over...

What could be better? You’re at the ballpark of your team. A beeee-u-tiful Spring day. You’re on your 4th dog with beverage of your choice. “Take me out to the ballgame,” National Anthem, then PLAY BALL! Ever wonder what it might be like to have the stadium all to yourself? No one getting up every five minutes for another beer....

Last Friday (Apr. 24), I wrote about ESPN reporter Britt McHenry’s verbal abuse against a clerk at a towing company. While the Disney/Hearst cable network took immediate action, the penalty amounted to a one-week suspension. I also pointed out that McHenry’s own apology, via Twitter, was far from appropriate or complete. I then offered a long list of actions McHenry...

Amid the chaos and violence of the Baltimore riots on Monday, one individual – a mother – took accountability into her own hands. In a video, captured by ABC Baltimore affiliate WMAR (Apr. 28), a suspected rioter got the surprise and woopin’ of his life when his mother showed up to personally take charge of her son’s wrongdoing. According to...

What’s to become of Brian Williams, the stalwart and – up until his abrupt six month suspension in February – trusted news anchor for NBC? The good news is that NBC News is taking the time to conduct a thorough internal investigation into the fabrications Williams has told the media, particularly about war-related incidents he was supposedly involved in. According...

Nothing is uglier than someone who feels she’s special and others aren’t. Following a one week suspension for verbally abusing a towing company employee, ESPN Sports reporter Brittany “Britt” McHenry has returned to work. In a video that’s been widely circulated, the 28-year-old can be heard heartlessly disparaging a female clerk, clearly pointing out the “class” distinction between the two,...

No sooner had FBI Director James Comey delivered comments that revealed a deeper and more vital regard for what he called “the responsible exercise of power,” than critics from Poland demanded an apology for a reference he made in a speech about the Holocaust. As reported in The New York Times (Apr. 20), “Polish political leaders have been taking turns...

Speaking at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s annual National Tribute Dinner held each year on April 15th, FBI Director James Comey took time to make clear why he requires agents to visit the Holocaust Museum. Director Comey is a special breed of law enforcement official who not only sees and understands the big picture, but encourages his agents to...

I’m always amazed at events honoring the day a renowned individual died versus celebrating what he or she stood for while they were alive. Certainly, such is the case with Abraham Lincoln who died at the hands of an assassin 150 years ago this month. There is, however, little doubt that Lincoln, although frequently referenced as our greatest president, was...