A forward to today’s commentary– The death of Pope Francis is a reminder of the kind of ethical leadership the world too often lacks and desperately needs. Compassion without justice is sentiment. Mercy without accountability is empty. Francis didn’t just talk about the poor he challenged the economic systems that left them behind. He called environmental care a moral responsibility....

Embed from Getty Images Ethics begins where self-interest ends. We’re facing a moment that goes far beyond politics. This is not about party affiliation or ideological differences. It’s about the preservation of the rule of law, the integrity of public institutions, and the ethical core of our democracy. A president who believes he is above accountability is dangerous.  » Read more...

Today’s Supreme Court is mired in partisanship and shadow rulings, where politics too often outweigh principle. Public trust continues to deteriorate for an institution meant to stand as a pillar of independence and impartial justice. In contrast, former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart understood the difference between what the law allows and what ethics demands. His quiet integrity reminds us...

Good Night, and Good Luck, starring George Clooney on Broadway is a wake-up call about the ethical courage we desperately need today—a timely parable based on a pivotal moment in American history when journalism was not only a public service, but a moral stand. The play recalls the courage of broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow as he confronted Senator Joseph...

A timely Opinion piece in The New York Times by David French sheds greater light on why so many Evangelical Christians fervently believe in Donald Trump. In 1998, during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, Evangelical leaders issued a public statement declaring that “character counts” and that “the President’s personal morality is not private.” The message was clear: integrity matters—especially for those who...

Whether President Donald Trump is smart is debatable, but when it comes to tapping into fear and division he’s a genius. Trump recently issued an executive order instructing federal agencies to scrub certain words or phrases (there are 213…for now), from all government documents and communications. It’s part of a broader campaign to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts—programs the...

While Americans struggle to make ends meet, while school boards face threats for doing their jobs, while democracy itself stands on a knife’s edge, Donald Trump retreats to his private clubs. It’s not that he plays golf—it’s what he walks away from. It’s the fire he leaves raging behind him, the chaos he continues to stoke, and the willful neglect...

“That was a shocker,” said Douglas Kent. “What I saw… was that if you were deep-rooted, you survived. Native or not, it didn’t make a difference.” Kent was talking about trees. But he could have been talking about people—about our institutions, our communities, even our democracy. When fire tears through a landscape, it doesn’t care where the trees came from....

In 1950, Senator Margaret Chase Smith of Maine stood alone on the Senate floor and delivered what would become one of the most courageous speeches in American political history. At a time when fear and smear were the tools of the day, she called out the reckless accusations and bullying tactics of Senator Joseph McCarthy. The Senate, she said, had...

In a time when too many are willing to trade truth for tribalism and principle for power, it’s easy to lose sight of what we stand for—not politically, but personally. Long before politics, before the noise and division, there is character. And character is built on conscience. What follows is not a list of rules, but a set of beliefs...