Recent Character Commentaries

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The Apostate
“a person who forsakes his religion, cause, party, etc.” — e.g. Neil Cavuto Neil Cavuto is the Fox News anchor/commentator who talks about all things business. However, following President Trump’s press conference on Monday, Cavuto abruptly switched gears to address a continuing controversy in the president’s remarks. “A lot of good things have come out about the Hydroxy, things have...
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May 19, 2020
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Duty, Courage, Sacrifice
Those are the three words that come to mind when I think about military in the field. They’re also critical when they’re not in the field. The aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt carries 4,800 men and women, all sailors trained to perform specific jobs that ultimately ensure the safety of Americans at home and abroad. However, Captain Brett Crozier never expected...
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April 24, 2020
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How Do We Restore America’s Integrity?
We have survived crises before. However, the events we are now facing have brought about an unimaginable chain reaction. This is not the America many of us grew up with and loved. We’ve faced down bullies before, but these current threats come in a different form: deceit, corruption, unreason, and disease; not just disease from a deadly virus, but an...
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April 13, 2020
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One Soldier’s Story of Faith
During his thirty-five-year career in the Marine Corps, General Charles Krulak served two tours of duty in Vietnam and rose through several command and staff positions to become Commandant of the Marine Corps and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. At a Joint Services Conference on Professional Ethics in January 2000, General Krulak opened the meeting with the...
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April 10, 2020
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Moral Duty v. Military Duty
Updates at the end of this commentary. Military heroes are known for their immediate courage on the battlefield, but for some, ethical courage can be just as urgent. Just ask Captain Brett Crozier. As the commander of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, with a crew of 4,000 sailors, Capt. Crozier faced a challenge he never expected when he reported to...
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April 6, 2020
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Hero Story
Heroes come in all forms: fire, police, paramedics, even everyday citizens. During this worldwide pandemic afflicting millions, we need heroes more than ever. As the top expert on infectious disease, Dr. Anthony Fauci has been praised as the most trusted man in the country due to his straight talk about the spread of the coronavirus which has now infected more...
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April 1, 2020
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Through a Lens, Clearly
“If [the people are] given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.” – Abraham Lincoln Every day this health crisis grows more critical. Every day we hear conflicting information. Every day people are dying for lack of medical support, some of which is sitting in...
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March 25, 2020
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Remembering a Friend
Considering the skill and dedication of thousands of doctors, nurses and emergency workers battling a virus that continues to expand throughout the world, this story is yet another remarkable example such individuals perform every day. It’s a story worth reading. U.S. Army Major John N. Baldwin (Ret.) was one example of someone who has contributed to my life. As a...
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March 23, 2020
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Character
“Crisis doesn’t change people; it reveals them.” – Eric Walters, Canadian author Character is not something we’re born with. It’s a combination of our highest attributes developed throughout our lives. Time and again, we see remarkable demonstrations of character in small and large ways. Many of them don’t make the news. Here are three that did. Last Wednesday, actor Tom...
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March 18, 2020
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On Leadership
Two points about leadership. Leadership is not a CEO, Admiral, Manager, Pope or President. Those are titles, not leadership. The second point, rather points, come from General Hal Moore: “We need leaders of principle, courage, character, wisdom, and discipline; and yet we seem trapped by a system of choosing our presidents that pushes those who possess those traits aside in...
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March 6, 2020

Read Some of the Most Recent Articles
The Latest... And Often Greatest
If It Looks Like a Duck…
Donald Trump has never hidden his disdain for anyone or any institution he believes stands in his way. Near the top of that list is...
A Tale of Two Voices
Two voices, both alike in reach and power, Speak into a divided world. One feeds grievance. The other calls for grace. Influence still carries power....
How Do We Manage Division?
Recently, I found myself returning to a question I’ve asked in different forms for years: what does it actually take to hold a country together...
The Supreme Court is Broken. How Do We Fix It?
As distilled from an email update from Michael Waldman, President and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court struck down...
Leadership as a Moral Act
Britain’s King Charles III spoke to a chamber that, for a moment, set aside party labels—Democrat and Republican—and listened not as factions, but as participants...
Unity is Not a Declaration. It’s a Discipline.
How does a country move from argument to action? The shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is not an isolated event. It is part...