Recent Character Commentaries

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This Man Deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, Period!
José Andrés is the celebrity chef known round the world, not just for his popular cuisines, but as commander-in-chef and founder of World Central Kitchen. Not only does he go to countries ravaged by hurricanes and floods, he literally feeds millions. “Nearly two years ago,” The Washington Post writes (Sept. 3), “José Andrés and World Central Kitchen found themselves battling...
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October 16, 2019
Featured image for “1969: The Good, the Bad, the Politics, the Music, Two Miracles and a Principled Stand”
1969: The Good, the Bad, the Politics, the Music, Two Miracles and a Principled Stand
In 1969 — fifty years ago, today — I was driving a 1965 blue Mustang while attending my second year of college as turmoil swirled in the country. While I didn’t know it at the time, the country was more divided then at any time since the Civil War. The Good: miniskirts… lots of them. The Bad: the Manson family....
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September 24, 2019
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A Time of Fear…
Note to Readers: Apologies for my absence. I’ve been working on completing a long-term project. It’s taken longer than expected. I hope to have another commentary on Friday, and return Tuesday. I appreciate your understanding. It was a time of fear; fear of communism; fear of American citizens who may be Communist spies; hate for those who sat before the...
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September 16, 2019
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What’s Missing Today
I’ve been fortunate enough to call Peace Studies scholar and teacher Colman McCarthy a friend for a number of years now. Last month, he wrote a commentary on singer, songwriter and activist Joan Baez. In the piece, Baez reflects on the fact that today, we are missing the “glue” that connects us to others with struggles similar to our own....
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September 9, 2019
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T.G.I.V.
Thank God It’s Vacation time! While the media continues to give this President the attention he craves, I’m unplugging from it all. In the meantime, I’ve selected some of the most popular commentaries. From the Philippines to Saudi Arabia; from the Netherlands to the United States, all continue to receive strong interest. I’ll return after Labor Day. The Mueller Report,...
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July 26, 2019
Featured image for “July 16, 1969, 6:32 a.m.”
July 16, 1969, 6:32 a.m.
In my mind, only a handful of moments in the last 50 years are iconic. The launch of Apollo 11 and subsequent landing of the first men on an extraterrestrial surface certainly remains one of the few for several reasons: excellence in planning, mathematics, physics, physical training, creativity, engineering and the courage it took for the three explorer-astronauts. On an...
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July 16, 2019
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A Little Bit of Heaven
While in office, President Harry Truman was well-known by his fans for not suffering fools lightly, politicians or military. A frequent chant from supporters was, Give’em Hell, Harry! Looking toward the brighter side, a good friend of mine signs his e-mails, Give’em Heaven. With that thought in mind I thought this commentary appropriate. I’m a tennis fan. Grew up watching...
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July 8, 2019
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We Need to Forgive
Returning Friday 1986 was not a happy year for Bill Buckner or me. Thirty-seven years old, I had filed for divorce from my first wife. Racked with self-doubt, work was intermittent as I pondered whether I would ever find my right place in a career. I returned to an empty apartment and lay awake wondering what’s going to happen next....
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June 17, 2019
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The Character of a Leader
June 5, 1944, Allied Supreme Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower had under his command the largest invasion task-force in history: 175,000 British, American and Canadian assault troops; 5,000 vessels; 20,000 vehicles; and 11,000 aircraft. His directive – “You will enter the continent of Europe and, in conjunction with the other United Nations, undertake operations aimed at the heart of Germany...
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June 6, 2019
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Textbook Corporate Integrity
In August 2001, I interviewed Johnson & Johnson Chairman James Burke for my book, What Do You Stand For? In the wake of the poor decision-making and crisis management from Boeing CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, it’s worth recalling the time when, in the fall of 1982, Burke and Johnson & Johnson were confronted with a nightmare scenario. Seven people in the...
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May 15, 2019

Read Some of the Most Recent Articles
The Latest... And Often Greatest
It Was Important Then. It is Important Today
Freedom of speech in America is under attack, not only when people are denied the right to speak, but when lies, intimidation and the deliberate...
When Political Identity Replaces Ethical Judgment
The political and cultural landscape has become a minefield of conflicting beliefs, many now rooted less in public policy than in personal identity. One of...
Principles Matter.
A few nights ago, I was watching The Way We Were, a film I’ve seen more times than I can count. This time, a single...
All the President’s Men 2.0
“Politics had infiltrated every corner of government—a strong-arm takeover of the agencies by the Nixon White House.” —Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, All the President’s...
The Threat to November Is Already Here
“Cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government.”—George Washington’s...
Jon Ossoff and the Conscience of Atticus Finch
I’ve written about Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff before, but after watching his questioning of Jay Clayton, President Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence (DNI),...