I first heard about John Gilbert Winant several years ago in Concord, New Hampshire, while I was teaching a class on ethics. My co-captain, Professor Stephen Ambra, spoke admiringly of the two-term Republican governor of the state. However, the most compelling part of Winant’s story unfolded during his time abroad, serving as the U.S. Ambassador to England. In 1941, Democrat...

In 63 BCE, Rome was facing an internal crisis that threatened to destroy the Republic. Roman senator Lucius Sergius Catilina, known as Catiline, was conspiring to overthrow the government. With the help of a coalition of the discontented, his plan included violent uprisings and the assassination of several leading senators and political figures, including Cicero, Rome’s famed philosopher and statesman....

A good friend and I have what we call our “Best Friends Thursday” lunches, where we catch up on the events of the day, primarily local matters. He recently said, “I enjoy your commentaries, but I wish you’d write about something other than Trump.” It’s a fair point, and I try to cover various issues. But this election is so...

Bush, McCain, and Romney Alumni for Harris Statement “Four years ago, President George W. Bush, the late Sen. John McCain, and then-Gov. Mitt Romney alumni came together to warn fellow Republicans that re-electing President Trump would be a disaster for our nation. In those declarations we stated the plain truth, each predicting that another four years of a Trump presidency...

Honoring Independence Day In a bustling hall where voices rise, A man stands firm, his gaze up high. With rugged hands and weathered face, He speaks with honor, quiet grace. Norman’s brush, with strokes so fine, Captures more than a moment in time. It paints respect, a truth we share, In every glance, a silent prayer. Freedom to speak, to...

Why do I like New York Times columnist David Brooks? Simple. Much of the time, I write about the tree. Brooks writes about the landscape. I tend to look at the brush fire that’s threatening the tree. He focuses on how America’s inherent strength can overcome the fires of our discord. One thing about commentaries in The Times is that...

We Americans have many grave problems to solve, many threatening evils to fight, and many deeds to do, if, as we hope and believe, we have the wisdom, the strength, the courage, and the virtue to do them. But we must face facts as they are. We must neither surrender ourselves to foolish optimism, nor succumb to timid and ignoble...

In 1925, Dayton, Tennessee, became ground zero for religious extremism. High school teacher John Scopes was charged with violating a state act making it illegal to teach Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution in any state-funded school. When noted criminal attorney Clarence Darrow appeared for the defense, the trial received national attention. But the prosecution employed its own legal titan—three-time presidential...

If you are a Trump supporter or are considering voting for the former president, you need to read and seriously consider the observations from the people who worked closely with him: “His understanding of global events . . . of US history was really limited. It’s really hard to have a conversation with someone who doesn’t even understand the concept...

On the 6th anniversary of the Parkland school shooting, the country faced another mass shooting. This time, at a celebratory event for the Kansas City Chiefs football team in downtown Kansas City Once again, Washington leaders remain unwilling and unable to address an issue of such grave and growing importance. Once again, America’s rights trump the responsibilities we have to...