Recent Compassion Commentaries

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“Cop Tips Waitress $2M”
That’s what a New York tabloid headline read in the romantic comedy, “It Could Happen to You.” The Bridget Fonda, Nicolas Cage movie is about a cop who, short of cash for a tip in a restaurant, makes a deal with the waitress. “I’ll come back tomorrow with double the tip, or we’ll split the lottery ticket I’m holding.” Of...
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June 25, 2021
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That Extra Mile
This story ran last March, but it’s worth another look to show that there are police officers who, with patience and compassion, take a closer look before using any force. Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by police in her own apartment one year ago. George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Dreck Chauvin when the officer held his...
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May 10, 2021
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Meet in The Middle
I didn’t know much about Tyler Perry before Sunday’s Academy Award event. I sure know a lot more now. Last Sunday, Perry was the recipient of the Gene Hersholt Humanitarian Award. The honor is only periodically given to an “individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.” And Perry more than qualified. His...
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April 28, 2021
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That Extra Mile
Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by police in her own apartment one year ago. George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Dreck Chauvin when the officer held his knee against Floyd’s neck for more than 8 minutes. According to Statista (Mar. 20), “the rate of fatal police shootings among Black Americans was much higher than for any other...
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March 17, 2021
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The Good, The Bad of Last Year
Looking back over the past year we have faced the challenges of a lifetime. During that past year, Pew Research has been asking American’s their views and reactions to the COVID-19 virus. How the virus has affected their lives. The results show a mix of the depressed, fortunate, money-savers, readers, angry, happy and more… Here is just a small sampling...
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March 12, 2021
The Compassionate and the Moralizer
Two stories about the coronavirus vaccine caught my attention. Embed from Getty Images In a recent letter to New York Times ethicist, Kwame Anthony Appiah, one reader writes: “I work for a hospital, but in an administrative job. I do not interact with patients. I have worked from home since March. I am not at high risk for contracting Covid-19...
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March 5, 2021
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What Lies Ahead
I was all set to post Monday’s commentary Sunday night when I realized that it was another piece reacting to the chaos, and rage surrounding Washington. It was about the country living with a cancer of hate and division that has not been seen in decades. It was about facing the greatest health crisis in 100 years and many individuals...
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January 19, 2021
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From Conflict to Kindness
“To meet the challenge of our times… we must first defeat the enemy within.” —Robert F. Kennedy While Kennedy was addressing corruption in labor unions, he could have spoken those words today, given the multiple challenges we face: — A massive virus; unemployment; a struggling economy; companies struggling with new protections for workers and protocols for conducting business; attacks against...
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July 9, 2020
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We Are All Jews
While I never served in the military, my 95-year old father served in World War II in a series of fierce battles in the Hürtgen Forest, a painful experience he has only spoken of once, even after he was awarded a Bronze Star. What follows is a story about another World War II soldier, Roddie Edmonds. The story is part...
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June 24, 2020
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Words That Matter
During the times that try our souls, inspiring wisdom is needed more than ever. Perhaps it’s time to remind ourselves of those who, by their words, encourage us to live out of our better angels. “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. “To sensible men, every day...
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June 15, 2020