“These are the times that try men’s souls.” – Thomas Paine, English-born, American philosopher and activist. Taken from Paine’s essay, The Crisis, those words were meant to inspire American revolutionaries as they faced an extraordinary moment of character. Considering our current crisis, what Paine writes next is worth reflection. “The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will,  » Read more about:...

On July 16, 2019, Michigan’s Republican representative Justin Amash tweeted the following: “If you’re a Republican, please ask yourself if the party really represents your principles and values. You don’t need to become a Democrat. Simply stand up for what is right. America’s tradition of liberty is beautiful, and it depends on our love and respect for one another.” In...

The first warning came on September 5, 2018 when The New York Times published an anonymous Op-Ed from “a senior official in the Trump administration.” “The dilemma,” anonymous writes, “which [Trump] does not fully grasp, is that many of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst...

In the midst of trouble and turmoil in our nation’s Capitol, a giant of a man, a fervent spokesman of equality for all and a representative of the state of Maryland quietly passed from this world. And the divisive infighting in Congress paused for a moment to honor a man who fought all his life for the best interests of...

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...

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....

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,...

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...

One night in December 1968, SP4 Dennis E. Haines’ life changed literally in a flash. “Our mission was to encircle a village,” his buddy John Miller recalls. “It was on this path that Dennis and I were sent to act as a listening post, waiting for darkness until the rest of the company would join us. “There was a problem....

In a selfless and sobering video message, long-time Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek announced to his fans that he has been diagnosed with stage-4 pancreatic cancer. But it was the way Trebek told this highly personal story that matters. “Hi everyone, I have some news to share with all of you and it’s in keeping with my longtime policy of being...