“At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher.” — Abraham Lincoln, 1838 Voltaire once said, “Common sense is not so common.” Nearly three centuries later, that...

John Gilbert Winant was one of the rarest of figures in public life: a three-term Republican governor from New Hampshire whose leadership wasn’t calculated but instinctive; a public servant who treated humility as a strength, and a diplomat who put principle ahead of political convenience. Yet for all the steadiness he gave to others, he struggled to find a place...

I happened across Frances Perkins while searching files at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library. She was the first woman in U.S. history to serve in a cabinet post, as Secretary of Labor under the most consequential president of the era. She shined brightest, not in seeking headlines, but in advancing the rights and well-being of ordinary Americans. Born in...

Washington is far too often remembered for its scandals than its triumphs—a reality that would have stunned and saddened our first president. Yet history’s true measure lies with those who chose conscience over expedience, and duty over ambition.  Their choices came at a cost, but they show us what integrity in public life looks like—and how it can still guide...

Superman—America’s original superhero—once stood tall as a symbol of everything this country aspired to be. Superman—who embodies courage, decency, and fairness. Superman—who fights for the common good, especially those who can’t fight for themselves. What’s wrong with that? A growing movement now seeks to define which heroes—real or fictional—are acceptable, and which are not. They question who deserves legal defense,...

It may seem obvious, but it couldn’t be more urgent: we need about a thousand Mr. Smiths in Washington right now. We need the idealism, yes, but we also need the pragmatism. We need leaders with the courage and character to stand up for what’s right. We need leaders who can turn vision into action and build a better, more...

Though I was much older than the audience for Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, I did watch his testimony before a congressional subcommittee. I came away inspired by his plainspoken common sense, quiet reason, and the values he passed on—kindness, honesty, respect, and the importance of becoming a person of character. In a time when volume often substitutes for values, Fred Rogers...

“If there is one thing I’ve learned in my life, it’s that a man’s judgment is no better than his information.”—John Glenn In an age when celebrity often eclipses substance, John Glenn never needed a spotlight to define his worth. He had already flown faster than sound, orbited the Earth, and stared into the black unknown. But his real legacy...

Former Defense Secretary and retired Marine Corps General James Mattis has something to say. I have watched this week’s unfolding events, angry and appalled. The words “Equal Justice Under Law” are carved in the pediment of the United States Supreme Court. This is precisely what protesters are rightly demanding. It is a wholesome and unifying demand—one that all of us...

Dwight D. Eisenhower didn’t lead with bravado. He didn’t govern by grievance. He led with character. A five-star general who commanded the Allied victory in Europe, Eisenhower understood power better than most. But he also understood something far more important: responsibility. As president, he brought the same calm discipline to the White House that he had brought to the battlefield—not...