Last month Arizona Senator Jeff Flake delivered a declaration on the floor of the Senate worthy of Daniel Webster, about  how, lately, “…our democracy is more defined by our discord and our dysfunction than by our own values and principles.” He offered a passionate plea that “We must never regard as normal the regular and casual undermining of our democratic...

A few months ago I learned about the dedication of a statue of John Gilbert Winant from Concord resident and college professor Stephen Ambra. “Who the heck is John Gilbert Winant?” I asked. “He’s one of this country’s great unsung heroes of World War II,” Ambra said. Ernest Bevin, a leading figure in Winston Churchill’s government, said “There is one...

That’s right. Those two zany congressmen from Texas are off on the wildest, funniest road they’ve ever traveled! … And you’re along for the ride! Starring Will Hurd, a Republican and “Beto” O’Rourke, a Democrat… (Cue the music) O’Rourke: “We’re off on the road to Wash…ing…ton.” Hurd: “We certainly do get around.”  » Read more about: The Road to Washington  »...

For the past sixteen months there has been a lot of talk that America has lost its way; that we are weak; that we have somehow, lost our greatness. If that is true, then why do so many want to come to this country, attend schools, build businesses, become citizens, grow and prosper? Nineteenth century French diplomat and historian Alexis...

When I learned that President Obama had decided to visit Hiroshima while in Japan for the Group-7 meeting next week, the first person I contacted was David Krieger. As founder and president of The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Krieger has worked tirelessly for the abolition of all nuclear weapons. (And I thought ethics was a tough sell!) Obama’s visit gives...

In April, I wrote a commentary encouraging President Obama to visit Hiroshima. As reported in The New York Times three days ago (May 10), “President Obama will become the first sitting American president to visit Hiroshima, Japan…” since the United States dropped an atomic bomb, ending World War II. In a blog post, White House Deputy National Security Advisor for...

Every year newspapers put forth editorials about expectations for the New Year. Looking back, 2015 has been perhaps, the most unsettling in the first decade of the new millennium. With the rise of the Islamic State, we have seen a global war by a group of extremists who justify killing non-believers in the name of their religion. Factually speaking, the...

Most fans recognize this moment from Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan.  It’s the moment when Captain Kirk has been hopelessly left to die on a seemingly desolate location by his scene-chewing arch-enemy Khan. Watching the film recently, I noticed something that I had previously overlooked. Facing the unimaginable, Kirk vents his anger (KHAAAAAAAAAAN!!), and then… he just sits down....

To whom do you turn in the midst of crisis? Who has the requisite wisdom to lessen your doubts, your fears and anxieties? Of all the speeches given in 2015, none comes close to that of Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of 1.2 billion Catholics. During the five days that Francis visited the United States, he was welcomed with warmth...

Since the attacks in Paris last Friday, like many, I have been struggling to understand why some people are so consumed by hate that it leads them to commit monstrous acts. I remembered a book I’ve had since college, Man’s Search for Meaning, by psychiatrist Viktor Frankl. In the book’s preface, psychologist Gordon Allport writes, “As a longtime prisoner in...