Last year, Starbucks – a company well-known for its inclusive, positive message along with excellent service – became the center of a controversy that should never have taken place. As MSNBC reported (Nov. 13, 2015), “The iconic Christmas cup has featured several winter-themed designs since it first appeared in 1997. From minimalist snowflakes and hand-drawn reindeer to a winking snowman...

Jedi Master Dan Piraro offers this little political mockery in his weekly colorful commentaries. With a country politically polarized to the point of protests, how in the heck are these people going to be able to sit down at the Thanksgiving Day table and have a civil conversation with relatives who may be in the opposition camp? In, How to...

While the results of Tuesday night’s stunning upset – by a man who has never served an elected office – will be analyzed and parsed for months and years to come, here are some observations, both general and ethical. – The vast majority of pollsters and media, armed with the latest technology, did not come close to getting it right....

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...

These are, without a doubt, the Holy Grail of cultural and political questions of the moment: How does Trump appeal to his supporters? Why do supporters continue to stand by him when he lies – even when confronted with the facts – more than any candidate in modern history? What is it about this man that continues to attract both...

The political earth has had a few seismic shifts over the past 7 days. First, the discovery of a video exposing Donald Trump’s penchant for trash-talking women, and the requisite 24/7 news coverage of that; followed by the Sunday debate where Trump paced around behind Hillary Clinton like an alpha-male lion. The week ended with another round of Republicans abandoning...

Well, boys and girls, here we are – the first of three presidential debates which may decide who goes to the White House: the Reality Star, or the Politically Calculated Czar; the extremely reckless, or “extremely careless.” I was previously invited to attend a screening of The Man with the Golden Arm, part of an Elmer Bernstein film series honoring...

The publication of Colin Powell’s private opinions of both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump – obtained from hacked e-mails from the former secretary of state’s private e-mail account – is only the latest example of the thorny ethical issues that journalists and media organizations must navigate. In this new universe, everything that’s been hacked appears to be fair game after...

“What Kaepernick did was totally uncalled for and disrespectful, but America gives him the right to do it. I am tired of all of these multi million-dollar athletes and celebrities who do nothing to improve conditions putting down the country that has given them the opportunity to get to where they are.” “Congratulations to Colin Kaepernick for making a statement...

“When once the forms of civility are violated, there remains little hope of return to kindness and decency.”      – British author Samuel Johnson While there are benefits to political correctness in the context of respect and civility, it does go too far when it stifles free speech. In a letter to incoming students at the University of Chicago, John...