Reading about the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp from World War II, reminded me of my own experience in visiting Dachau, the first of those camps. I was part of a small group of high school students visiting countries throughout Europe. On a day free from scheduled sightseeing in Munich, Germany, I took a...

“Je Suis Charlie,” (I am Charlie) has become a symbol not only of free speech, but freedom itself. Looking like a scene from the Broadway musical Les Miserables, more than a million, including leaders from around the world, marched in the streets of Paris on Sunday in support of freedom of expression. Despite the murderous attack on the offices of...

On September 11, 2001, you shook American when you took 2,996 lives, but we survived, rebuilt and became stronger. On April 15, 2013, you murdered five individuals and injured 280, but rallies were held proclaiming “Boston Strong,” and the yearly event continues. In the short run, your attacks have succeeded in killing or injuring thousands of innocent men, women and...

In his 1995 book, Reason to Believe, former New York Governor Mario Cuomo writes, “Outrage is easy, cheap and oversold. The nation needs less anger and more thoughtful reflection, less shouting and more listening, less dissembling and more honesty. “In analyzing the issues, we need to remember there is a place for ideology, but it is not first place. First...

His birth name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio, but that changed on March 13, 2013 when he became Pope Francis, a humble, Jesuit priest who took the bus to work when he was cardinal of Buenos Aires. He is the first Jesuit Pope and already, in this past year, he has made a difference in the lives of many. According to...

While everybody is posting their own end-of-the-year list, here’s my selection of ethical stand-outs. Mike Carey – Carey is the first African-American to referee the Super Bowl and has been honored as one of the best in the game in 2008. While honesty and fairness are critical to his job, so is respect. So, in 2006 Carey quietly requested that...

During the past several weeks, protest marches have spread from Ferguson to Washington D.C. Is it all about the police-involved deaths of two unarmed black men, or have these events uncovered a long simmering flaw in the criminal justice system – a system that appears to side with police and against the citizens they’re supposed to protect and serve? John...

I never became aware of the racial tension that had existed for decades until the evening of August 11, 1965. The Watts Riots continued for six, agonizing days and resulted in 34 deaths and $40 million in property damage. The last two weeks have seen protests spread from Ferguson, Missouri to New York, Seattle, Washington, and Los Angeles. Last Thursday...

It’s Election Day and in Kentucky, longtime Republican Senator Mitch McConnell and his minions have been working the precincts with supporters carrying signs proclaiming, “Go, Mitch!” While the majority of polls favor the Republicans retaking the Senate, pollster John Zogby has an interesting, and frustrating personal story about McConnell that, sadly, confirms the worst of some politicians. “I gave a...

Three stories appearing in last Friday’s (Mar. 7) New York Times grabbed my attention. “An Army judge on Thursday accepted guilty pleas from Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair to misconduct charges, including possession of pornography and inappropriate relationships with female soldiers. But the general, a former deputy commander of American forces in southern Afghanistan, still faces court-martial on charges that...