We are, all of us, standing at a crossroads. How we respond will determine whether we continue with a constitutional form of government with three co-equal branches, or a neo-fascist regime administered by an authoritarian, aided by a rogue attorney general, a self-assured Senate majority leader, a majority of silent Republicans, and a transparently dishonest cable opinion network that acts...

Apologies to readers. Due to the many conspiracy theories and scandals reported on an hourly basis it’s hard to keep up! Let’s begin with the “latest.” While Oregon continues to suffer under unprecedented wildfires that are consuming neighborhoods at a record pace, another firestorm is moving at light speed. Some Oregon Facebook members are posting messages like this: “Has anyone...

A recent story in Forbes magazine reports, “Some 56% of Republicans believe that QAnon, a far-right conspiracy theory, is mostly or partly true, according to a new Daily Kos/Civiqs poll released Wednesday…” Early in his campaign, Trump suggested that Ted Cruz’s father may be linked to the Kennedy assassination. How did he know? He read it in the “well respected”...

Speaking with a good friend recently, the subject turned to the coronavirus that continues to spread, now infecting 6.5 million and closing in on 200,000 deaths. “Jim, you need to check out a website a friend of mine sent. It explains about some of the many fallacies about the virus. It also talks about how Dr. Fauci is making money...

Sitting before the Senate Watergate hearings on June 25, 1973, former counsel to Richard Nixon, John Dean, described a meeting with the president. “I began by telling the president that there was a cancer growing on the presidency and that if the cancer was not removed the president himself would be killed by it.” In our current context, the president...

With the country facing multiple crises and Washington churning with dysfunction, is it any wonder Congress sits at a dismal 77 percent disapproval rating? However, there is one thing Republicans and Democrats can do to rescue their reputations and reclaim their commitment to duty well before the election. At a joint press conference, the leadership of both Houses could stand...

During times of crisis, U.S. presidents have always offered words of inspiration, and fortitude ensuring that “we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty,” President John F. Kennedy declared at his inauguration. Here are some lesser known but powerful words, nonetheless. “We always...

Three exemplary Americans died in less than a year. Three Americans taught us the importance of commonality: Congressman Elijah Cummings; Congressman John Lewis; and Rev. Cordy Tindell “C.T.” Vivian. All three were stalwart civil rights leaders. All three advocated the message of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” All three, and thousands...

“To meet the challenge of our times… we must first defeat the enemy within.” —Robert F. Kennedy While Kennedy was addressing corruption in labor unions, he could have spoken those words today, given the multiple challenges we face: — A massive virus; unemployment; a struggling economy; companies struggling with new protections for workers and protocols for conducting business; attacks against...

Some citizens in Wolfford, Texas see the refusal to wear a mask to protect others as a principled stand. “I’m not doing it because I woke up in a free country.” “… we’re done with all that.” “…we don’t care.” Facing a tidal wave of defections from advertisers angered by the hate speech that appears next to their names in...