You walk into your local Starbucks to grab a Frappuccino (tall, half-ice, no whip cream), and discover Clint Eastwood standing next to you in-line with a .44 Magnum, “the most powerful handgun in the world,” strapped to his side.  What do you do? Okay, it’s not Eastwood, but what if the man with the gun on his hip is Joe Schmoe? I’d...

David Krieger is the founder and president of The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.  What drew me to his commentary was former President Jimmy Carter’s response to Krieger’s question concerning morality and nuclear weapons. Carter’s response shows an awareness of the intense dilemma he faced regarding his personal belief about nuclear weapons versus his duty as commander-in-chief. In January 2010 the...

The level to which anger-driven passion has risen in recent days has become yet another example of individuals who feel that their right to challenge any issue allows them to act in ways that are appallingly irresponsible. From Representative Neugebauer shouting “baby killer” during a House session to the bricks thrown through the windows of political headquarters, the anger demonstrated...

There’s a scene at the beginning of the Albert Brooks comedy Defending Your Life in which our angst-ridden hero is celebrating his birthday with a brand new BMW. Putting his dream car through its paces with Barbara Streisand blaring over his stereo, he makes a tight turn and all his CD’s slide off the passenger seat.  Leaning over to pick them...

On Tuesday (Jan. 12) the Republic of Haiti was overwhelmed by a 7.0 earthquake.  Last Saturday, (Jan. 17) Washington seemed overwhelmed by another event – former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton joined President Obama to support a massive effort to aid the desperately poor Haitian people. The New York Times reported that “The three men, who have collectively occupied...

The Greeks called it arête. Traditionally translated as “virtue,” its central meaning is excellence. In the Iliad and the Odyssey, arête is applied to courage and strength, especially when exhibited in competition and this is one common dimension. But it’s more. The third aspect of responsibility, the pursuit of excellence, carries an ethical component when others count on our effectiveness at a given...

There’s a telling moment of decision-making in Thirteen Days– the film chronicling the events by President Kennedy and his administration during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In a private exchange with his friend and advisor, Kenny O’Donnell, Kennedy reflects on the unthinkable – a nuclear holocaust with Russia – and declares, “We’re going to do whatever we have to do to make things...

“A person who maintains a pornstar’s erection between scenes; a broker of products or services that gets the client ready.” – Urban Dictionary The New Museum of Contemporary Art “…has evolved from a scrappy alternative space into a mainstream institution,” The New York Times reported (Nov. 11). However, in the opinion of many, the Museum “…is jeopardizing its integrity by giving too much...

“I felt last night’s decision was the right decision for my district even though it was not the popular decision for my party.” So said Anh “Joseph” Quang Cao (pronounced “gow”) the freshman Republican Representative from Louisiana after voting in favor of the health care bill Saturday.  Mr. Cao, the only House Republican of 177, called his support of the...

My first reaction to a front page story in yesterday’s New York Times was not flattering. “Aided by his bat and an astute apology, Alex Rodriguez is ending the baseball season not as a former steroids user but as a home run hero.” Under the headline, In Yankees Slugger, a Lesson for Redemption in the Steroid Era, (Nov. 3) the initial focus of the...