UPDATE AT THE END OF THIS COMMENTARY  I said I would ease up on writing about Trump, and I meant it. Yet the president’s recent actions have been too blatant, too corrosive, to let pass without comment. Eight months into his second term, Donald Trump continues to show that his goal is not to bring Americans together, but to drive...

Harvard University now stands at an ethical crossroads—not just for itself, but for every educational entity in the country. While I never attended Harvard, you don’t need a Harvard degree to see the deadly sword hanging over all of education. The moment universities start compromising their core values to appease an administration obsessed with control, they surrender more than autonomy—they...

I met President Gerald Ford while working at KMIR-TV in Palm Springs. The event was held at the home of a wealthy supporter in Thunderbird Heights, high above Rancho Mirage. It was one of those orchestrated press gatherings, but Ford made it feel different. As he made his way down a line of reporters—and this lowly cameraman—he didn’t just shake...

Beginning Monday, I’ll be highlighting five U.S. Presidents who–when confronted with defining choices–led with integrity instead of expedience. These presidents didn’t just occupy the Oval Office; they embodied the values that give leadership its true meaning. Their choices remind us that integrity is not a political strategy—it’s a standard. Today, however, I begin with a new global leader—one who speaks...

Good Night, and Good Luck, starring George Clooney on Broadway is a wake-up call about the ethical courage we desperately need today—a timely parable based on a pivotal moment in American history when journalism was not only a public service, but a moral stand. The play recalls the courage of broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow as he confronted Senator Joseph...

A timely Opinion piece in The New York Times by David French sheds greater light on why so many Evangelical Christians fervently believe in Donald Trump. In 1998, during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, Evangelical leaders issued a public statement declaring that “character counts” and that “the President’s personal morality is not private.” The message was clear: integrity matters—especially for those who...

In high school, the distinction between right and wrong—more or less—appeared clear. Catholic high school made it unambiguously clear. Thanks to the good brothers of Salesian, you either learned the right path quickly or you were firmly corrected (accent on firmly.) Which brings me to a long-remembered poem whose last lines are frequently quoted. Two roads diverged in a yellow...

(Note: this is a rough draft and still undergoing revisions.) Welcome, esteemed colleagues, to a comprehensive exploration of one of the most perplexing and confounding systems known to mankind: the United States political system. Drawing from years a few a couple of weeks of research, and kind of rigorous analysis (a caffeine binge helped), this thesis aims to explain the...

“[President Trump] then engaged in an unprecedented criminal effort to overturn the legitimate results of the election in order to stay in power.”—Final Report on the Special Counsel Investigation into Efforts to Interfere with The Lawful Transfer of Power Held on January 6, 2020 Despite the release of special counsel Jack Smith’s report, one thing is clear: amid the relentless...

I time-tunneled back to 410 BC to have a conversation with Socrates, the renowned Greek sage, about the greatest challenges we face today. With the help of his A.I. assistant, here is that conversation, (edited for length). Socrates: Greetings, fellow traveler. What’s on your mind? Jim: How can we climb out of the pit of despair and relentless conflict where...