In the winter of 1863, as the Civil War dragged into its third year, prices in the North rose sharply. Coffee, flour, and coal steadily became more expensive. Newspapers carried the numbers. Housewives felt them at the market. Even then, Americans did not see the same hardship in the same way. And that divide, between what is experienced and what...

Thomas Jefferson once wrote that if forced to choose between “a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government,” he would prefer the latter. The statement was not an attack on government; it was a recognition that transparency is the lifeblood of liberty. In a democracy, the press asks questions. The government answers them. And the public, armed with facts,...

Writer David Brooks is rarely prone to hyperbole and often resists the easy pull of partisanship. A thoughtful conservative who has moved toward the center, he writes to understand politics through the lens of conscience—reminding readers that integrity, not ideology, should guide the debate. Like Brooks, I believe that integrity is vital to a thriving democracy. Like Brooks, I believe...

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...