Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. That is the First Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified on December 15, 1791. I part company with many of my fellow liberals when it comes to freedom of speech. In the past 20 years, in my view, it’s been the far left that

Since March, we’ve faced impossible issues and limited choices to make the best of bad decisions.

Since March, we’ve faced impossible issues and limited choices to make the best of bad decisions. Enduring stressful days trying to keep everyone healthy and alive, our jobs and schools have been in a constant state of flux. With the new school year looming, we wonder how to prioritize the health issues involved in opening our schools. There really isn’t a good solution. Our world erupted after George Floyd’s horrific murder. And we found ourselves wrestling with how we as a nation reconcile

From the White House to street corners of Chicago, from 10:00 a.m. Sunday mornings to nightly AA meetings you will find this disease. It is sewn into the fabric of our culture. It cannot be cured with a vaccine nor can your doctor give you a prescription. All of us have experienced it, some of us know it and others are unaware of its symptoms.

From the White House to street corners of Chicago, from 10:00 a.m. Sunday mornings to nightly AA meetings you will find this disease. It is sewn into the fabric of our culture. It cannot be cured with a vaccine nor can your doctor give you a prescription. All of us have experienced it, some of us know it and others are unaware of its symptoms. If you trace political corruption, ecological devastation, hating each other based on race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation, at its origin,

The national pandemic continues. You think I’m talking about coronavirus? I’m talking about guns.

The national pandemic continues. You think I’m talking about coronavirus? I’m talking about guns. Two new studies by the Brookings Institution and University of California, Davis show a nearly 50% spike in gun sales in the US during the last 4 months -- nearly 4 million in June alone, and 19 million sold so far this year. Two main things seem to be catalysts: Covid-19 and the largely peaceful Black Lives Matter protests. (Yes, despite the media focus on instances of violence and looting, the

There’s no doubt recent national events have underscored the value of our social support systems to overall wellbeing. While most of us typically choose people a lot like ourselves as our friends, it’s clearly time to move beyond this constraint. The world is a delightfully diverse planet and we need to create friendscapes that reflect this diversity.

There’s no doubt recent national events have underscored the value of our social support systems to overall wellbeing. While most of us typically choose people a lot like ourselves as our friends, it’s clearly time to move beyond this constraint. The world is a delightfully diverse planet and we need to create friendscapes that reflect this diversity. We should revel in any chance to engage with those who bring new perspectives and new challenges to our own limited perceptions. Being open to

It’s been a long time since I have seen the fireflies in such profusion blinking their love light into the gloaming, but perhaps, I was just not looking.