Kudos to Nancy Gibbs, reporter Michael Scherer and Time magazine for their superb treatment of President Donald Trump’s disturbing relationship with the truth and what that means for our nation. Gibbs in her “From the Editor” piece was clear and forthright: “Trump says a great many things that are demonstrably false.” She reminds us that […]
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Barnicle, Sanders, Insurance and Health Care
On March 29, 2017, on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was being interviewed on a range of current topics. When it came to veteran columnist Mike Barnicle’s turn, his question earned Sanders’ praise. The Senator remarked that this was one of the first times this question had been raised on TV. The question? […]
“Dismantling,” Conservative Philosophy and the Common Good
Steve Bannon at the White House is promising (threatening) to “dismantle the administrative state,” primarily referring to our national system of taxation, trade agreements, and regulations. The budget outline that President Trump has submitted appears to support that mission in many ways and shows how the mission might actually go beyond these basics. I believe, in […]
MSNBC Bashing Health Care Myths
Finally, a mainstream news source that is reporting on how the US compares with other developed nations vis-à-vis health care! Ali Velshi, relatively new to NBC News, has begun bashing long-time American myths about health care, and he promises to continue doing so. This is vitally important: we Americans need to know not only the problems […]
Gender Balance Here and Abroad
The Women’s March on Washington. Women’s History Month. International Women’s Day. A Day Without a Woman. There is currently a great deal going on by women and our allies in the quest for gender equality, rights and fairness in leadership roles, education, home, and work. This then is a good time to take stock of […]
The Devil and Us: Lessons from the Paranormal Evidence
The devil, also referred to as Satan, is featured several times in the Great Litany of the Church, which is sometimes spoken or chanted during Lent. Are these references to Satan pertinent to us in our time? If so, in what way? Is the devil a real being with potential to do great harm or […]
Welcoming Lent
In the Western Christian tradition, we are about to enter the season of Lent. This year, Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, takes place on March 1. Traditionally, Lent is the period of 40 days (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter, when Christians fast, contemplate their sins, repent and ask for forgiveness. Lent (a […]
The SPLC’s Latest Report on US Hate Groups
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has just released its annual report on hate and extremism in America. Entitled “Hate groups increase for second consecutive year as Trump electrifies radical right,” it is a “must-read” for all Americans who care about our country. As SPLC noted in the cover memo to supporters, “As Donald Trump’s […]
Stress, Social Justice and Our American Psyche
How many articles have you read over the years giving advice to help you deal with your daily stress? Five? Ten? Thirty? How much of this advice has actually worked over the long term? What if the daily stress that millions of Americans experience does not result so much from individual decisions and lifestyles but […]
State of Confusion
Die-hard supporters of Donald Trump and those in his inner circle might not concur, but it’s highly probable that many citizens who follow the news coming out of the Trump Administration, even only a couple of weeks in, might agree that things are confusing! Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) on the Affordable Care Act […]