Another poll last week measured the public’s response to Donald Trump’s policies. While his approval numbers have declined, about thirty percent of voters remain steadfast.  I don’t know why. The list of Trump’s criminal indictments is long, as is the number of civil laws

The murder of Charlie Kirk sparked a debate on Facebook when a woman admitted that she would shed no tears over his loss. Many who commented agreed with her, but one person pleaded that the world needed more empathy. The remark appealed to my better angels, and I wondered about the f

On the eve of my 89th birthday, I saw my doctor for my annual consultation.  “You realize you are past your sell-by date, don’t you?” Well, the doctor didn’t say “sell-by date.”  She was too polite.  But, she wanted me to know that I had passed the average life expecta

Shakespeare loved his fools. He would put them on stage during the darkest moments of a play. King Lear, raging against his fate amid a storm, had his fool. Today, we are blessed with clowns who make us giggle despite the political cesspool we are living in.  Thank you, Andy Borowitz

As Donald Trump’s tyranny grows, people are finding ways to cope with his unpredictable rule. The methods vary depending on the resources and opportunities. Those with money can escape to other countries. Ordinary people might apply for dual citizenship. Still others could choose to

Some fears are learned, but fear itself is an innate instinct. From birth, an infant with little experience beyond being cuddled fears falling. Fear of the unknown is another common dread. Writer H. P. Lovecraft mastered the art of horror by manipulating that emotion in his readers. 

The man buttering his toast across the table from me at the restaurant was ranting about Donald Trump. “Being a jew,” he said, “I’m thinking about obtaining a Danish passport.” I laughed, supposing he was joking, but he wasn’t.  His chin jutted in my direction like an axe

Donald Trump’s ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, recently sent this public message to the president: “God spared you in Butler, Pa., to be the most consequential president in a century—maybe ever.”  (“They Said What?” Freethought Today, Aug. 2025, pg. 19)  Blind faith

Christmas Eve in 2024, I was walking home after a delightful brunch with friends. The iron-grey sky promised either rain or snow flurries, so I hunched forward, cutting through the chill air like the boat’s bow, determined to avoid a downturn in the weather.  Ahead of me, a man st

If I were a social scientist studying human behavior, I’d want to understand why wealth tends to bestow status on people. Wealth has its uses, true.  But it has limitations, also. Being lost in the desert, would a lump of gold quench my thirst, heal my blistered feet, or provide a