If age has taught me one lesson, it’s that the past is not prologue to the future. Even so, the media is awash with pundits acting as touts, giving political tips to anyone who will listen. David Faris’ recent article in The Week, for example, offers a damning critique of how the

There are two occasions when a person ought to reflect upon the words of John F. Kennedy’s: Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country. The first is during a time of war when citizens are asked to defend their nation.  The second occurs in a perio

Standing in the mail room of the retirement center, I noticed my cubby hole sported no green dot like that of my neighbor’s.  Curious, I asked a woman who was passing what the dot meant.  She seemed surprised by my question but answered politely.  “The green dot  indicates the

Needing a break from all the heated political debate, I kicked off my shoes yesterday and sat down to read the latest edition of Town&Country.  I wondered how the beautiful people avoided ill-tempered frown lines? Naturally, I didn’t expect to see  Donald Trump among those in

I’m all for confidence but the just turned 30, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez  (AOC) has an assurance that leaves me breathless. Having won a Congressional house seat from New York, she has certainly hit the ground running. But does she know the terrain, I wonder. Certainly, the number of

Decades of pro-automobile policies will be difficult to unravel as cities attempt to reduce the effects of climate change.  Yet, change must come. Already, air pollution from automobile emissions takes the lives of  100,000 Americans each year. Eliminating cars from the city has bee

My friend from the retirement center looked worried as we entered a coffee shop that also made chocolate confectionaries.   Surrounded by bonbons of every size and flavor, I wondered that anyone could wear a frown. “What do you think of this Soleimani business,” the woman mutter

Recently, U. S. Attorney William Barr delivered a speech at the University of Notre Dame which defended a role for religion in government and attacked secularism as a moral decay that threatened the country. His remarks have been widely criticized by academics, historians and members

During the seasonal exchange of greeting cards, one friend replied to my holiday message as follows: “Among our grandchildren disenchantment is not an option.” Most grandparents would nod knowingly at that statement.  I have no grandchildren myself, but I have witnessed the u

This New Year, the world stage leaves us with so much worry, there’s little incentive to get out of bed each morning. Adding to the malaise is a fresh, looming disaster. Not long ago, I mentioned that good topsoil around the globe is eroding at the rate of 1% a year. Without it, we