Category Archives: Heroes
America Needs a Statesman
I cannot ignore the impending catastrophe our bipartisan political system has placed in our path. It is more crippling and unavoidable than any physical wall anyone could ever build…. Yesterday, I read a thought-provoking OpEd that appears in “The Atlantic” magazine, “The Suicide of a Great Democracy” by staff writer George Packer. I would have […]
To Be Like Stan “the Man” Lee
Iconic storyteller and illustrator Stan “the Man” Lee died last week a following a lifetime of living life fully for nearly 96 years. I’ve been thinking a lot about Stan “the Man” … Like most young boys in the 50’s, I read comic books. While Superman was probably my favorite, I became a fan of […]
“Thank You for Your Service”
“Thank you for your service” is a popular greeting when people learn that you are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces. I do not recall that greeting in the 60’s and 70’s when soldiers returned from Viet Nam. Times change. Attitudes change… sometimes for the better, other times… As a member of the now-defunct […]
Education: Path to a Better World
Eighteen months ago, Gail Rongen and I embarked on a direct giving program in Haiti. Direct giving is risky business and it requires trust. We accept the risk because we trust the young Haitians we work with. Our choice is valid… Within the poverty and violence of Cité Soleil, a courageous group of young men […]
Who Is Your Neighbor?
Who is your neighbor? No, I’m not asking the question from a biblical perspective. I am asking the question from a strictly geographic perspective. Who is the person who lives in the house or perhaps apartment next to your house or apartment? Who is your neighbor? I was born in Gt. Barrington, Massachusetts in 1949. […]
The Three Evils of Society
Every third Monday of January – a day close to his birthday – we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Every year since 2013 on that day, I post Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” In it, he says, “The time is always ripe to do right.” Powerful words from a powerful man that […]
The Once Proud Stewards of America
On this day, as we remember the man whose nonviolent activism set a new direction in search of civil rights for all men, women and children, my heart remains heavy when I consider the plight of the people whose land the United States Government stole in the name of greed. They were the stewards of […]
December 15, 1890 … a Day to Remember
On this day in 1890, legendary Lakota Indian Chief Sitting Bull was gunned down by Indian Agency Police on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. No one remembers. Earlier this year, ‘Standing Rock’ was front page news. Many of you raised your concerned voices. Six months later, most remember few details. I remember, and I remember […]
Caesar Joins His Band of Angels
With more good friends in my lifetime than any 10 men deserve, Caesar was my best. This morning, I freed his spirit from his cancer-riddled body. Unwittingly at the time, I cast his memory into future generations by including him in two of my novels. When people ask me which of my books I like […]