by admin | Mar 3, 2025 | Activism, Books, Chicago, Foreign policy, Government, Gratitude, History, National security, Politics, Public policy, Russia, Ukraine, War
When the nation and the world witness the sort of crude spectacle that was broadcast from the Oval Office last Friday, it should not be surprising that many Americans are embarrassed and upset at the behavior of the men holding the two highest offices in the land....
by admin | Feb 19, 2025 | Activism, Blogging, Books, Christianity, Civil rights, Government, History, Immigration, Movies, Personal history, Politics, Racism, Religion, Russia, Volunteerism, War, Writing
It is early in the morning as I begin to write this—too early in the view of most people I know. I awoke just before 5 a.m. in part because Tyson, our big Husky-German Shepherd mix, seemed to want to go outside in the bitter cold. (He did not; he merely wanted water,...
by admin | Nov 5, 2024 | Activism, Books, Crime, Government, History, Immigration, Personal history, Political philosophy, Public policy, Public safety, Russia
Some time in 1997, I undertook a reading experiment I have never regretted, which was to begin to read, sequentially, biographies of U.S. presidents. I am not sure exactly when I picked up Cincinnatus: George Washington and the Enlightenment by Garry Wills, but it...
by admin | Sep 3, 2024 | Activism, Books, Christianity, Civil rights, Crime, Government, History, National security, Politics, Racism, Religion
Donald Trump has an Achilles heel that sticks out like a sore thumb. Yes, I may be flirting with cuteness by using a mixed metaphor. But think about it. This man who so desperately wants to be seen as tough, even invincible, has created his own massive psychological...
by admin | Aug 12, 2024 | Careers, Coronavirus, Disaster, Disaster Recovery, Government, Hazard Mitigation, History, Hurricanes, Natural Hazards, Parks, Recreation, Resilience, Retirement, Urban Planning, Water
Let’s try to imagine: You are the chief executive officer for a 1,300-acre public park in New Orleans, the largest in the city, although it does not belong to the city. It is incorporated under the state of Louisiana. You spend the weekend of Friday, August 26, 2005,...
by admin | Jul 28, 2024 | Activism, Aging, Civil rights, Crime, Government, History, Political philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Public policy
A few days ago, I sent the following Letter to the Editor to the Chicago Tribune: I read in today’s Tribune that Republican leaders are asking party members to avoid engaging in racism and sexism in attacking Vice President Kamala Harris. Good luck. From what I have...
