Is the sun rising or setting on America?
Consult the chair for your answer. May 24, 1787. Pretend you are there. The air is supercharged with the weight of history and the hopes of a new nation that is all but four years old. Fifty-five state delegates gather with you at Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania State House, later dubbed Independence Hall. The place where [...]
Moms
Thank God for them. “My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute my success in life to the moral, intellectual, and physical education I received from her.” – George Washington Like most every other man in America, I thought about my [...]
Are we getting nastier toward each other?
Or, perhaps better stated, is moral character on the decline in America? Some say yes and point the finger of blame, rather simplistically (in my view), at Donald Trump for poisoning our national discourse. He must be the culprit, right? Others counter that the blatant bias of mainstream news outlets, coupled with the hijacking of [...]
The Second Rise of the Klan
And the woman who toppled them. There’s a fascinating new book I must commend to you…A Fever in the Heartland, by New York Times bestselling author, Timothy Egan. As the book cover reads, it’s the true story of the Ku Klux Klan’s “plot to take over America” during the Roaring Twenties—the Jazz Age. When [...]
Remembering Boston, Part 2
Boston…where the spark of revolution turned into a raging fire. Where just shy of 200 years later, seats in the bleachers along the first base line at Fenway Park were cheap enough that a broke graduate student and his bride could watch the Red Sox play in fair weather. A place and time of [...]
Remembering Boston, Part 1
A Poem That Bears Repeating Another July 4th is around the corner, and everyone in the U.S. will celebrate my birthday. (That really is what I thought as a kid.) Happy 248th birthday, America! As we near the completion of one-quarter of a millennium, it’s worth reflecting on the generous legacy left to us [...]