THOUGHTS ON A FUNERAL
It doesn’t seem like 14 years have passed since I sat in the National Cathedral for my father’s service. I can still feel the quiet heaviness of the air inside; there is a sense in that place that even a
THE ONES WHO LAUGHED
Is anyone surprised that Donald Trump verbally attacked a victim of sexual assault? The surprise came days ago when he responded to a question about Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony in a measured, civil tone. But it was only a
SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO
Seventeen years ago, on September 11th, my mother and I stood at my father’s bedside to tell him what had happened to his beloved country. He was almost completely bedridden by then and had retreated into the mysterious silence that
JOHN McCAIN
I met John McCain on only one occasion – at my sister Maureen’s memorial service. She died in 2001 and her husband put together an impressive service for her, with several political figures attending, Senator McCain being one of them.
THE ANATOMY OF VIOLENCE
Many years ago, I was involved with a man who had perfected the dark art of verbal and emotional abuse. He wasn’t that talented professionally, but he was incredibly skilled at choosing just the right words to make another person
THE #MeNot MEN
As much as I loathe drawing racial lines, there is no avoiding this one — recently, some old white men have answered the #MeToo movement with their own version of #MeNot. Let’s start with Bill Clinton, who defensively announced to
THE QUICKSAND OF CRUELTY
In keeping with the bombastic cruelty of Donald Trump, who has no problem going after a disabled journalist, a gold-star family, women, immigrants, and anyone who criticizes him, an aid named Kelly Sadler has now hit a new low by
I HAVE A DREAM
Martin Luther King taught us to dream beyond the cruelties of this world, to reach past the limitations invented by small-minded people. He taught us to keep our eyes on the mountain-top and believe we could get there. In honor