Eleven years before Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), the case in which the Supreme Court sanctioned same-sex marriage, my students at Miami University reached the exact conclusions it took the U.S. Senate another seven years after Obergfell to adopt. In 2004, I taught a summer session of my “Imagination and Entrepreneurship” course which included the following … Read more
With great power comes great responsibility. Ben Parker (Cliff Robertson), Spider-man 2002 Last Thursday, my alma mater the University of Virginia hosted its second annual Oratory Competition. Conducted underneath the dome of Mr. Jefferson’s historic Rotunda, 10 finalists addressed the question, “Is free speech important at a public university in our democracy – and why?” … Read more
Amnesia runs deep in the Democratic Party. Especially when it comes to compromise with Republicans. In 2009, Democrats watered down the Affordable Care Act to secure bi-partisan support. Yet not one GOP senator voted for the final bill. In 2015, they accepted Mitch McConnell’s justification for blocking consideration of Merrick Garland’s nomination to the Supreme … Read more
Critics of the “Make America Great Again” movement believe it is a euphemism for taking the country back to the 1950s or earlier. You know, before women’s rights, civil rights and gay rights. But every idea, regardless of how insane or inane it appears to be, often contains a kernel of wisdom. In one respect, … Read more
For me, one of the most enlightening moments in the aftermath of the tragic events in Buffalo on Saturday came when a number of journalists and pundits were chastised for referring to the shooter as a “lone gunman.” What were the critics of this reporting trying to tell us? While one person pulled the triggered, … Read more