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(Benefits and Traps) Compromise is an agreement reached by the parties involved.  It requires making concessions in order to achieve a more rewarding mutual goal.  It is a mechanism of dialogue that, if successful, recognizes mutual worth and mutual possibility. It is a normal tool used in decision-making by independent […]

(Two Countries That Can’t) While we must learn from the past we must also let loose of it so we can use what we have learned to shape a better future. There was a time in history when a form of despotism called royalty dominated global politics – kings and […]

Over the years my appreciation for my father’s lessons has grown.  He was born just after the turn of the twentieth century.  He grew up on a backwoods farm in rural Tennessee with six older brothers who were all over six feet tall.  He was only a few inches over […]

(When Democracy Is Not Democracy) The framers of the constitution faced a serious problem. Following the American Revolution, many of the colonies maintained an independent spirit despite the notion of becoming a group of united states.  They still saw themselves as reluctant parts.  After all, they had been independent colonies. […]

The word plight refers to an unfortunate or dangerous situation. It adequately describes the state of our nation and global community.  Democracies are in a state of decline and despotisms are on the rise. The only hope for a positive future is to stem this tide and turn it in […]

I was raised in a conservative political and religious environment.  This gave direction to my living until my views of reality were transformed in my late thirties.  Some of this early environment was curse and some was blessing.  During this Christmas season, I give focus to one of its blessings. […]

The Big Lie is not that the last presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump. The Big Lie has been around since the inception of America. That the election was stolen from Trump is just one of its adjuncts – a current façade intended to protect the real lie.  Two […]

(Past and Present) In the Old Testament book of Exodus, there is a story about the Israelites being led out of Egyptian bondage toward a promised land where they would live and thrive.  But the journey was tough, requiring a comparable devotion to overcome its difficulties. One day their leader, […]

(The American Prison System) Let us assume that a person called Jesus actually lived and was executed by the Roman authorities for inciting civil unrest. According to his supposed teachings he believed in the inherent worth of everyone and thought human purpose was the common good.  In today’s world, he […]