Opinion Pieces

I grew up in a family that honored the law and revered the Supreme Court. Perhaps that is not surprising because my father was a lawyer and county commissioner, my grandfather was a lawyer and a mayor, and his father — William Howard Taft — was a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. We sat […]

I come from a longtime political family. My great-grandfather was President William H. Taft, and his son was Mr. Republican, Sen. Robert A. Taft. My father, Seth Taft, was the most honest, sincere, caring person I have ever known. He served as a commissioner for Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland. Before that, he ran for

Enough.  I have had enough of treating the current leaders of the extreme wing of the Republican partyas worthy political opponents. That wing is in control of the party and trying to be in control of our lives, our nation and our Democracy.  They are wrong AND dangerous, and they lie with a calm face,

I have eight grandchildren, three daughters-in-law, a son-in-law, and my four children. What country, what legal system, what form of government, what environment will I leave them? It is what motivates me every day.  Nothing else really matters.   Every time I look in the mirror, I find myself asking, “What am I doing with

The neat rows of simple white crosses stretch much too far in American military cemeteries across Europe — marking the graves of young and brave American soldiers. There are few who can walk among those graves without tears flowing freely. They gave their lives for our country and died much too young. As Colin Powell

The Latin word for left is Sinister.  The Latin word for right is Dexter (Dexterous).   I am left-handed.  None of my three siblings are left-handed.  I did not choose to be left-handed. I just AM totally and completely left-handed.  In our world, there are a number of significant drawbacks to being left-handed, and if I

Southern state Republicans are on the verge of accomplishing legislatively what the Confederate generals could not achieve on the battlefield over 160 years ago – winning the Civil War.  Or at least accomplishing all of the goals that motivated the South to secede in the first place. The forces for and against slavery stood at

The three topics in the title above have a consistent theme.  Fear of Change.  Let’s look at the first two as a possible guide to the eventual outcome of the third.   Some time ago I ordered a full-size printed copy of the front page of the New York Times on the day that women were

Bob Dylan wrote Forever Young in 1973, over 50 years ago, as a way to describe his hopes for his son.  The lyrics capture the essence of what every parent would wish for their children.  From the second verse of the song: May you grow up to be righteous May you grow up to be

The “No Kings” rally on June 14 has to be a powerful precursor to the essential mass demonstrations that will rid this nation of the authoritarian wave that has swept away both law-abiding Republicans and law-abiding Democrats. Americans have always been able to count on the stability of this nation because it is guided by