Almost every time my boyfriend and I get into an argument, he ends up making me laugh. He can’t help it — or so he says — because he’s a born-and-bred Irishman, with dark humor in his blood. Usually when this happens — when I find myself fighting...
Read more>

One of our Thanksgiving gatherings from years ago is a day that lives in infamy. Things were going so well until two of my brothers-in-law got into it with my father over politics after a few glasses of wine. I may have contributed to the altercation,...
Read more>

This July 4th marked the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. The anniversary was part of the draw for me to participate as a delegate in a convention of Braver Angels, which was held at Gettysburg College over four days following the...
Read more>

Rarely does a good story come along that involves so many of my hot button issues (bipartisan cooperation, civics education, political polarization, and improving civil discourse). It started with a phone call last September out of the blue, which I first...
Read more>

As you have probably gathered from earlier columns of mine, I am a joiner. A friend of mine used to joke, we should start a local chapter of “Volunteers Anonymous” for those people who just find a hard time saying no. Whether it’s the little league, local...
Read more>

SOMERS, N.Y. -- This year is an important election year, and trustworthy elections are essential to ensure the legitimacy of our government. They are the cornerstone of democratic governance. Fair elections protect the right to participate in the democratic...
Read more>

As a progressive Democrat from New York City, I’ve long associated guns with gang violence and police shootings. In 2013, I was robbed at gunpoint. An acquaintance of mine is a survivor of the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglass High School in...
Read more>

The nation’s deep political divisions were highlighted by the Siena College national survey. What is the antidote to this rancor? It’s listening carefully to learn what those on the other side believe and how they came to their beliefs, and it’s speaking....
Read more>