In a world with so much economic, social and political inequalities, education is not only a great equalizer, but an economic ladder, social capital and political empowerment. Today’s American immigrant is banking on the fruits of education. Ask any immigrant from any background, and they will tell you that their ultimate hope is education, for […]
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More Catholic Church sex scandals come to light
Sexual scandals and inappropriate behavior are as old as the Bible. I give you (1 Corinthians 5:1) in which Paul writes: “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife.” In more modern times, there […]
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Surviving suicide
When a friend’s son committed suicide, she told me she had read that people killing themselves want to kill at least one other person, likely the person closest to them. When my father killed himself in 1950, he may not have killed anyone else — each survivor might wonder who was the other person he […]
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Impeachment is just a liberal fantasy
WASHINGTON — Michael Cohen’s decision to plead guilty for making hush-money payments on Donald Trump’s behalf has raised the prospect that if Democrats take control of Congress, they might try to impeach the president over a matter completely unrelated to a perceived criminal conspiracy with Russia. Good luck with that: Even if Democrats win back […]
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Breaking the shackles of religious bondage
My family and I were deeply, fervently Catholic. Catholic kindergarten and grade school: Notre Dame, New Hyde Park, New York; St. Molloy Catholic Summer Camp, New York; St. Mary’s High School, Manhasset, New York; St. John’s University, New York City. We prayed the rosary on our knees every night along with my Italian, immigrant grandmother […]
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As the man said, 'No brag, just fact'
Walter Brennan was an actor from times past who played many different roles in various movies and in television. In one of his roles there would invariably be some accomplishment or victory. In that role, when asked about his ability to accomplish something or be victorious, he would just respond, “No brag, just fact.. In […]
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Warning signs multiply about Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh
In just a few weeks, the U.S. Senate begins one of its most important deliberations in recent history. If 53-year-old Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed to the Supreme Court, there will be major reverberations for all of us and our children for decades. So why does Susan Collins, a potential swing vote on the nomination, seem […]
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New trade agreement could mean higher car prices
WASHINGTON — When the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect in 1994, it was widely regarded — by friend and foe alike — as an ambitious experiment in economic engineering. To advocates, it promised the benefits of stronger economic growth for its three member countries: Canada, Mexico and the United States. To its adversaries, […]
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Here's to people who work with their hands
After leaving high school, my father worked in factories and drove trucks. College was never in the cards for him. Though a good thinker — the Navy put him in a program dominated by college grads — he never excelled academically. And in any case, he had parents and young brothers to support. A successful […]
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Democratic establishment shifts to the left
The Battle of Michigan Avenue is finally over, and it was won by the protesters. The lopsided fight between anti-war demonstrators and the brutish police force of Chicago’s Democratic mayor Richard Daley the night of Aug. 28, 1968, in the midst of the Democratic convention, was a debacle for the left. The protests didn’t stop […]