Barack Obama and George W Bush inspire in this sad and angry moment

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George W. Bush knows we’ve failed black America. Barack Obama wants to fix things. Together, they point the way forward from this moment of crisis. George W. Bush acknowledges the pain of black Americans While I disagreed with the presidential policies of George W. Bush, I believed that he made decisions based on what was … Continued

The fundamental question: Do you want answers or empathy?

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Much of human conflict can be traced to a fundamental misunderstanding: giving people answers when they want empathy, or vice versa. Think about it. If you are in a serious relationship, what happens when your significant other comes to you in a state of upset about something happening in their life? When someone comes to … Continued

What Barack Obama should have written in his letter to Donald Trump

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I really wanted to like the letter that Barack Obama left in the Oval Office for Donald Trump. Ultimately, though, it’s nothing but platitudes. It certainly hasn’t helped. Imagine for a moment the situation of outgoing President Obama writing a letter for incoming President Trump on Inauguration Day in January. On substance and policy, the … Continued

How people express support as John McCain faces brain cancer

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John McCain has an aggressive form of brain cancer. After 31 years of high-visibility leadership in the Senate, he’s due a lot of sympathy. The sincere and personal notes that his colleagues have written impressed me. The prognosis for McCain’s cancer is poor. Like many Americans, I’ve admired him for years. His heroism as a … Continued

Trump statement on Syria chemical weapons: blame but no solutions

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Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad apparently used nerve gas in the Syrian war, killing civilians. The situation there remains impossible. Trump’s blame-filled statement can’t change that. The six-year multilateral conflict in Syria features a murderous dictator backed by Russia, Islamic State terrorists, and “moderate” rebel factions backed by the U.S. — with civilians caught in the middle. It … Continued

The surprising effectiveness of Trump’s whitehouse.gov

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When a U.S. administration changes, so does the president’s website. Under Trump, the new whitehouse.gov addresses six issues, each with a short, simple, direct block of text. Unlike the president, it’s focused, clear, and effective. My social feeds were full of protests when the pages for LGBT rights and climate change disappeared from whitehouse.gov. Were you really … Continued

How our leaders responded to events of this week

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Yesterday I told you that our leaders’ responses to events of Baton Rouge; Falcon Heights, Minnesota; and Dallas would tell us a lot about them and the years to come. Today, I rate those responses. President Obama and Hillary Clinton rate well; the other candidates rate poorly. I didn’t have high hopes; this is an … Continued