History teaches us a hard truth: Democracies don’t collapse only when institutions fail — they collapse when leaders turn their weapons on the very people they are sworn to serve. Tanks in the streets, tear gas in the squares, troops…
3 things you can do to defend our constitutional government
I am deeply grieved by what I am seeing in the United States today. Since the current administration took office, there have been 34 to 40 federal injunctions and more than 120 lawsuits filed against the administration’s overreach and breaches…
The midwives of democracy are already at work
Nearly nine months into 2025, it seems there is no escaping the soul-crushing headlines of clawed‑back voting rights, mass deportation raids, families torn apart, the law enforcement takeover of D.C. and record-breaking heat waves resulting in fatalities all around the…
Why a Democracy Advocate in Putin’s Russia Didn’t Fear Death
He lives to trouble Vladimir Putin, the authoritarian strongman of Russia who may have had the advocate for democracy killed a little more than a year ago and who definitely had him poisoned before that.
Walesa and Polish prisoners of war denounce Trump’s treatment of Zelensky
Polish democracy advocate Lech Wałęsa and 39 other former prisoners of war sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump expressing panic and dismay at the way he treated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office last Friday. “We…
Are we a democracy or a republic? Why words matter
“The United States is not a democracy! It’s a republic!” my independent Baptist high school government teacher declared over the sound of gunfire and cannons exploding in the Civil War re-enactment across the street. Almost three decades later, the debate…
Show up and speak up to save democracy, panelists urge
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said he is struggling to fully comprehend the Trump administration’s overwhelming assault on basic freedoms as well as its ongoing attempt to dismantle federal programs and agencies. Calling the situation a “crisis” would be an…
How ‘flood-the-zone’ politics is changing democracy and ministry
The “flood-the-zone” strategy is not new, but it is wildly effective. How can we understand its effect on churches and ministers? The immediate aim of President Donald Trump’s White House is to keep journalists off balance, news and social media…
Is the whole world becoming more conservative?
By some accounts, the whole world is becoming more conservative. It that so? The answer is an unqualified yes and no. As with the second coming of Donald Trump, there are global indicators more people are leaning more conservative, which…
Religious liberty groups say they’re ready to oppose Trump
Donald Trump’s next presidency promises to be more frightening and damaging than the first given his threats against immigrants, democracy and religious liberty, said Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. “As outlined in Project 2025,…
This year, I’m a single-issue voter
I used to think single-issue voters were totally off-base. I mean, everything’s connected. Political issues never stand alone. The solution to whatever problem motivates the single-issue voter will always affect other problems and other citizens. A good example is an…
I’m not laughing about Puerto Rico
I like to laugh. I like telling stories of funny real-life situations and laughing with others. I especially like making my wife and children laugh, although the Dad jokes primarily elicit rolled eyes and pained expressions. Sometimes, I make myself…