There are few more famous lines from a woman’s pen in the era of the American Revolution than those written by Abigail Adams, wife of delegate John Adams.
A constitutional republic, if you can keep it
Too often, when I hear or read political pundits, both conservative and liberal, refer to the United States as a “democracy,” I want to scream, “We are a constitutional republic, not a democracy!” and a few choice other words directed…
John Adams and the discipline of seeing both sides
There are moments in history when the moral courage of a single individual becomes a kind of quiet lighthouse — unshowy, steady and stubbornly faithful to the truth even when the surrounding waters churn with fear, anger and tribal certainty….
‘Remember the ladies’
In 1776, Abigail Adams wrote to her husband, John, “Remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember all men would be…
John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and necessary grace
No one should be surprised. These divisive times we currently endure remain strikingly similar to this nation’s very beginnings. Yes, the current administration continues to break norms and in now predictably unpredictable fashion. It provokes disdain, sows discord, stokes anger…
Garrison Keillor got it right about children
My wife has an acrylic paperweight which was given to her some years ago. Etched into it is the quote popularized by Garrison Keillor of Prairie Home Companion fame that says, “Nothing you do for children is ever wasted.” I…