Upstander Reflections

A few weeks ago, a group of predominantly White, Catholic high school boys, many wearing Make America Great Again (MAGA) hats, attended a pro-life rally in Washington, DC. They were harassed by a group of Black adults that call themselves Hebrew Israelites. In turn, the Catholic boys had a bit of a stand-off with a Native American man beating a drum that had just attended an Indigenous Peoples march. This whole situation went viral and sides have been taken. Students from Covington Catholic in “stand-off” with Native American Nathan Williams I know what it’s like to chaperone a group of teenagers in Washington DC during tumultuous times. I chaperoned 24 mostly Hispanic students at President Trump's inauguration . I can relate. I am also Catholic and attended an all boys, predominantly White Catholic high school. My school was once on the cover of the Chicago Tribune for chanting Buckwheat to a Black basketball player of an opposing team. I can relate.   Need...

Dear American Leadership, Sorry it took a few days to formulate a rebuttal. I had to go to work. You see, when my co-workers and I have an issue or a disagreement, we have to work it out, compromise and move forward. There is no “shutdown” option.   Mr. President, I appreciate how you addressed the nation about a topic you feel strongly about. I admire your conviction and determination. Yet, I’m afraid that you are misguided. I’m not sure if you believe the things you say or if you have some ulterior motive. You have done a good job keeping us guessing. Congratulations on that, If that was even your plan. However, one thing is for certain: You have conjured up an immediate and pressing crisis on an issue that has been long standing. An analogy I would like to use is “water in the basement.” I’m not sure if you’ve ever dealt with this but to us regular Americans, this is a common occurrence. Basements take in water. Illegal immigration is much like “water in basement.” It...