A few years ago, I gave a speech. In my closing remarks I quoted Irish statesman Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” In my head, after delivering this line everyone shouted, “HUZZAH!” Afterwords, I stayed around and talked…

Dr. Ed Kornegay is no stranger to miracles. As a pastor in a prison ministry program, he regularly sees conversions by hardened criminals. But on Jan. 20, 2021, he knew he needed a miracle. Kornegay awoke to a nightmare. His 28-year-old son, Anthony, had been shot. Anthony was a…

Last week I got a tough phone call. My Aunt Nan was stopping her cancer treatment. She was entering end-of-life hospice care. So at 3:30 a.m. Saturday, I kissed my sleeping wife and kids. I boarded a plane for Washington, D.C., to say goodbye. As I drove to the airport…

The back of my business card says something Winston Churchill would have taken issue with. It says: “Illinois Policy Institute: Innovative solutions to Illinois’ problems.” Churchill wouldn’t have used the word “innovative.” He would have called it “corkscrew thinking.” He developed that term because for most of World War II…

I do a weird thing when I take out my garbage: I kick the trash can two times. I do this because two years ago I had a traumatic garbage experience. I walked into the dark alleyway of our Chicago apartment. Trash in one hand, I opened the lid to…

Joseph Ocol decided his mission was not just to educate kids. He needed to save them. As a high school math teacher, Joseph Ocol called attendance every day. And every day, he would call the name Kareem Mohamad Raji. Kareem would reply in a smooth, deep voice: “I’m good, Mr…

During difficult times, I’ve always wished I could turn to my dad for advice. The problem is, my dad died when I was a teenager. Those moments never came. But I still imagine sitting next to him. He puts his arm around my shoulders, turns to me and says, “Fight…

One in 2 Ukrainians knew someone who lost a family member or was killed by the current Russian invasion, according to a new poll by The Wall Street Journal. Half the country has now been irrevocably affected by the ongoing war. In addition to having a family member killed by…

Nearly 10 years ago, I moved into an idyllic neighborhood. It’s like a scene from a 1950’s sitcom. Neighborhood kids come over and knock on our door to ask if Fiona, our 5 year old, wants to ride bikes. There is a local park that is the communal area for…