King or Dictator Today is February 19, 2025. By chance, this marks exactly 500 days until the United States celebrates 250 years of independence from monarchy. And yet, on this very day, Donald Trump took to social media to declare, “Congestion pricing is dead. Manhattan, and all of New York is saved. Long live the King!” That statement led me to revisit the Declaration of Independence. It’s truly remarkable how the words Thomas Jefferson wrote—later refined by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin—remain as relevant today as they were 249 years ago. The Declaration begins with a powerful idea: When people find themselves in a situation where they must break away from a political system that has bound them to another, and establish themselves as an independent and equal entity—something that the natural order and fundamental rights grant them—it’s only fair and reasonable that they explain their reasons for doing so to the rest of the world. Are we at such a moment now? The list of gri...
Communication The other day, I was listening to a podcast from the Lincoln Project. Rick Wilson was interviewing Adam Frisch, the candidate for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, and they were discussing the importance of speaking to voters with dignity. This got me thinking—what does it truly mean to communicate with dignity? More importantly, how does one ensure that the person receiving that respect understands they are being treated with dignity? Webster defines dignity as “formal reserve or seriousness of manner, appearance, or language,” while respect is defined as “a relation or reference to a particular thing or situation.” Mr. Frisch pointed out that voters don’t like being talked down to, and he’s absolutely right. However, if simply pointing out misinformation or correcting a false belief is perceived as condescending, then our country is in deeper trouble than we realize. Consider this: how does one respectfully engage with someone who insists that Democrats cann...