Author: Scott Westerman

A republic is never merely a structure of laws, buildings, and offices. A republic is a habit of character. It is the daily decision of ordinary people to tell the truth, defend the vulnerable, honor the public good, and refuse to confuse comfort with conscience.

Questlove’s new HBO documentary, Earth, Wind & Fire: To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World, is a portrait of a band that preached cosmic harmony while orbiting a man who, by all accounts, could be painfully difficult to reach.

After the two companies failed to reach a new retransmission agreement, viewers suddenly found themselves unable to watch local news, network programming, sports, and other content.

We’ve all seen the headlines. Commencement speakers booed for mentioning artificial intelligence. Graduates bristling at the idea that the world they spent four years preparing to enter has already changed before they could cross the stage.Underneath the boos is something very human: fear.

The true judge of character is how we treat others.What’s easy to forget is how every human being has value. We can be quick to categorize a person by how they look, the narrative of a resume or a single behavioral instance.

These days it feels like we are recipients of the famous Chinese curse. “May you live in interesting times.” While it’s hard to stay positive as the world seems to spin out of control around us, historian Howard Zinn once offered an interesting response. He called it the Optimism of Uncertainty.

I often wonder what my dad, “The Real” Scott Westerman might say about today’s political climate.Perhaps he would start with a reminder: This is a difficult era, but it’s still our responsibility to shape it.

I turn 71 on January 13. A recent essay from Pam Erwin Moreton caught my attention. Here’s my take on her observations about an honest look forward.

If we consider the discord, the loss, the fragility of the last twelve months, it is easy to feel hollowed out. With all the frightening things happening, the question hangs in the air: What is the case for hope?

Let’s face it. Much of our world today is one big ball of stress. If you have even the tiniest heart, it’s probably hurting. My doc is right. I need more cardio, fewer french fries, and… most importantly a little more awe.