He taught you many things like how to turn a wrench and how to check your tire pressure. He also instructed you to hold the door open for people and always say, “Thank you,” when someone does something for you.

So, here’s my question for the MAGA crowd – one of several related questions, actually: When was America last great, and what was great about it? Also, when did it quit being great, and why?

My former student left her job to care for two young children, and now that they’re adolescents, I asked if she was going to resume her career. “No,” she replied as tears welled in her eyes. “My children are a mess.”

There's something remarkable about the gun debate that has arisen in the aftermath of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Compared to years past, the argument on Capitol Hill is somewhat muted. Yes, members of the House of Representatives are yelling at each other, but that's nothing unusual. But in the Senate, where the real work on a gun deal is going on, the talk is quiet and the anticipation low. At least, until President Joe Biden jumped into it.