At the heart of the nation's gun challenge is how to create a good society. People long to make a better effort to be in one another's lives. They want to join in give-and-take to identify solutions that will work. They want to focus on concerns larger than themselves. And they want to take action, together.

There are so many things about the movement that people ought to understand but that never get properly expressed in the public discussion or the mainstream media.

On Obama's birth certificate, on climate, and in lots of other areas, I think we tend to see people speaking out of need or desire, not clear thought. Tribal, partisan interests dominate discourse much more than an honest pursuit of truth.

Just as my well-meaning acquaintances pigeonhole me, orientalists attempt to fit the history and politics of Muslims or Arabs into a greater arc that is dominated by cultural or religious stereotypes.

The logic is absolutely clear -- the more guns in private hands, the more people will be shot and killed each year in the US. The more guns in private hands, the greater the number will be of mentally unstable individuals with guns.

The speech Barack Obama gave in Tucson was a memorial to the victims of a horrible tragedy, but the spirit of his speech could also shape Tuesday's State of the Union address by calling us to be worthy of each victim's sacrifice.

Last week, I called on Congress to make a symbolic gesture of national unity by abandoning the traditionally partisan seating at the President's State of the Union address -- and the idea is catching on.

The Arizona shooting is an unmitigated tragedy, but if this event can fuel a transformation in our public discourse, it will be a small glimmer on a dark moment in history.

What do the following have in common? "Death panels", "The Party of No!", "Save Social Security," government bail outs, Sarah Palin's latest gaffe, t...

This week, a group of more than 130 former legislators, both Republicans and Democrats, released a letter urging for civility and encouraging candidates, once elected, to focus on cooperation to face our country's greatest challenges.

"I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity." - O...

We need wise hearts on all sides of the political spectrum, as we engage with the thorny issues of our day. When, after all, did empathy become a bad word?

My feeling is that listening to the Republicans' rhetoric between now and November will be like watching someone continue to blow up an already too-inflated balloon as we cringe and wait for it to pop.

Avowed liberals consider themselves to be loyal to the truth while die-hard conservatives seem only to be loyal. Somewhere in the middle lies the perfect American.