Generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties, says what the states can't do to you, says what the federal government can't do to you. But it doesn't say what the state or federal government must do on your behalf.

Right around my first year of college - I remember "Song of Solomon," by Toni Morrison, just moved me tremendously. The power of language and how it can peel back truths, bring things to the surface. So I learned a lot from fiction.

What is the empathy deficit? The inability of people to stand in other folks shoes. It's hard to empathize with people who have different values than you

The best anti-poverty program is a world-class education.

I believe that we have better ideas. But I also believe that good ideas don't matter if people don't hear them.

You can't entirely compare between the United States and Greece for a range of reasons, not just because of the size of the economy.

When I was a kid, I inhaled. Frequently. That was the point.