Brief reflections on global affairs, leadership, faith, and cross-cultural experience.
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On Writing and Creativity – Keep Creating!
If God has gifted you to tell a good story, write a good book, or direct a good play, there will be opportunities for you. You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. Sadly, too often creativity is smothered rather than nurtured. There has to be a climate in whichContinue reading →
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Letters to My Wife: New Book out in Japanese
My new book is out in Japanese and English, dedicated to my wife of 11 years. I decided what better way to honor her than to write a letter to her every weekend and publish a book in her honor in Japanese and Engish. Available for purchase here: The title of the book is: 照れくさい手紙が嫌いな妻へ:Continue reading →
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The Courage of American Women
American history is so diverse and there is so much that isn’t taught. A little known local secret in Lorton, VA is the Workhouse Prison Museum where Lucy Burns and other Suffragists were imprisoned from 1917-1918 for picketing the White House to gain support for an amendment in the Constitution to allow women to vote.Continue reading →
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Dual Citizens Bring Nations Closer
Dual citizens bring nations closer. I argue this in my book LoveBothKeepBoth: Passport to Peace, Prosperity and Strengthened Diplomacy. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson agree. The couple officially became dual citizens this week by obtaining Greek citizenship. Congratulations! Using this occasion to share one of my favorite Tom Hank’s quotes: “If it wasn’t hard, everyoneContinue reading →
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A Perfect Union
Are there perfect human beings? No. Can a gathering of imperfect human beings create a perfect union? No. But the key in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution is the word “more”. We are striving toward the ideal of a “more” perfect Union. May we work together to realize that ideal this Fourth of JulyContinue reading →
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5 Reasons for Dual Nationality: Reason #5
Prejudice against dual nationality is a stance against value pluralism. Yet, value pluralism is an essential need for the long-term stability of an open democratic society.
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5 Reasons for Dual Nationality: Reason #4
Pressuring or forcing dual nationals to renounce one of their citizenships communicates that love of country must equate to love of the country’s government – as opposed to communicating government’s duty to earn the love of its citizens.
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5 Reasons for Dual Nationality: Reason #3
Pressuring or forcing dual nationals to renounce one of their citizenships is analogous to creating a brick-less Berlin Wall. It locks in the citizen by making defection more difficult such that poor governance need not result in loss of subjects.
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5 Reasons for Dual Nationality: Reason #2
For as long as man has kept written history, leaders have recognized that dual nationality is a tool to keep the peace. Emperors and kings frequently married the offspring of rulers from other nations thereby creating a dual national in their spouse while encouraging peace and cooperation between the nations.
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5 Reasons for Dual Nationality: Reason #1
The origins of prejudice against dual nationality stem from war and the desire for certainty regarding who can be trusted when lives are at stake. If that is true, there seems to be little if any need for such prejudice in times of peace. Keeping that prejudice in play during times of peace communicates aContinue reading →