Pursuit for Equality in a Democracy

  When I was in elementary school, I fell in love with the United States and everything that we were taught that it stands for: Life, Freedom, and Happiness. I loved American History so much that I would read ahead in our Social Studies textbook. While my teacher was talking about Boston Massacre, I would be reading about the Battle of Yorktown. There was a book in the school library about all the Presidents in our history up to Jimmy Carter. The year was 1979 and I had dreams of becoming President one day. In fact, I wanted to be the first Jewish President. I had no idea of lobbyists, party politics, or political action committees. I was nine years old, and I believed so much in the freedoms that our country gave us. The alternative was communism and living under the Iron Curtin of the USSR.     As I grew up, my views changed. The more books on American history I read, the more I realized that our nation has many skeletons and bad habits that we can’t seem to shake. I ha...

  Shortly after my son Evan was diagnosed with Autism 5 ½ years ago, I bought a blue t-shirt with Charlie Brown and Snoopy walking down a path made up of the multi-colored autism puzzle pieces. Snoopy’s hand is gently placed on Charlie Brown’s back and the phrase printed on the t-shirt reads, “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. I have other t-shirts that I have purchased over the years that promote autism awareness, but this is my favorite one. Even more than all my Mets and Jets t-shirts or jerseys.     At the time I purchased this t-shirt, I wanted to support my son and bring awareness to this journey that we were about to partake. A journey that so many families have or are in the process of taking with their own child and what better way to do it than with Snoopy and Charlie Brown. I have loved Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts characters since I was little. I would never and have never let Evan walk alone. It has been a journey filled with many emotions and always with love....