The train was crowded, and every seat was filled. The young woman politely asked if the seat next to me was available. It took some time for the train to get underway. In the meantime, she turned on the overhead light and started reading. After the train started moving, she got up and went to the club car where the lighting was brighter. She stayed there for a long time before returning to her seat.

Disasters and national tragedies create havoc, but at the same time they seem to bring out the best in Americans: our compassion, generosity, willingness to help others, and reaching out beyond absorption with self-interests that seem to plague us in normal times.

From the comfort of my apartment in Raleigh, I watched the non-stop TV coverage of the slow crawl of the hurricane across the southeastern portion of the state. It is too soon to assess the amount of the damage or to compare it with Matthew in 2016. North Carolina has great natural resources and beauty, but hurricanes are part of the cost of living here. Most people are not aware that the damage is often not limited to the coast.

Detention Center

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold the Trump Administration's ban on travel from certain Muslim countries on the basis of a narrow definition of national security expands the policy of discrimination against immigrants, people of color, and the LGBT community. The Dept. of Justice, which should protect our civil rights and liberties, has chosen for political reasons to establish a series of policies that discriminate against all of these categories.