What price would you pay for democracy?

It’s not a trick question, and I’ll ask it again. What price would you pay to live in a democratic country like the United States?

We all must pay a price for living in a democracy, as flawed and imperfect as it seems at times. Those who serve in our military or lawful immigrants who came to this country from a country that violates their basic human rights just might have a better sense of that price.

Research shows that employers frequently overlook and sometimes exclude the long-term unemployed from job opportunities. One study found that candidates who had been out of work for eight months received a call back for interviews only about half as often as candidates who had been out of work for only one month, even with an otherwise identical resume.

“Cyber threats pose one of the gravest national security dangers the United States faces.” – President Barack Obama

Twice a year, during daylight saving time (it’s coming up in November), we’re reminded to replace the batteries in our smoke detectors. It’s a simple, inexpensive, precautionary effort, perfectly timed to our changing of the clocks.

Junk Health Care Plans Offer Lousy Coverage and Harm Women

The administrative rule finalized in August by the Trump administration allows states to opt-out of some of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) most important consumer protections. These include the requirement that Medicaid and health plans in the marketplaces cover all 10 essential health benefits (EHBs), such as coverage for maternity care, mental health services and prescription drugs.

We’re about to be awash in pink. And that’s a very good thing.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Wearing pink is the universal branding that raises annual awareness about breast cancer.

Our country has a housing affordability crisis. Here in New Jersey, this issue is stark and sobering. In March of this year, Mercer County Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson issued the most recent ruling on our state’s affordable housing need, saying that more than 155,000 affordable housing units are needed in New Jersey.

It’s among the scariest words men face: You have prostate cancer. My father and my uncle both heard them and had their lives changed forever. That’s why in September, National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, it is so important for men to get a screening if they fit into the recommended age guidelines. Just as women across the nation use “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” as a reminder to schedule their annual mammography, us men should use the month of September as an impetus to schedule our screenings as well.

As Congress grapples with the final disposition of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — amid the effort by President Donald Trump to dismantle it — all of us can anticipate taxpayers grumbling with economic pain throughout the country.

We’ve heard the cliché, running in place results in predictable results. This method represents the status quo and an acceptance of things as they are, which is a poor foundation for future success, especially if the subject is the education of our children in decades to come. I would suggest that one of the clues that can propel our children toward a more successful future is to approach education with a creative touch that has often been lacking.

As summer comes to a close, parents and students all over the country will celebrate National Back to School Month. As we begin to prepare for school, children all over will be doing back-to-school shopping, and parents will be looking for information to ensure their students are prepared.