Author Archives: Bill Schmitt

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About Bill Schmitt

OnWord.net is the home for Bill Schmitt's blog and biographical information. This blog, initiated during Bill's nearly 14 years as a communications professional at Notre Dame, expresses Bill's opinions alone. Go to "About Bill Schmitt" and "I Link, Therefore I Am" to see samples of multimedia content I'm producing now and have produced during my journalism career and my marketing communications career. Like me at facebook.com/wgschmitt, follow me on Twitter @wschmitt, and meet "bill schmitt" on LinkedIn.

Jimmy Carter and Friends: Hope for Today’s Malaise

Posted on June 28, 2024 by Bill Schmitt

We tend to shower praise on people who “fit in,” but it’s more instructive to appreciate folks who are unique—which is everyone. Former President Jimmy Carter has blazed new trails, and The Washington Post on June 22 reminded us that … Continue reading →

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Pope Calls for ‘Healthy Politics’ to Remedy AI Wounds

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Bill Schmitt

Pope Francis brought his campaign for a new modus vivendi between humans and artificial intelligence directly to a meeting of world leaders on June 14. His sobering message: Governments—and all of us—must up our game in confronting the moral hazard … Continue reading →

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‘I Remind You, You’re Under Oath’

Posted on June 13, 2024 by Bill Schmitt

Amid the courtroom traumas of lawfare and divisive political chatter we might call “jawfare,” one upbeat element of America’s news diet still speaks well of us. Journalists chronicle this edifying subtext halfheartedly, more in its breach than in its observance. … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Prayer, Spirit of communication, Words, Writing | Leave a comment

‘There’s the Glass House. Here’s the Stone.’

Posted on May 27, 2024 by Bill Schmitt

Our society’s embrace of the all-purpose polarizer—the worldview labeled “oppressed vs. oppressor” or “victim vs. victimizer”—prompts us to weaponize everything, including guilt. We’ve got lots of glass houses and plenty of stones. Guilt is already a formidable material when it … Continue reading →

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Updating the Pope’s AI Messages—Download Data, Upload Souls

Posted on May 8, 2024 by Bill Schmitt

This commentary is also published in Phronesis in Pieces, found at billschmitt.substack.com. Six months can bring a lot of action in the world of artificial intelligence. Pope Francis began 2024 with two messages to the Catholic Church probing AI’s prospects … Continue reading →

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Catholics Have Work to Do; Tech Schools Can Help

Posted on May 1, 2024 by Bill Schmitt

To celebrate this Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, May 1, we can channel the earthly father of Jesus and imagine his joy that Catholics increasingly see promise in a “tech school” education. Americans have rediscovered the need to “get … Continue reading →

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Big Mess on Campus: ‘Fighting Irish’ Lessons on Unrest

Posted on May 1, 2024 by Bill Schmitt

The current tumult on college campuses, a sad erosion of their status as centers of wonder, excellence, and shared learning, invites us to go back a half-century and recall how one university community experienced a previous era of unrest. Let’s … Continue reading →

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Our Magical Mystery Tour–Now Departing from Reality

Posted on April 23, 2024 by Bill Schmitt

Also check out the Magis Center blog, which this week posted a previous, related commentary by Bill Schmitt: “We Seek Authenticity, But Be Careful Defining What’s Real.” The Magis Center is directed by Father Robert Spitzer, SJ. Breathe in the … Continue reading →

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After Easter, Shedding Lenten Lessons is a Crying Shame

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Bill Schmitt

It was timely to learn about so-called “cry spas” during Lent. That period of sadness and penitence ushered in Easter, when our tears are “turned into dancing,” as we’re told in song. The tricky part starts now, as our lives combine … Continue reading →

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Timing is the Key to Comity: No Joke!

Posted on March 18, 2024 by Bill Schmitt

This is a preview of the commentary to be published tomorrow in “Phronesis in Pieces” at billschmitt.substack.com. Be sure to check out some of the links below to view videos. Comedians have a key area of expertise: timing. We enjoy … Continue reading →

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