Before I could become a military officer or a Member of Congress, I was required to do one thing: Take an oath to the Constitution.

Military members understand that the focus is on completing the mission. We don't care if you are tall or short; have dark skin or pale skin or freckles; or are gay, straight, or transgender.

A comprehensive Syria strategy, ideally one that's more than 280 characters, remains a key requirement to protect U.S. interests in the Middle East.

The U.S. cannot implement a cogent strategy on the world stage if no one is sure whether to take the President seriously.

I had read Harold Bloom's 'Where Shall Wisdom Be Found?' Late in his life, having read everything, Bloom asked which books had given him wisdom. I had just read a bunch of contemporary novels that had no wisdom for me.

I wasn't cast to play the part of a paranormal investigator, like maybe some other shows out there. I believe it, and it's my passion, and this is what I'm here to do in this life. I love it. It was just meant to be for me. It's what I'm doing. This was my purpose.

I've always loved the power of stories to transport me to another world, to imagine extraordinary possibilities, to experience things I may not have access to in my regular life - like being a superhero! Also, I would always put on shows for my family and the neighbors; I guess I was an actor before I even knew it.

I feel like my life experience is that of an outsider. Let me explain: my parents are from Panama, and they moved to the United States the year after I was born. They moved into an all-white neighborhood, where the previous black family had a cross burned on their lawn.