Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. Whoever thought that teaching American students about communism would be controversial? Florida is taking the topic head-on. In this week’s newsletter, we address that issue and another hot item- the protests over the leaked draft of the Supreme Court opinion of Roe v. Wade. I’m […]
Which Law Applies?
So, which law is it? Is the First Amendment right to peaceful protest, or is United States law 18 U.S.C. § 1507 the law we employ for guidance on peaceful protests? I hear both quoted and both used in the recent and ongoing protests. A bit of background: I was in Washington, D.C., last weekend. […]
Mother’s Day-A Celebration of Life?
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. This week, it’s on everyone’s radar screen- the life issue. Our articles in this newsletter concern the major topic this week-the leaked draft opinion on Roe v. Wade. Once again, America is taking this topic head-on, and so will we. Thanks for joining us as we dive […]
The Leaked SCOTUS Draft
It’s all over the news. The SCOTUS draft opinion leak has rearranged the headlines from top to bottom. Facts are just beginning to emerge. From a civics and citizenship perspective, let’s discuss what we know and its relevance to everyday Americans. What does this leaked opinion mean? It means nothing until a final Supreme Court […]
Communist Goals, Circa 1958
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship and this newsletter. The articles this week concern communist goals for our country that were developed in the 1950’s. Part 2 appears first and part 1 appears underneath it. I divide the discussion into education and the arts. Perhaps you will see the digression of […]
Communist Goals -Then and Now
This is an eye-opener. We’ve talked before about the goals of Commun-ism (misspelling intentional), listing them for our consideration and discussion. Yesterday, I was handed a list of sixteen Neo-Commun-ist goals from “The Naked Communist” by W. Cleon Skousen 1958. If you’ve been with us on this page for a while, you know that Skousen […]
Power and Control
Power and control are magnets for human beings. Anyone who is “dialed in” to our world today can see the magnetic attraction at work in industry, education, media, and politics. Our Founders knew this, so they structured our government with horizontal separation of powers (legislative, executive, judicial) and vertical boundaries (local, state, and national government) […]
Taxes and You
With all the tax talk going around this week and four of my students moving out of state to “greener pastures,” let’s look at some common-sense tax considerations. First, if you got a big refund, you just loaned the federal government your money for free. Far better to break even or owe a little. What??? […]
Your Government, Your Future
Wishing all who are celebrating Easter or Passover, a blessed celebration. I’m grateful to live in a country where we have the freedom to worship in the way we choose. The freedom to worship is one of our God-given rights. Thank you to those who do not worship but are gracious to those of us […]
When Passion Governs
What are your hopes and dreams? We generally fail to realize that how we are governed has more to say about whether we will ever realize our hopes and dreams. When I sat down to think about this question years ago, it led me to study our founding documents and eventually receive certification to teach […]
How A Bill Becomes A Law
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. This week we take up some important civics lessons and issues that I hope you will find helpful as you listen to and make sense of the news. I know that I benefit from reflection on simple civics when issues on the national scene seem […]
Get To Know Amendments XI- XVII
Informal poll: Raise your hand if you know anything about amendments 11-27. Right. Not many, not many. I teach this material, and I still have to review it each time I present it! These days, it pays to know our rights and the changes made to our original Constitution. Let’s break it down: The Eleventh Amendment […]
Authority and Responsibility Must Walk Together
Did you ever stand alone for something you believed against all odds? These men did precisely that: Algernon Sidney was beheaded for it. John Locke wrote about it. Alexander Hamilton declared it. James Madison did something about it. What deep-seated belief caused these men to stand up against all odds to proclaim their message? It […]
“Why Do Americans Put Up With This?”
Maybe you can help me with a vague answer I gave to a Ukrainian national I recently met up with in the Chicago area. This woman lives with her young teen son and mother and works in the midwest. I’m guessing she has been here about seven years from what she said. She casually but […]
The Right to Protest
This week, my high school students will study and memorize the First Amendment. I have a real-life example of the First Amendment in action to share with the classes, thanks to a note from a non-fan of this educational page. You might find this interchange instructive, as I did. Here goes: The man was on […]
