Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship and our newsletter. Today, our topic concerns liberty and what it takes to keep it. We are looking at the fourth in a series of Neo-Communist goals described in the book “The Naked Communist” by W. Cleon Skousen in 1958. “Do We Have the Right Stuff?” is […]
Do We Have the “Right Stuff?”
What extraordinary courage would you be willing to show out of love for your country? Is such patriotism fading away with the passing of the WWII generation? I’m pondering this question after hearing about the daring adventures of the first CIA officer to be killed on duty in 1950, Douglas Seymour MacKiernan. We aren’t all […]
Memorial Day 2022
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. We take a look at two issues (in the newsletter and on the website) close to my heart-children and war heroes. I hope you find these articles helpful and inspiring. “Every day is Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery,” says Executive Director Karen-Durham Aguilera. Indeed, […]
Handle with Care
Note: This article was written before the horrific tragedy in Uvalde. For those who wish to join me, our thoughts and prayers are with the entire community of Uvalde as they mourn their unspeakable loss. You receive a package at your door. It says in bold letters, “Handle with Care.” You wonder if the shippers […]
The Neo-Communist Goals for the USA- Part 3
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship and this newsletter. Today, we are looking at the third in a series of Neo-Communist goals described in the book “The Naked Communist” by W. Cleon Skousen in 1958. If you’ve been with us on this page for a while, you know Skousen is one […]
Factions Don’t Work
Have you ever thought that this or that could be a great idea if only it were given the opportunity? Later, your idea was tried, but it nearly brought disaster. You end up pondering, “How could this be? I thought it surely would yield the best outcome. What went wrong?“ That’s where I am at […]
Students Need to Know
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 […]
