What do you do when there is a blight in your neighborhood? Who ya gonna call? (If you answered, “Ghostbusters,” you’re dating yourself 🙂 Every now and then, we visit a citizenship issue that pertains to living in community with our fellow Americans. Notice the word “unity” in community. Today’s topic fits right in. A […]
Different Philosophies of Government (and why ours is the best)
Thank you for opening this newsletter and returning to learn about the foundations of our government. I’m always glad to have you here. It’s not America’s first rodeo with alternative philosophies of government like socialism, communism, and progressivism. Every generation tends to think that their generation is the one to experience the best or worst […]
Work Pays!
You are gifted like no other. Developing your unique talents means that you have invested in yourself and have a great deal to share with your community and country. No one else can do the work like you can in the way that you can. Developing yourself and your unique giftedness is an act of […]
Memorial Day 2021
I hope you are enjoying the extended weekend. This week, we are exploring Memorial Day, it’s meaning, and how citizens remember those who gave it all so we could be free to celebrate. If you have lost a loved one or friend in service to our country, please know we are pausing to remember their […]
On Memorial Day, Americans Remember
“The United States became a great nation because of its people and its principles.” Wish I could remember where I read that because the truth of it stays with me. People continually express in the comments how concerned they are for our country. I can only tell you that I look every single day for […]
Defending Our Freedoms
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. It’s always a pleasure to learn together about American civics and how we live out our citizenship. Topics for this week were right in my “wheelhouse.” The more I defend our Founding American Documents, the more I grow in knowledge and respect of what we have been given. […]
Harry and the First Amendment
Assimilation is an integral part of living in America. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, England, is a new resident of the United States. As good neighbors and common sense citizens, let’s help a guy out, shall we? He thinks our First Amendment is “bonkers.” Just to help us to better understand the Prince, Oxford […]
Heard On the Street
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. Americans are openly admitting and confronting the many and sudden changes in our culture. I hear of more people attending city council meetings and speaking up at school board meetings. This week, I wrote about the human need to be free. We also discuss ideas […]
The Pursuit of Freedom
People crave freedom. We know that all too well. If you’ve raised children, you “get” it. If you’ve lived in the United States for any length of time, you’ve experienced it. If you were born here, it’s in your DNA. How many of you know someone moving to where they can inhale an independent spirit […]
The Times They Are a Changin’
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. Thank you for spending a few moments of your valuable time here. My goal is to teach American civics and citizenship with a view of the U.S. Constitution in mind. Seems like many treat the Constitution as too hard to understand or old-fashioned. Here, we treat it […]
Who Are“We the People”?
“We the People” is us, not the government. Recently, a prominent public official said that “We the People is all of us.” When public servants are not in their official roles, i.e., mowing the lawn, doing carpool, grocery shopping, a day at the beach, they are “We the People.” When they serve in their official […]
Victimhood or Victory?
You have a story. How did you get to where you are today? More specifically, how did you exercise American freedoms to get you to a better place? Some Americans made decisions in their youth to be or not to be like someone else. Instead, you charted your own path to get out of a […]
Freedom and the Importance of Balance of Power
There was a time when our constitutional government was the envy of the world. Many countries attempted to adopt our system of government. Those countries didn’t wholly succeed because a cornerstone of our American government is that our rights do not come from government at all. Our rights come from our Creator. “…that they are […]
Common Sense Applied
Common Sense Applied Do you ever find yourself “connecting the dots?” You know, those times when thoughts are swirling around in your brain? Below are a few of mine as I try to make sense of things. The week’s events caused me to sit down and just let my fingers write and type. I find […]
This Week in Common Sense Civics and Citizenship
Welcome to this week’s edition of the newsletter! Thank you for returning and subscribing. We appreciate your engagement here. Our topics this week included the meaning of peaceable assembly and the questions that arise when lawlessness is tolerated. The idea for that article came from a recent speaking engagement in a civics and government class […]
