Amid controversy in our nation, I’m incredibly grateful for my freedom. Freedom involves choices. I’m not a victim. I can take a stand. I can defend the Constitution. I can celebrate with traditions or make new ones. I can exercise common sense. I can celebrate the gift of liberty that our forefathers gave to us. […]
Questions That Demand a Verdict
Many questions surround the transition and the legal process that Americans are a part of as we begin the holiday season. Let’s address a few of these questions by going to the Constitution and United States law to follow the events that are taking place in our nation today. I heard some legalese about how […]
On Freedom Today
Americans, are you in need of a shot of courage at this point in our history? Let’s look back to Americans facing tumultuous times, examine, and apply their words. “The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.” Edmund Burke, 1784 Are you deluded about the need to guard our liberty with vigilance? […]
At What Price?
Is there a cost to abandoning our American traditions? Think about the traditions that we have been asked to set aside because they might be coronavirus super spreader events. I’m thinking of events like the Wreaths Across America ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, a traditional outdoor event. (The event has since been reinstated due to […]
Knowing What to Do and Doing It
What is America’s reality right now? It’s complicated. Hang on. Stick with me here. Is cheating sometimes right? Do the ends justify the means if you believe a person to be so evil that they must be taken out of office? Does it matter how you “take them out?” Our Founders signed their names to […]
Election 2020 – The Long Road Map
There is a Civics drought in America. (Can you tell ??!) Facts, not “feels,” are needed. Who is with me? Let’s start down the long, narrow road to understanding. First, we are not a direct democracy, so the popular vote and Electoral College tabulations by the media do not make a President. Not one state, […]
America Has A Job Opening
How would you answer the following ad? Wanted: millions of citizens who are willing to stand up for free, fair, and legal elections. Requirements: patience, courage, calmness, concern for the Republic, love for the Constitution over candidate Note: The unscrupulous, angry, win-at-any-cost, or “fed up” need not apply. Ready to fill out your resume”? Here […]
Now What?
Where do we go from here? Things are happening so fast in these post-election hours and days that we aren’t sure what is going on. Seriously. Remember: the first story is never the real story. We follow that rule here at Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. Patience is your friend in this election of 2020. […]
Election Day Is Upon Us
Election Day is upon us. It’s not the names of the candidates for me. It’s about our 240+-year-old American heritage. Will we vote for freedom and put socialism far away from us? Will we vote for individual self-reliance? Or will we vote for a nanny state? Will we vote for the Bill of Rights and […]
Freedom vs. Lockdowns
What extraordinary thing would you do to save your life? Most people are inclined to preserve their lives. So why the rebellions across the world against coronavirus lockdowns? Here’s why: We love freedom. All humanity yearns for it. If people believe in a cause, they will lay down their lives for it. Recently, I reflected […]
The Constitution Belongs to You and Me
Presidents come and go. They make their mark. For sure, not all had perfect personal lives. Take, for example, Grover Cleveland. He legally paid an immigrant $300 to take his place in the Civil War (legal for the sole supporter of a family at that time). He had a child out of wedlock when he […]
Presidential Debates Need a Makeover
This article isn’t a ploy to get “my” candidate elected. It isn’t yesterday’s topic, for we elect a President every four years. I think The Commission on Presidential Debates should be dissolved. It was a good idea at one time, but the times have changed. The Commission has not. I haven’t been satisfied with the […]
A Day with the Declaration
Americans may have learned about the Declaration of Independence once upon a time, but what they really want to know about is its relevance to today. Recently, I conducted a workshop on this very subject. A few cups of coffee on a cold, windy Saturday morning, and a huge framed replica of the original document […]
If You Pack It In, Pack It Up
Bad things happen when we get our civics from secondary sources. Let me illustrate a principle: If you have a 6-pack of beer and drink 1 can, you no longer have a 6-pack. If you replace that can, you have a 6-pack. You are replacing the can. If you have a 6-pack of beer and […]
About the 25th Amendment…
When it comes to civics, we’re on it. Let’s brush up on the 25th Amendment since that is one of the “October surprises” that has everybody talking. Why the 25th Amendment? At the dawn of the 20th century and as the nation grew in population and prominence, the President’s responsibilities increased. The world became more […]
