“Every time you throw dirt, you lose ground.”- Dr. James MacDonald We digest a lot of “dirt” as Americans. Shovels full, in fact. A lot of “dirt” gets thrown in the media in the form of fake news, bending the law, starting arguments to move an agenda forward, and slander. “Dirt” gets thrown on this […]
Constitution Day, 2018
She is Alison LaCroix, a Professor of Law and an associate member of the Department of History at the University of Chicago. She quotes a colleague when she says, “There are wrong answers in constitutional law and there are right answers, and the right answers change over time.” Wait a minute…. What is your first […]
Is America Just a Mediocre Country?
Maybe you heard that widely circulated political comment this past week, “…[America] was never that great.” (If you missed it, you can look up that exact quote online and get the context). Let me be perfectly honest here. When I heard that sound clip on the news, my first thought was, “Who said that?” Maybe […]
May the Force Be With You??
Space Force. It’s in the news. What comes to mind when you hear those words? Immediately I hear the Star Wars theme in my head, the Best of Battlestar Galactica music (which I am listening to as I write this :-), or Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man.” Let’s brush up on this issue […]
Picking Produce
I was in the central Oregon high desert last week when I heard the familiar, “Americans would never do THOSE jobs.” (This was a group of travelers, not Oregonians). I felt myself kind of bristle inside when I heard their remarks. I got to thinking… What jobs would an American not do? Usually this conversation […]
Clearing Up the Confusion…
There seems to be some confusion about the selection and confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice. Common Sense Civics and Citizenship requires that we understand the correct process. Did you know that the President of the United States is authorized by the U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 2, to select Supreme Court nominees? Here is […]
Common Sense Guide to Shopping & Eating with Those Whom You Disagree :)
The lack of civility in political discourse is all over the media today. Here is the Common Sense Civics and Citizenship’s guide to eating and shopping near people with whom you disagree politically: 1) Choose another establishment. The Common Sense Civics and Citizenship approach is to have a network of places where you spend your […]
Where is the Common Sense on this Issue?
Maybe you have the same questions rolling through your mind as I do about the children at the border. Has anyone asked mothers what they are doing to protect their little ones as they make a journey that is roughly the distance between Laredo, TX, and Boston, MA? Or why the mother choses to take […]
Who Taught YOU Civics?
Who taught you civics? I know. You’re thinking, “Who cares!” I was introduced to a study of the American form of government in junior high, but my education in American traditions began in kindergarten and was a normal part of every school day in the life of our nation until recent years. Civics has always […]
Do Americans Just Want Reassurance Delivered with a Smile?
Recently, I read that Americans want reassurance delivered with a smile. I beg to differ. That’s just not in our DNA. Do you think these Americans wanted reassurance delivered with a smile when they: Signed the Declaration of of Independence? When an infant American nation went against the greatest military in the world at that time […]
The Old Independence Bell
Just got back from a quick trip to Philadelphia. Do you go the extra mile to “see the sights” when you are in a new location? I do, In fact, we walked in 94 degree heat and 4 miles, iced tea in hand, to get there. So where was my common sense to take an […]
Guilt and Power
What does the movie “Chappaquiddick” and the latest Immigration debate have in common? First, Guilt. Second, Power. If you were of age during and post “Chappaquiddick,” you may have asked yourself why people (then and now) keep voting for the same people and expect a different result. You may wonder how a person can live with […]
Let the Pomp and Circumstance Begin
The grand military parade that President Trump has requested will be held on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2018. I’m not sure how I feel about this. How about you? Music, marching, celebration are universal in their appeal. It’s the weaponry and artillery that bring out national pride in some and repel others. Let’s talk about […]
Thoughts on the Parkland School Shooting..
Did you think it strange that so many teens had such a cool, calm, collected demeanor in front of the news media cameras after the Parkland school mass murders? Yes, I know… teens today are experts in front of a camera due to their social media prowess. But seriously? They just went through the unimaginable. How could they be so detached so quickly? You have seen WWII movies, right? Survivors were young. They looked traumatized from seeing bloodshed and from being frightened to such a degree. Vietnam, same thing. They were traumatized…many, for life. I simply cannot believe that social media posing is great practice for the unscripted. The unimaginable. A Valentine’s Day massacre. Do you?
Is there no grieving anymore? Do kids no longer need time to process events? Forgive me, but humans have yet to disband with the God-given grieving process. It’s in us. All of us. All the more that growing children (yes, they technically are still children until age 18) need guidance and help from parents/adults who may not know what to say or do but are just there. So why would the news media interrupt the necessary time to grieve and lay to rest friends and loved ones by interviewing the survivors so quickly? What is the motive here? Is this the exercise of common sense citizenship in America?
I spoke with an 86 year old woman today who thought it was just great that these survivors of the Parkland massacre on Valentine’s Day were speaking out. I challenged her by suggesting that these kids may be being used as props for a political issue. She changed the subject quickly. Maybe I’m off the mark, but I don’t see the common sense in quizzing kids after a tragedy and before the reality of the situation sets in for them. I do, however, treasure their right to speak out in their own way and time. Done in this way, common sense citizenship prevails. Done too soon and it looks more like the kids are being used as political props. That is not the American way. Our children are blessings and deserve to be treated as kids while they still are kids.
If Gun Control Could Fix It… (but it can’t)
Here we go again… more talk of gun control due to the mass shooting and murders in south Florida. The students and teachers who were shot didn’t have guns. Remember the people in the Florida nightclub? They were not armed. Neither were the grade school children at Sandy Hook or the Columbine high school students. […]
