We all have a mother. Mother’s Day is a day that we can celebrate the gift of life we all have been given, no matter the circumstances. Life is a gift. Every mother has a story. Here is a portion of my motherhood story: Forty-three years ago, I was in a doctor’s office. I clearly […]
Epidemic of Loneliness
Are you lonely? Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, the Surgeon General of the United States, published a detailed report called “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.” Did you catch that? It’s an epidemic of loneliness? Supposedly, one in every two Americans was lonely pre-pandemic. Now, it’s worse. This is a citizenship issue, so let’s talk about it. […]
Consistency Is Key In Being American
I am humbled and truly impressed that our Founders understood the need to tolerate each other’s differences but united on a common goal: to build the United States of America on sound principles that work when practiced with consistency. As an illustration, have you ever heard of a 3 yr old’s basketball team? I went […]
Title 42, Immigration, and You
My niece, who is American, lives and works in Europe. She has been dating a young man and wants to bring him to the United States to meet her parents. That was impossible until the announcement that Title 42 will be lifted for foreigners, along with pandemic restrictions. My sister is elated at the prospect […]
What Is Truth?
Ever since Pilate asked Christ, “What is truth?” ( https://biblia.com/bible/esv/john/18/33-38,) the question still reverberates through every civilization and generation. My father-in-law used to say that all of life is a search for the truth. That is where we find ourselves today. We are faced with cultural drift that expects, even demands, we believe up is […]
News, Facts, Opinion
Are opinion journalists allowed to have an opinion when reporting the news? This is a sticking point in American discourse this week. Let’s explore this question. If born before 1975, you may remember news as just the news. In other words, just the facts without editorial comment. The consumer was expected to draw their conclusion […]
Our American Heritage: It’s Our Duty
Sometimes we have to dig a little deeper to find out about our American heritage. There’s an application for us in Grover Cleveland’s first inaugural address, delivered on March 4, 1885. Here’s an excerpt from his speech. My commentary is in brackets. “. . . But he who takes the oath today to preserve, protect, […]
The Legislative Process: How a Bill Becomes a Law
Congress makes Laws. We all know that. But do you know how a bill becomes a law? Let’s review the legislative process using my simplified version for my Jr. High class. We also use the well-loved Schoolhouse Rock video “I’m Just a Bill” (song by Dave Frishberg). The parents tell me that even their young […]
Income Tax
Tax Day is just around the corner. How’s the income tax thing going for you? Done? Or maybe you join the line up at the Post Office to get that April 18th postmark? Something that is not talked about much is the history of the Sixteenth Amendment, which allowed the Federal government to tax your […]
Know What You Believe
Remember what we learned about conversing with someone who has an opposing viewpoint? Know what you believe. Know what they believe. Know what they believe about what you believe. (Note: Today’s post is from a Facebook article I wrote. Here is another similar article from this website with additional information: https://civicsandcitizenship.org/the-right-to-protest/ There are some illustrative […]
The Standard
Our country lived over 200 years under the standard of right and wrong. We as a nation understood that some things are wrong and inherently bad for society. There are also righteous ways that build a society. What Is The Standard? The standard was based on ancient wisdom and common sense. People regarded behaviors like […]
Indictment
Here are my common sense steps to follow the proceedings in the indictment against the former president: Look for Constitution Violations 1. Look for violations of the Constitution. Why? Because in this country, if prosecutors can do it to a high-profile government official, they can do it to you. “No one is above the law” […]
Thoughts and Prayers
A childhood friend posted this meme on their newsfeed: “Thoughts and prayers are useless to dead children.” Excuse me? You are telling us what and who we can think about and pray about and how we should respond to tragedy? How do you know my prayers are ineffective? (I believe God knows the intents and […]
The Latest Polls Show Patriotism, Faith, Work Ethic Declining
Are you surprised? Americans’ patriotism, faith, and work ethic are on the decline, so says the latest polls conducted by the Wall Street Journal (links provided below). I’ve listened to a couple of discussions on this topic. People blame smartphones or the pandemic as the cause. I think there is another cause—selfishness— which takes many […]
Role Models for Young Men
Today’s young men are eagerly seeking role models for manhood that fit in more with American author, statesman, military hero, and past president, George Washington, than they do with today’s cultural drift. This past week, I heard two young men address the subject of manhood in separate interviews. At the same time, one of our […]
