Every four years, political party conventions convene to nominate their respective party’s candidate for President and Vice-President. These events very much resemble a giant party combined with business, specifically, the party platform—more on that below. Ok, I admit it. I’m a political party watcher, having done so since I was a tot. There’s a single […]
Is It Too Late?
How is it possible to defend criminal behavior in a first world country like ours? I was engaged in conversation with a friend who spoke of her inner struggle to answer that question. She defended criminal behavior in our major cities by trying to understand the criminals’ minds. Hasn’t our government tried empathy, programs, understanding, […]
Simple Civics 101-The American Party System
Simple Civics 101- The Party System Did you know that George Washington was against having political parties? He represented no party and invited those with differing opinions to serve in his administration. Washington, in his Farewell Address, claimed that political parties were a distraction. He said that partisan politics “…agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies […]
Keep America Free
There’s a war of ideologies going on. Make no mistake, destroying symbols of history without the destroyers even understanding history, tearing apart and occupying cities, the cancel culture movement, the re-branding of America as something it is not and never was designed to be, disrespecting the National Anthem, forcing Americans to say and do as […]
Questions, Questions
From the mailbox… Once again, let’s take a peek inside my Common Sense Civics and Citizenship mailbox to see what Americans are thinking about. As you will see, all of the questions relate to the upcoming presidential election. Maybe you have been asked a similar question or two. Is it better to vote by mail […]
Simple Civics 101-How a Bill Becomes a Law
Simple Civics 101- a weekly review of basic American civics Today we are reviewing the process of how a bill becomes a law. Boring, you say? Maybe. But you and I have to follow the laws that Congress passes. Let’s get some reassurance that there is a process, including review, revision, and debate. That is […]
This Week in Common Sense Civics and Citzenship
Welcome New and Returning Subscribers! Sometimes, good topics that engage readers are difficult to come by. That was not the case this week. Even our returning astronauts noted the difference and the difficult times since they took off for their mission in May! My friends and family had different challenges, even as the nation is […]
A Sharp Contrast
A few days ago, I wrote about the cancel culture movement (*link appears at the end of this article). There seems to be some confusion between the leftist activist movement in our country and cancel culture. I see two distinct movements at work. On the one hand, cancel culture is used primarily as a vehicle […]
Simple Civics 101-Article III
Simple Civics 101- a weekly review of basic American civics Today we’re taking a look at Article III of the U.S. Constitution, which sets up the federal government’s Judicial Branch. Article III is short. The Judicial Branch, which seems so complicated, is understandable. Let’s have a “go” at it. -The U.S. Constitution establishes the Supreme […]
This Week in Common Sense Civics and Citizenship
It’s been a long, hot summer. The weather is hot, but so are cultural topics- Cultural Values and the American Dream, Cancel Culture, and in our series on Simple Civics 101. You’ll find all of these articles in this newsletter. You’ll also get a peek into my mailbag. Opening up the mailbag lends itself to […]
Cancel Culture-Good for the Culture??
Have you or someone you know been affected by the cancel culture movement? According to dictionary dot com,” cancel culture refers to the popular practice of withdrawing support for (canceling) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive. Cancel culture is generally discussed as being performed on social media in the […]
From the Mailbag
From my mailbag: Let’s take a peek inside my Common Sense Civics and Citizenship mailbag to see what is on a few fellow Americans’ minds. (There’s always a link on this website to “Join the Conversation” if you would like to see the responses and conversations we have on my social media education page). Question: […]
Simple Civics 101-The Executive Branch
Let’s do a basic civics review of the Presidency, which is the federal government’s Executive Branch. Qualifications: Must be at least 35 years old Natural born citizen of the United States Must be a resident of the United States for the past 14 years Term of Service: Four years Two-term limit Note: the Founding Fathers […]
Cultural Values and the American Dream
Do Americans still want the American Dream? Do Americans still believe if we take responsibility for our lives and work hard, we will obtain individual freedom and achieve our personal goals? Do Americans even want to work hard? Or do they want a nanny state to take care of them? These questions are rolling around […]
Term Limits-Good or Bad?
How familiar are you with the idea of term limits for Congress? Do you even care? I hope you do. My purpose here is not to argue about term limits because both sides make a solid case for their position. I doubt if anything I say will change your mind. (People dig their heels in […]
