Why Race, Gender, and Class Dominate Election Choices Based on the news, Americans seem to make race, gender, or class a litmus test for voting for a candidate. Shouldn’t we emphasize character, consistency, the Constitution, and courage? If so, why don’t we make this the norm? It’s a citizenship issue, so let’s discuss it. The Importance of Character in Political Candidates It takes more time to discover a candidate’s character than your daily newscast allows. We either don’t have the time or don’t take the time to investigate the most important thing about a person running for office: their character. Evaluating a Candidate’s Consistency Over Time How do you know about a candidate’s consistency unless you dig a little to see whether the person you are considering voting for has maintained their beliefs over time or recently changed their mind? Could it be that this candidate no longer holds their former passionate beliefs and has gone “middle of the road” to …
Main Content
Uncovering the Real Christopher Columbus: Facts, Myths, and His Impact
(This is an updated version of the original article) Think you know a lot about Columbus? After all, many of us rely on childhood stories or contemporary professors to assess Columbus. Will the real Columbus please stand? Enter historian Bill Federer. His uncanny knack for explaining historical facts with words, pictures, and word pictures is worth exploring. (link appears below) Federer notes that Columbus made a far better explorer than a (failed) governor. He backs up this claim with Columbus’ own words: “I undertook a new voyage to the New World which hitherto had been hidden … They judge me there as a governor who had gone to Sicily or to a city or town under a regular government … I should be judged as a captain who went from Spain to the Indies.” -Excerpt from Columbus’s letter to Queen Dona Juana de Torres We all learned that Columbus undertook four voyages. There’s more to the story. Let’s take a brief look through Federer’s account: 1ST VOYAGE …
Continue Reading about Uncovering the Real Christopher Columbus: Facts, Myths, and His Impact →
Articles & Resources
Get helpful information on how to have good productive conversations with your friends, family and aquaintances
View All ArticlesSpeaking
Candace is available to speak to organizations, classrooms, churches, homeschool co-ops, or special interest groups.
Invite Candace to Speak- "Informative" "Fascinating" “Interactive”-
Chris M., Age 28, Marketing and Communications Consultant Covey
What I Do
I educate Americans on who we are, what we stand for, and how to communicate with one another!
Candace has a variety of teaching experiences and is a certified instructor for adults and homeschoolers through the Institute on the Constitution. Her hobbies include walking, world travel, Pilates, writing, and spending time with her grandsons. …
Recent Articles
How Character, Consistency, Constitution, and Courage Should Guide American Voting
Why Race, Gender, and Class Dominate Election Choices Based on the news, Americans seem to make race, gender, or class a litmus test for voting for a candidate. Shouldn’t we emphasize character, consistency, the Constitution, and courage? If so, why don’t we make this the norm? It’s a citizenship issue, so let’s discuss it. The […]
Uncovering the Real Christopher Columbus: Facts, Myths, and His Impact
(This is an updated version of the original article) Think you know a lot about Columbus? After all, many of us rely on childhood stories or contemporary professors to assess Columbus. Will the real Columbus please stand? Enter historian Bill Federer. His uncanny knack for explaining historical facts with words, pictures, and word pictures is […]
Know Your Rights: The Bill of Rights Made Easy
Do you know what rights the Bill of Rights guarantees to you as a U.S. citizen? If you ask around, you might be surprised how many Americans aren’t sure. Let’s change that! -The Bill of Rights is a part of the Constitution, not a separate document. -Our rights are God-given, not government-granted. -The five freedoms […]
Quick Quiz on U.S. Constitutional Basics for Students and Learners
Think you know the foundations of American government? Put your knowledge to the test with this quick quiz on the basics of the U.S. Constitution. Whether you’re a student, a lifelong learner, or just brushing up on your civics, these questions will help you review essential constitutional principles in a fun and interactive way. Quiz […]
Why Constitutional Process Still Matters
Power and Control Power and control are magnets for human beings. Anyone who is tuned in to our world today can see the attraction at work in industry, education, media, and politics. Our Founders knew this, so they structured our government with horizontal separation of powers and vertical boundaries between local, state, and national government […]
What Are Checks and Balances? A Teen-Friendly Guide
How would you explain checks and balances to high school students? This concept goes over the heads of many adults, let alone teenagers, so let’s review it. What Are Checks and Balances? First, our Founders developed checks and balances to avoid tyranny, plain and simple. If the government is divided in its responsibilities, each branch […]
Why Knowing the Three Branches of Government Matters for Americans
Alarming Statistics: Americans and Civic Knowledge One in three Americans cannot name the three branches of government. Only 11% can name two of the three branches of government. Also, 16% cannot name any branch of government. (1) Why should you care? The Role of Citizens in a Representative Government Since We the People run the […]
What Would the Founders Think about AI?
What would the Founders think about AI expansion in America? This gives us a modern-day test of constitutional issues that still matter today: centralized power, factions, separation of powers, and checks and balances. Federal Power Was Meant to Be Limited James Madison explains in Federalist No. 45 that constitutional federal power is limited, while the […]
9/11 Remembrance: Honoring Courage and American Resolve
How does a nation commemorate a surprise attack on its own soil by invaders who wished to take down our country decisively? What has history shown? I was thinking of 9/11/21. I also thought of times like the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the overwhelming power of the British during our […]
