Many fellow citizens have expressed deep concerns, like, “Should I take our country seriously? Or languish in feelings of defeat for the almost 250-year-old American Experiment?” Last night, I met “Ash Bay.” Hear the story of an everyday American that decided to do something small and do it with “all-in” effort. The town board asked […]
Civil War 2.0??
Do you think America is headed for Civil War 2.0? I get comments from readers that don’t simply question the possibility. They assume it. Or fear it. Or both. So, I’ve been thinking this through and doing some research. Looks like the idea of another Civil War is being promoted as an unquestionable event to happen soon. I’m not buying it. Emotion is not an effective strategy to accomplish goals. Thinking things through to logical outcomes is a better way toward a satisfactory result.
True American Law and Government (Part 2)
Let’s continue our discussion on True American Law and Government that we started a few days ago. Thanks to all of you for your valuable input and civil discourse on this topic. Here is Part 2. American law recognizes individual rights. The power of our American government is limited and defined by our Constitution. Totalitarianism […]
True American Law & Government
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship! Several raw interactions I’ve had this past week call for a review of what it means to be truly American. Let’s dive right in! It’s hard to believe, but many Americans have been deceived. We have fellow citizens believing that the government, once voted in, has a […]
Can America Recover?
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. If you are a new subscriber to our newsletter, welcome! This week, I address the concern about America ever returning to its founding priniciples. Our second article (under “articles” in the upper right on the home page of .http://www.civicsandcitizenship.org) takes a look at one of […]
People In Power Ought To Be Mistrusted
Who said this? “The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted.” You’re right if you said many have expressed this sentiment over the decades. This particular quote is from the “Father of the U.S. Constitution” and our fourth president, James Madison. When you first read it, maybe you thought it was […]
Patriotism Defined
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. How have headlines influenced our culture since the 1800s? Also, America’s founding generation had a working definition of “patriotism.” We examine these issues, noting how subtle forces influence us in ways that take us off point from what our country was created to be in […]
Communist Goals Part 4
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship and our newsletter. Today, our topic concerns liberty and what it takes to keep it. We are looking at the fourth in a series of Neo-Communist goals described in the book “The Naked Communist” by W. Cleon Skousen in 1958. “Do We Have the Right Stuff?” is […]
Factions Don’t Work
Have you ever thought that this or that could be a great idea if only it were given the opportunity? Later, your idea was tried, but it nearly brought disaster. You end up pondering, “How could this be? I thought it surely would yield the best outcome. What went wrong?“ That’s where I am at […]
Communist Goals, Circa 1958
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship and this newsletter. The articles this week concern communist goals for our country that were developed in the 1950’s. Part 2 appears first and part 1 appears underneath it. I divide the discussion into education and the arts. Perhaps you will see the digression of […]
When Passion Governs
What are your hopes and dreams? We generally fail to realize that how we are governed has more to say about whether we will ever realize our hopes and dreams. When I sat down to think about this question years ago, it led me to study our founding documents and eventually receive certification to teach […]
Authority and Responsibility Must Walk Together
Did you ever stand alone for something you believed against all odds? These men did precisely that: Algernon Sidney was beheaded for it. John Locke wrote about it. Alexander Hamilton declared it. James Madison did something about it. What deep-seated belief caused these men to stand up against all odds to proclaim their message? It […]
“Why Do Americans Put Up With This?”
Maybe you can help me with a vague answer I gave to a Ukrainian national I recently met up with in the Chicago area. This woman lives with her young teen son and mother and works in the midwest. I’m guessing she has been here about seven years from what she said. She casually but […]
Who Has the Power?
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. The Elected or We the People? Who Has the Power? It definitely is a question for our times as we observe the world around us, liberty’s status, and the people’s response to it. Read on, and see what you think. Also, I hope you are […]
Gerrymandering
aa Most of us have received newly assigned congressional districts since the United States completed its 2020 census. We may find that we have been redistricted, or the shape of our district has changed to include new areas. Gerrymandering: The practice of redrawing electoral districts to gain an electoral advantage for a political party. This […]
