Liberty and lawlessness cannot co-exist. Only moral governments can remain free. There are Americans who object to the statement by Founding Father, the first Vice-President, and second President of the United States, John Adams. He said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of […]
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 […]
Excuse! What Is the Government’s Latest?
Have you noticed a trend lately? Government makes an excuse for perceived errors. It goes something like this: (relax, people) “It happens all the time.” Isn’t this excusing the abnormal away? What is the Government’s latest excuse? Here are a few examples: “Lots of countries have il-legals crossing the border.” In other words, you and […]
The Simplest Explanation
What in the world is going on? If we listen and observe, sometimes the truth is right there in front of us. The simplest explanation for an occurrence is usually correct. As I write this, there has been yet another train derailment, and three more UAPs (unidentified aerial phenomena-it’s the new name for UFOs) are […]
UFO and Spy Balloons In U.S. Airspace?
Indeed by now, some official knows who is sending strange unidentified flying objects, aka UFO, over American airspace. Is E.T. phoning home? Who’s invading our skies? Armchair spy addicts and news-watchers want to hear the latest. Yet, our government seems a little too silent on the “spy in the sky.” When convenient, the press awards itself […]
Should Our Leaders Know the Basics of American Government?
The basics of American government-how important is it that our leaders know them? Better yet, do you think it is important? Let’s look at recent occasions of misquoted or forgotten American foundations and then decide. Recently, a prominent national leader misquoted the Declaration of Independence. What did they leave out? “…that we are endowed with […]
What Kind of Government Do You Want?
Do you want a centralized government where the federal government has the power and most of the control? Or do you prefer a national government with a constitution that divides federal power with regional entities (like states)? Think about it carefully. What Are the Arguments? The argument for a centralized authority sounds something like this: […]
Speaker of the House: Chaos? Or Constitutional Republic At Work?
The election of the Speaker of the House is going on and on and on. That’s a good thing. It’s our Constitutional Republic at work. Article 1, Section 2 lists the first order of business for the House: Elect a Speaker. It doesn’t say the process is microwavable. Instead, there are no time limits on […]
Threats to Democracy?
We’re hearing rumblings about “threats to democracy.” Exactly, what does that mean? First, let’s define “democracy.” Founder James Madison called it “mob rule.” It’s a majority vote, no debate. That’s why our Founders adopted a Constitutional Republic where debate occurs, not a revolving door of hot-headed legislation. Recently, democracy has been described as “three wolves […]
Making Article 1 Interesting Again
How do you make the U.S. Constitution’s Article I interesting enough for Americans to pay attention to it? Let me tell you. It’s a challenge! This week, I will teach 7th and 8th graders an overview of the Constitution. A few hours later, I teach Article I to homeschooled high schoolers. The next night, I […]
Think and Do, Not Feel and Repeat
Are you tired of arguing? Have you lost friends and relatives over your opinions? Let me ask you: What’s the difference between a debate question and a policy question? Not knowing the answer separates the closest of friends these days in our country. We must understand the difference to lay the groundwork for a civil […]
We Can’t Do Everything; We Can Do Something
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 […]
