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 […]
Who Were the Framers’ Influencers?
Thank you for returning and subscribing to the Common Sense Civics and Citizenship newsletter. It’s great to have you here. I get a lot of questions about the Constitution.We address two of them this week. Can the Constitution ever be removed from the American people?” and “How did our Constitution come about?” Let’s dive right […]
Which Government Is Best?
A simple scan of today’s headlines reveals the following: A new survey of registered voters claims 53% of respondents think there is an agenda of ‘big government socialism.’ Twelve American cities broke their annual homicide records this year. In Europe, the attempt to restrict words like “Christian” and “Christmas” is described as dictatorship-like. There’s a […]
Lobbyist-a Changing Role
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. I hope you and your loved ones enjoyed a beautiful day of thanks and celebration. I was with family out of state, so there is only one article this week and it is an eye-opener. For all of you who thought “lobbyist” is a dirty […]
When Government Blames You, the Citizen
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship’s weekly newsletter, where we have been discussing freedom -or lack thereof, this week, and what we can do about it. Our first article addresses some blame and shame being tossed around at American citizens. Americans don’t take lightly to government’s accusations that they are to […]
Who Were Those Other Influencers?
Welcome back to this page! Glad to have you here. What a tumultuous week in our nation! My passion is Founding documents education. It’s a good thing because in my view, if you know the American founding documents, you can’t be tricked into emotional responses. You’re not asleep at the wheel while your liberties slowly […]
Different Philosophies of Government (and why ours is the best)
Thank you for opening this newsletter and returning to learn about the foundations of our government. I’m always glad to have you here. It’s not America’s first rodeo with alternative philosophies of government like socialism, communism, and progressivism. Every generation tends to think that their generation is the one to experience the best or worst […]
Defending Our Freedoms
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. It’s always a pleasure to learn together about American civics and how we live out our citizenship. Topics for this week were right in my “wheelhouse.” The more I defend our Founding American Documents, the more I grow in knowledge and respect of what we have been given. […]
Heard On the Street
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. Americans are openly admitting and confronting the many and sudden changes in our culture. I hear of more people attending city council meetings and speaking up at school board meetings. This week, I wrote about the human need to be free. We also discuss ideas […]
