How are you celebrating Memorial Day this year? Even better, who are you remembering? I was surprised that some of my students had no attachment to our American holidays except to eat food with family. Their response prompted me to ask you about your traditions for celebrating Memorial Day. Understanding Memorial Day Maybe younger generations […]
President’s Day Reflections on Freedom
President’s Day is here. One way I celebrate the day is by considering the wise sayings of some of our nation’s leaders: Pour a tea or coffee and join me as we take a moment to embrace our personal responsibility to keep the cause of freedom alive. Washington and Lincoln “The Constitution is the guide […]
The 2025 Wave of New Laws
As 2025 dawns, a tidal wave of new laws is set to reshape our daily lives. Are you ready? I’m usually curious to see the year in review that we are leaving behind, but not this morning. I’m looking at— hold your breath— new laws that you and I must follow as of midnight, January […]
Washington’s Christmas Crossing
Christmas overnight, December 25-26, 1776. Rain turned to sleet, then ice, into a biting storm from the northeast. Who would brave a night like that with a poorly clad, hungry, tired army and the need to cross the ice-choked Delaware River? General George Washington would. A Stormy Night and a Desperate Plan The army was […]
1776: Christmas Defined America’s Destiny
This time of year always takes me back to the War for Independence, 1776. Without the bravery of those early Americans, you and I would not be celebrating Christmas as Americans today. I came across this article from William J. Federer in his email piece for December 19, 2024, called “The American Minute.” Federer sets […]
A Day That Will Live in Infamy (If We Tell the Story)
Is it a day that lives in infamy? That’s what FDR said concerning December 7, 1941, when ”the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” To live in infamy means that a criminal or evil act will be remembered for time immemorial. Yet, I’m […]
Will the Real Christopher Columbus Please Stand
(This is a reprint of an article I published a couple of years ago. Its goal is to refresh our knowledge of Christopher Columbus instead of relying on hearsay). Think you know a lot about Columbus? After all, many of us rely on stories from childhood or on contemporary professors for an assessment of Columbus. […]
Memorial Day: Preserving the Tradition and Educating the Young
How are you celebrating Memorial Day this year? More importantly, who are you remembering? I was surprised that some of my students had no attachment to this American holiday except to eat food with family. Their response prompted me to ask you about your traditions for celebrating Memorial Day. Our Kids: Do They Understand the […]
December 7th, 1941- “A Date That Will Live In Infamy”
Will December 7th, 1941 be “a date that will live in infamy?’ Not if we don’t pause, reflect on the lessons of history, and pass it on to our children. This week, I taught a Jr. High Civics lesson on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day to my students. They were particularly interested in the wreckage of […]
A Time of Thanksgiving
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship! At this time of Thanksgiving, please know how thankful I am for your participation in reading this blog or even stopping by to see what area of civics and citizenship we are covering each week. Thank you! Thanksgiving is a holiday of gratitude. We look back to […]
Veterans Day
November 11, Veterans. Day. Conversation about real American heroes is in short supply today, so let’s take a moment to discuss the importance of the Veteran. Why is Veterans Day important? Your first reaction might be, “Who would ask such a thing? Of course, the Veteran is important!” But why should you care? These eternally […]
September 11-What Do You Remember?
(In honor of our first fighters and responders in the War On Terror) About September 11, they say, “We will always remember.” What will we always remember? What memories will we pass down to our posterity? -the shock of villains using our freedoms against us -no longer naive about freedom and safety; we are never […]
Thoughts on Labor Day
Here are some of my thoughts for this Labor Day: – “No one else can do the work like you can in the way that you can. Developing yourself and your unique giftedness is an act of love that you give to the world around you.” -“Common Sense Citizenship values training but it also is […]
Juneteenth, a Celebration of Freedom
Juneteenth is short for June 19, 1865, when troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery and the beginning of “all men (human beings) are created equal.” Freedom for all, not just some. So, let’s celebrate a day when America’s sin of slavery could be put behind […]
Memorial Day 2023: Remembering the Fallen
(Once again, I am sharing The Honor Project, a Memorial Day 2023 event of The Travis Manion Foundation that will inspire you). People continually express in the comments how concerned they are for our country. I can only tell you that I look daily for evidence that America is full of people who love their […]
