What makes us American, if not a common language? The answer lies in what we believe. Our beliefs shape our behavior and, ultimately, our identity. We Know Who We Are -We are a freeborn people. Therefore, we endeavor to learn our Founding American documents and pass them on to our posterity. These documents are a […]
Jimmy Carter, 39th President, 1924-2024
The longest living President, Jimmy Carter, passed away this week. Reflections on Carter’s presidency often highlight significant challenges and unpopular or failed solutions. Who remembers lining up to get gas for their car? How about Carter’s strong suggestion to “wear a sweater” and keep indoor temps to 55 degrees? (It was cold!) Remember the Iranian […]
Crisis and Citizenship: Teaching Students to ‘Think and Do” Like Americans
I took the opportunity to teach my junior high civics class and my High School U.S. Constitution class some lessons from the recent Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The overriding theme during our discussion was “How to Think Like an American” in a crisis. I used posts from X (formerly Twitter) as a springboard for our […]
Can Amoral People Remain Free?
How can a free-born people support amorality without downing their society? I have been pondering this question from different angles. Let’s explore it together. Amorality Comes In Many Forms Amorality takes many forms. For example, we recognize murder as amoral but to support savage murder, i.e., tying mother and child together and burning them beyond […]
The Gadsden Flag
We all know what the Gadsden flag is, right? I am just ensuring all of my readers understand the historical significance of this flag and its relevancy to the founding generation. All of this in light of the controversy it caused recently. Who Flew the Gadsden Flag and Why? The yellow Gadsden flag has the […]
Are You an American Thinker or a Follower?
Are you an American thinker or a follower? Our nation can be categorized into two groups: those who think and those who follow. It doesn’t matter what your political, religious, or secular affiliations are. People either think about things and make their own decisions or follow the prevailing “wisdom” from politicians, the press, or the […]
Why People Fall For Socialism
Our young people (and many adults) fall for socialism because they haven’t been taught to think for themselves. They naively believe the government will be an annual daddy that will provide for them. They never have to grow up to be discerning, responsible adults. Instead, they adopt groupthink and surrender to the very authoritarian power […]
Epidemic of Loneliness
Are you lonely? Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, the Surgeon General of the United States, published a detailed report called “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.” Did you catch that? It’s an epidemic of loneliness? Supposedly, one in every two Americans was lonely pre-pandemic. Now, it’s worse. This is a citizenship issue, so let’s talk about it. […]
The Standard
Our country lived over 200 years under the standard of right and wrong. We as a nation understood that some things are wrong and inherently bad for society. There are also righteous ways that build a society. What Is The Standard? The standard was based on ancient wisdom and common sense. People regarded behaviors like […]
Thoughts and Prayers
A childhood friend posted this meme on their newsfeed: “Thoughts and prayers are useless to dead children.” Excuse me? You are telling us what and who we can think about and pray about and how we should respond to tragedy? How do you know my prayers are ineffective? (I believe God knows the intents 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 […]
North American Union and You
There is a movement afoot that seldom, if ever, makes national news. It’s called the “North American Union.” It is a long-range plan that’s been in the works for years. The goal is to erase the borders between contiguous countries to the north and the south of the U.S., leaving one ginormous nation called the […]
October Surprises
We hear a lot about anticipated “October Surprises” at this time of the year. These events may change our minds, focus, or direction rather suddenly.
Global, National, and State Issues Affecting Your Life
Let’s apply common sense civics and citizenship to global, national, and state issues affecting your life. These subjects have been rolling around in my brain because they affect my life, country, and my world. A State Issue Affecting Your Life We’ve talked about gerrymandering, the controversial but legal practice of redrawing elec-toral districts to gain […]
How Can You Know a Candidate?
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship! We are a month away from elections, so it’s time to be thinking about the candidates, their credentials, but most of all, finding out who they are from reliable sources-namely the candidate’s own actions. Let’s jump right in! How can you know a candidate? You […]
