Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. What a week! I am looking closely at the events concerning the former President of the United States. My intention is to seek out the facts and the constitutional lens from which this event must be viewed. A raid is a serious matter for any […]
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.
What Makes You an American?
Has anyone ever asked you what makes you an American? This past week, “Bryan” posited this question to a media audience in which I took part. Today is a great time to think about being American, especially since our nation and identity are under daily assault. Here is my answer to the man making the […]
Strengthening America from Within
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. I have a couple of questions for you. What are you good at? What could you be good at? How could answering these two questions help our towns and restore healthy respect for America from within our borders and beyond? It’s a citizenship issue, so […]
Lessons of the Unwanted
You’ve heard the argument: Now that Roe is repealed, who will take all those babies? (Translation: “those babies that should have been aborted”). Then they ask, “will you?” It’s not just the young that think this way. Raise your hand if you’ve heard this argument waged by a middle-aged or older adult. Yes. That’s what […]
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 […]
Happy Independence Day!
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship! We are considering our American Independence this week by thinking of all the reasons we have to celebrate it- yes, even now. Following the first article is a piece that addresses our need for more and better civics education. Let’s begin: Happy Independence Day! Well, it is […]
Handle with Care
Note: This article was written before the horrific tragedy in Uvalde. For those who wish to join me, our thoughts and prayers are with the entire community of Uvalde as they mourn their unspeakable loss. You receive a package at your door. It says in bold letters, “Handle with Care.” You wonder if the shippers […]
Mother’s Day-A Celebration of Life?
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. This week, it’s on everyone’s radar screen- the life issue. Our articles in this newsletter concern the major topic this week-the leaked draft opinion on Roe v. Wade. Once again, America is taking this topic head-on, and so will we. Thanks for joining us as we dive […]
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 […]
War and Restraint
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. War is on everyone’s mind. The State of the Union was supposed to take the spotlight but it did not. Since the 1990’s, the President’s first SOTU address had an audience of over 40 million . This year, the audience fell below that mark. Viewership on war […]
What We Believe is How We Behave
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship! More and more, it seems, people are starting to realize what is going on in the United States. If you are a diversified news watcher, I’m sure you’re seeing it, too. It really has my attention. In this week’s newsletter, we look at what we believe and […]
Can Our Constitution Ever Be Taken From Us?
“Can our Constitution ever be removed from the American people?” This question was sent to me from one of our participants last week. How many of us have considered ways that our Constitution could be taken from us? We know that We the People are the keepers of the Constitution. We don’t even want to […]
The Most Underreported Story of 2021
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship! As we ring in a new year, we often look for things that we need to improve in our lives. I’m suggesting we look at our news consumption with a new angle- looking for the truth. After all, the most underreported story of 2021 is […]
The Tyranny Principle
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. Have you noticed the amount of fear racing through our nation at every turn? Of course, in the early days of our nation, Americans had fear but it was coupled with courage and rugged individualism. Now, when the prevailing cultural winds blow, they seem to […]














