Americans may have learned about the Declaration of Independence once upon a time, but what they really want to know about is its relevance to today. Recently, I conducted a workshop on this very subject. A few cups of coffee on a cold, windy Saturday morning, and a huge framed replica of the original document […]
If You Pack It In, Pack It Up
Bad things happen when we get our civics from secondary sources. Let me illustrate a principle: If you have a 6-pack of beer and drink 1 can, you no longer have a 6-pack. If you replace that can, you have a 6-pack. You are replacing the can. If you have a 6-pack of beer and […]
There’s a Process For That!
Any well-run organization has a great process. The United States is such an organization. We have a great process in place for presidential succession. This topic continues to trend. Did many Americans ditch civics class when this was taught? Wait. Maybe there was no civics class. ? If the President is unable to assume the […]
The President is Ill
Our President is ill. Will one of our enemies take advantage of this situation? Before 6:00 a.m., when I heard the news that the President and First Lady contracted coronavirus, the commentator’s very next sentence was speculation about U.S. vulnerability to our adversaries. What might Iran, China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran view as an […]
Presidential Debate Makeover
By now, you have heard and seen it all about the first presidential debate, which many Americans are struggling to call a “debate.” It’s been called a lot of things, mostly negative. Americans instinctively know what debate should look and sound like. For sure, the debate did not follow the rules for civility that we […]
It’s An Issue
Our citizenship is not just a piece of paper. It’s how we live. Since this is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship, let’s apply what we intuitively know about a citizenship issue facing us. My antennae went up early this morning when I heard Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, called various names for adopting two children […]
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Another week, another set of challenges! Lots of questions, not a lot of answers. Here’s a question I’m struggling with as our nation will be laying Associate Justice Ginsburg to rest and watching for the announcement of a nominee to the Supreme Court . Thank you for being here. We at Common Sense Civics and […]
Hell on Earth 2020
Those pictures coming in from the west coast look like real “hell on earth.” I can’t even imagine. None of us can unless we have been relocated to a shelter, are battling the inferno, or have personal experience with wildfires. Before I share with you a text I received, please know that we don’t turn […]
From the Mailbox
Well, not exactly the mailbox… I received a phone call over the weekend from a loved one, who asked a compelling question. “Why do you believe what you believe? I just don’t understand someone like you. How could you think like this?” (names my beliefs that are in question) How would you answer someone if […]
Simple Civics 101 Election Basics
Feeling bombarded with ads, calls, billboards, texts, etc. about the November 3 election? It’s a war! The war is over YOU and your vote. Every modern means to secure your support is used. Generals in any war use tactics to win the skirmishes and battles along the way. Elections are like that. Sound bites, slogans, […]
From the Mailbox…
Let’s make the complex simple. One CSCC participant would like to know my thoughts about the term “living constitution.” First, have you ever heard of “the living constitution?” This is a philosophy based on a “revolving door” definition of truth. When our Founders wrote the US Constitution, “truth” was defined as absolute and unchanging. For […]
Simple Civics 101- Special Interest Groups
Simple Civics 101- Special Interest Groups Special Interest Groups often get a bad rap. Let’s learn about them-who they are, what they do, and why they exist. Special Interest Groups are composed of like-minded people seeking to advocate for their cause, educate the public, and influence public policy. They work through the political process to […]
The Slippery Slope to Communism
How much has communism subtly infiltrated America and become accepted? What, you ask?? I found a fascinating article by Dr. Ileana Johnson Paugh, where she shows us how many goals of communism the United States has implemented in the past 60 years. Dr. Paugh used Dr. W. Cleon Skousen’s book, “The Naked Communist.” [Citations appear […]
Simple Civics 101 National Party Conventions
Every four years, political party conventions convene to nominate their respective party’s candidate for President and Vice-President. These events very much resemble a giant party combined with business, specifically, the party platform—more on that below. Ok, I admit it. I’m a political party watcher, having done so since I was a tot. There’s a single […]
Is It Too Late?
How is it possible to defend criminal behavior in a first world country like ours? I was engaged in conversation with a friend who spoke of her inner struggle to answer that question. She defended criminal behavior in our major cities by trying to understand the criminals’ minds. Hasn’t our government tried empathy, programs, understanding, […]
