“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 […]
Evolutionaries and Constitutionalists
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. I hope you will find our topics this week on the U.S. Constitution informative. The goal here is to help us ascertain what is going on in our government by looking through the lens of our founding American documents. More and more Americans tell me they are […]
Think Like An American
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. This year promises to be an adventurous year, and not for the faint of heart! In order to be prepared for what lies ahead, I will be writing a series of articles on here that pertain to our founding documents. After all, ignorance is not […]
The Court of Law? Or the Court of Public Opinion?
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. It was so uplifting to see Americans participating in events like the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the 246th birthday of the Marines, and Veteran’s Day. If you were wondering what is happening in America, these commemorative events tell us. They […]
Mandates and More
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. Last week, it was an amazing week in America. We talk about two of the main topics-America’s response on election day and the national mandates in this newsletter. Let’s begin with mandates. I have received positive feedback for explaining this from an educational point of view in […]
Triggered By the National Archives? Seriously??
Just when you think you’ve heard it all… You haven’t until you’ve heard that the National Archives’ Task Force on racism recommends “trigger warnings” for the Rotunda, which houses the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The report came out earlier this year but it has resurfaced. The National Archives […]
About that Article V Convention…
Article V deals with the amendment process. Either two-thirds of both houses of Congress can propose an amendment OR two-thirds of the state legislators (34 states) can call a Convention of States. Such an Article V convention would have an agenda limited to a specific agenda for a specific purpose to amend a specific provision […]
Stealth Liberty Grab?
Civics lessons are right in front of us, but the national headlining events between August 31 and September 11, 2021, have given those lessons third place, understandably so. But now, Americans are beginning to ask questions. We didn’t forget that speech to the nation last week on September 9. And, we haven’t forgotten our Americans […]
What In the World Is Going On Here?
Yes, I feel it, too. What is going on in the nation? It’s been hard to discuss the Constitution when our country is grieving and a whirlwind is swirling around us. Frankly, one reader confided in me that they are confused. Since this is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship, let’s emphasize “common sense” as we […]
Immigration Matters
Immigration Matters Ever wonder how immigration got to the place where it is today? Some careful study on the issue shines a light on what happens when the Constitution is stretched to say things it doesn’t say. First, you may remember that the word “immigration” never appears in our U.S. Constitution. If it’s not in […]
Federalism Explained
A question I get asked a lot is why different states have different rules. Like, why does Florida do things one way and California operate differently? Why is CC licensing easier in Utah than in Illinois? Why aren’t the vote-ing systems precisely the same in all 50 states? It’s called “federalism.” I’ll explain it this […]
The Times They Are a Changin’
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. Thank you for spending a few moments of your valuable time here. My goal is to teach American civics and citizenship with a view of the U.S. Constitution in mind. Seems like many treat the Constitution as too hard to understand or old-fashioned. Here, we treat it […]
Who Are“We the People”?
“We the People” is us, not the government. Recently, a prominent public official said that “We the People is all of us.” When public servants are not in their official roles, i.e., mowing the lawn, doing carpool, grocery shopping, a day at the beach, they are “We the People.” When they serve in their official […]
This Week in Common Sense Civics and Citizenship
Welcome to this week’s edition of the newsletter! Thank you for returning and subscribing. We appreciate your engagement here. Our topics this week included the meaning of peaceable assembly and the questions that arise when lawlessness is tolerated. The idea for that article came from a recent speaking engagement in a civics and government class […]
The Absolute Amendments
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship! I hope that your week is off to a great start, both personally and professionally. This week, we paid attention to what is being said to us and about us as a country. The first article, “The Absolute Amendments,” explores the mistaken idea that our amendments are […]
