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Showing posts from October, 2020

Cancel Culture - Its Impact; Can It Be Stopped?

I am greatly troubled by what I observe in the culture of today. The vitriol and hatred exhibited within our political climate is unrivaled since the days preceding the Civil War. As many of you know, I am a student of the Civil War, and the campaign of 1860 was as hate-filled as one could imagine. The editorial pages were filled with slanderous accusations. Reminds me of today's media representations. But, here is what is different. The slander, the viciousness, the hatred was limited to the editorial pages. The remainder of the newspapers' stories were as objective as could be, given that each reporter views the events of the day through the lens of his/her world view. Today, that balance is missing. One wonders if there are any truly objective reporters left in the world of journalism. Everyone wants to editorialize. What we are witnessing has a name. It is "cancel culture." Yes, its purpose is clearly stated in its name - the elimination of Western cul

An Apologetic Lesson from Judge Amy Comey Barrett's Confirmation Hearings

Yesterday we witnessed the first day in the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearings on the confirmation of Judge Amy Comey Barrett to the United States Supreme Court. Visions of the previous confirmation hearings of Judge Brett Kavenaugh still lingered in our minds and were as the "elephant in the room" yesterday. Although the Republicans had the votes to confirm Judge Barrett, everyone knew that the confirmation process would not be an easy one. I saw several clips from the hearing yesterday and read reports on some of the news sources I follow. I was not surprised at the attacks upon Judge Barrett. Can you believe that she was actually asked if she had ever committed sexual assault upon another person? Wow! Yet, here is what amazed me. Through the long day yesterday, Judge Barrett maintained her composure. She did not raise her voice. She did not show anger. And she answered the questions asked of her in a civil manner. Furthermore, when asked if she had any no

A Flawed Philosophy, But a Powerful Command

Tonight is the only vice-presidential debate before the election. Vice President Pence and Senator Kamala Harris are poles apart when it comes to a political philosophy for our times. Senator Harris is a strong advocate for big, intrusive government. She has no fears of a socialist take-over of our democratic system. Free healthcare for all. Free college tuition for all. Guaranteed jobs with a guaranteed living wage. Under her philosophic ideals, really no area of life would be immune from some type of governmental intrusion. Vice President Pence, on the other hand, is a strong advocate for a free-market, capitalistic ideology - an ideology that has laid the foundation for America's greatness. He also strongly advocates for our republican form of government. Although such a system is not perfect, it has provided the means by which millions of people have come to our shores and have found the fulfilment of their dreams. The debate tonight should offer quite a contrast to