Anyone familiar with the woeful state of teacher preparation in America should not have been surprised at the recent anti-American tirade by Colorado high school teacher Jay Bennish. You may wonder, where do these people come from? Well, the substantial majority of them come from our colleges of education, many of which encourage the shaping […]
Archives for 2006
Churchill’s Legacy
In response to my “Letter from London” essay and comments on Winston Churchill in the March issue, Wayne Lapham sent me a fascinating quote by Churchill from his book, The River War, published in 1899. It needs to be passed along in its entirety, and remember that Churchill was 24 years old at the time:“How […]
What Multiculturalism Hath Wrought
At this point, there is not much to add to the cacophony of voices currently very loudly expressing themselves on the immigration reform issue, nor to my views on the matter previously expressed in these pages. So, for openers, I will repeat some thoughts, and then add a few new ones:It seems to me that […]
No Surprises Here
In a recent article, George Will says that “Michigan Has a Problem”, which is that its prosperity is withering as America’s automobile industry withers. When examined more closely, the state’s economy is really a microcosm of the larger problem embodied in the debate over protectionism vs. the opportunity society in coping with a globalized workplace. […]
An Insult to MLK’s Legacy
Again the left showed no limits to its indulgence of the race and victimization hustlers and its hatred for the President in the shameful theatrics at the funeral of Coretta Scott King. Here were many of the usual suspects, including former Presidents Carter and Clinton, using a service of celebration and reverence as a political […]
Speaking of the Founding
On the long flights to and from London, I was able to catch up with David McCullough’s 1776, a great book I strongly recommend to anyone who wants a vivid picture of our struggle for independence from Britain and the very real heroes who made it happen. The major impact of this work is to […]
Tipping Point in Iraq
Time Magazine headlines it “Iraq Breaking Point”, William F. Buckley, Jr. says President Bush needs to come to terms with failure in Iraq, and even the most optimistic observer can be forgiven for seeing the beginning of devolution to civil war in the wake of the explosion of the sacred Golden Mosque in Samarra. No […]
Letter from London
My wife and I just returned from a hectic, but delightful two-week visit to London, which was the first visit to that city for both of us in over forty years, a fact which qualified us as virtual first time guests. Given that status, the usual round of sights, sounds, and tastes was mandatory, and […]
Government is Still the Problem Revisited
“We’re going to find out whether Republicans have an appetite for a substantial reform agenda against pork spending, out of control budgets, and deal-making politics in this town”.—Rep. John Shadegg, candidate for House Majority Leader. Well, maybe we just did, because as I write, Shadegg, the most aggressive change agent and spending reformer in the […]
Oprah and the Truth
The recent tribulations and mea culpa of Oprah Winfrey over her endorsement of James Frey’s A Million Little Pieces, a book of fabrications sold as a true story of triumph and redemption, brought together for me several strands related to the current state of truth and objectivity in our culture. For example, the movie “Munich”, […]