A Republic or an Empire?
The Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776, embraces two value sets. The first is natural rights, and the second is limited government. After 250 years, neither value has survived, and the opposite of each currently prevails in America. Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration in three days while staying at a rooming house in Philadelphia. He had been greatly influenced by the British philosopher John Locke. Locke is the godfather of the theory of natural rights, which he extrapolated from the natural law teachings of Aristotle, Augustine and Aquinas. Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) ...
Not Following the Example of President James K. Polk
A president orders the onset of hostilities -- war -- without authorization of Congress and without much in the way of making a case with the public. His troops win important victories and decapitate large parts of the government of the enemy. But in the enemy capital, no one surrenders or will even negotiate seriously. That leaves the president with the unhappy choice of launching a new military attack on the central focus of the enemy, one riskier and less certain of success than those before, or of declaring an incomplete victory, well short of his essential objective, and just ...
For Americans and Our Guests, the World Cup Runneth Over
Psalm 23:5, one of the best-known biblical passages, says, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup overflows." It would be hard to find a passage that better reflects this year's World Cup soccer (OK, OK -- "football") championship, which the U.S. is hosting for the first time since 1994. But not because the other nations participating in this year's World Cup are our "enemies." To the contrary, the reactions of the athletes and fans from other countries who have traveled to and through the U.S. to compete and to cheer ...
NBA champs? It’s the New York Knicks… finally!
It has been 53 "short years" or "just" 19,698 days (May 10, 1973) since the New York Knicks were NBA champions. Richard Nixon was president, dealing with the Watergate scandal at the time. The Paris Peace Accord all but ended the Vietnam War as major combat troops were exiting the region. Baseball legend Jackie Robinson, the man who integrated sports, had died just seven months prior. Spiro Agnew became the first vice president to plead guilty to a criminal offense and resigned, with Congressman Gerald Ford being selected as Nixon's new vice president. I was in my sophomore year of ...
Ohio still faces education issues
Despite Ohio policymakers’ continued effort to meddle with education — at all levels — a recent study suggests there has been limited success on a national scale. “Most and Least Educated States in America (2026)” by WalletHub doesn’t even place the Buckeye State in the top half of states. We are 35th. That’s not a good look for a state that has worked diligently to attract large employers looking for a well-educated and well-trained workforce. Ohio is 36th for educational attainment, though 19th for the quality of education. Further, it was bundled into the worst ...