Blog 2 Columns Left Sidebar

Traveling Backwards: Reparations and the Complications of History 2
- History
- July 5, 2019
Before the Civil War, several of my ancestors in Western Pennsylvania were staunch abolitionists. They participated in the Underground Railroad, helping escaped slaves from the South make the journey to freedom. During the War itself, several of these same ancestors, fought in that conflict. At least two of them died, along with several hundred thousand
READ MORE
Why the Minimum Wage Can’t Solve the Poverty Problem 0
- Economics
- July 5, 2019
If wages for those at the bottom are high, you may naturally expect low poverty rates. No matter how you define it, higher wages would most logically relieve poverty levels. This is also the argument made by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). An increase in the minimum wage may very well reduce poverty in the
READ MORE
Midwestern Values: May We Never Lose Them 0
- Culture
- July 5, 2019
I spent nearly a week in June in the flyover part of the country – Topeka, Kansas, to be exact – and found it to be a refreshing change. There’s noticeably less snark, whining, self-entitlement, and virtue signaling there than in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I live and work. Several of the friends
READ MORE

The Deafening Silence on Social Security’s Looming Insolvency 0
- Economics
- July 3, 2019
As the 2020 presidential campaign heats up, it’s disturbing that members of both parties seem unwilling to talk about Social Security. It appears that the program is on such shaky ground that even its mention is political dynamite. How bad is it? Social Security will become insolvent in just 16 years. Who says so? The
READ MORE
Scarlett Laughs 0
- Culture
- July 3, 2019
Strong, female characters are all the rage in Hollywood these days. In “The Force Awakens,” J.J. Abrams merely remade the 1977 “Star Wars” with a skinny girl playing Luke Skywalker. Of course, if you dare to dislike this new genre of movies you are sexist, because strong, female characters! There’s even a study “proving” those who dislike the
READ MORE
What Americans Often Forget 0
- Culture
- July 3, 2019
Our nation’s birthday is approaching once again, along with the celebrations which have accompanied the holiday for so many years. In recent years, however, Independence Day celebrations are often overshadowed by bickering over race or class. With this in mind, I’d like to share a story from my classroom years ago. As a former teacher
READ MORE

Traveling Backwards: Reparations and the Complications of History 2