Blog 3 Columns

What is “Secularism”?0
- September 17, 2015
What is fascinating about our times is the dominant cultural narrative is set against religion. By that we mean that our modern secular society depends upon acknowledging that previous cultures were established upon religion and we are not. In other words, we as a society are moving away from something, that something being a religious
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These Americans Can’t Answer Simple Citizenship Questions: Are Schools to Blame?0
- September 17, 2015
September 17th marks the anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. To recognize “Constitution Day,” the day “when all schools receiving federal funds are expected to provide lessons or other programming on our most important founding document,” the folks at the Fordham Institute prepared a special project. They examined the mission statements of the
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The Suicide of Thought 0
- September 17, 2015
It is a year since the event. To be specific, it was in the early hours of the 26th July, 2014 that my son Greg took his own life. It was such a shock to all who knew him, that it would seem crass and insensitive to attempt to draw any conclusions, especially given the
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New Research Shows iPads are Not a Panacea for Educational Woes 0
- September 17, 2015
Today’s education system is increasingly repeating the “iPads for everyone” mantra. In an effort to improve student performance, school districts in every state from California to Pennsylvania to Minnesota to Colorado and on to Illinois have launched expensive initiatives to get little fingers swiping screens in the classroom. But have these initiatives been misguided? Brand
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DePaul Professor Says the Free Market Isn’t That Free 0
- September 17, 2015
Capitalism is considered by many to be the best system for ensuring freedom in the economic realm. But is the system of free market economics promoted by advocates such as Milton Friedman really that free? Not according to professor William Cavanaugh of DePaul University of Chicago. In a book chapter entitled “Freedom and
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Advice from My Father 0
- September 17, 2015
I barely knew my father. As is typical of my generation, my parents separated and then divorced when I was only four or five. After picking up the pieces of his shattered existence, my father reentered my life with some regularity when I was about 8 or 9. And by that, I mean I got
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Some Stories are Worth Remembering 0
- September 16, 2015
A few years back, I met an intern who was working with a conservative group. I suspect a lot of folks would read that and consider this sort of person to be a Bible-thumping troglodyte. Au contraire. During a conversation about pop culture, we turned to the TV show Desperate Housewives. Here, I was thoroughly
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Homeschooling Mom: We Pulled Out of the Public Schools Because of the System, Not the People 0
- September 16, 2015
In the last 20 years homeschooling has gone mainstream, and homeschooled students are often highly praised for their accomplishments. But some skeptics remain, many of whom are teachers themselves. But as it turns out, teachers and homeschoolers may share some of the same critiques about today’s public education system. According to homeschool mom Melissa Roy,
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Are We Over-Medicating Children?0
- September 16, 2015
A year or so ago, my sister was tasked to look after two children in a classroom/tutorial type of setting. After ignoring repeated instructions to sit down and perform the task at hand, the child on my sister’s right grinned mischievously and said, “I can’t. I didn’t have my medication today.” The child on her
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What is “Secularism”?0