The flames that consumed the spire of Notre Dame and burned the 856-year-old church to its foundations could have been doused by the tears of the faithful. If France heeds calls to rebuild the cathedral as a reflection of what modern “French people want,” the new structure may be flooded by their tears. The fire,
READ MOREThe tremendous economic growth of China over the last three decades has reinforced the perception that authoritarian countries can spur economic growth just as efficiently as democracies. China isn’t the only example of this. The autocratic governments of Pinochet’s Chile or Lee Kuan Yew’s Singapore seem to confirm the idea that long-term economic growth are
READ MOREThe Trump administration is exploring the legality of transporting illegal immigrants who the government can’t detain to sanctuary cities, which by definition welcome illegal immigrants. Prominent Democrats say they oppose the idea, and even supporters say President Donald Trump could be trolling Democrats in a public relations move. If Trump moves forward with the
READ MOREOne of the first and most important things we learned in the school yard was the concept of fair play. When running a race, you don’t start before the whistle is blown. In a game of hide-and-seek, you don’t peek to see the location of the other players. Starting the race before your opponents
READ MOREThere are those of us who cringe and bristle at the modern “praise and worship” music that has invaded churches of every Western denomination in the United States: guitar masses, contemporary services, happy-clappy praise bands, worship teams, big TV screens. One of our regular criticisms is that, in this “contemporary” format, the same words are
READ MOREMany young men are puzzled these days about the meaning of manhood, perplexed by what they hear in a classroom, learn online, or see in their friends. They want to work, to love, to do good in the world, to emulate other men. Unfortunately, maps for these destinations seem in short supply. Help is at
READ MOREPhiladelphia’s soda tax is barely two years old, but many local lawmakers are saying they’ve seen enough. The hotly debated tax survived a legal battle last year, but the court of public opinion appears to be another matter. Maria Quiñones-Sánchez, a member of Philadelphia’s city council, introduced a bill last month that would phase out
READ MOREEarlier this year my wife and I were fortunate to visit the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, Florida. The 16 acres of beautifully maintained gardens slow the mind — this is not the place for a power walk. Approaching the bonsai display, we heard high decibel rock music blasting, shattering the stillness
READ MOREWhat exactly is a slave? My online dictionary describes it as “a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them.” That one doesn’t satisfy. Though some might debate the definition of “legal property,” this definition would make the mother of a three-year-old a slave owner. My
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