Blog 3 Columns

Taking Ta-Nehisi Coates Seriously 0
- Economics
- October 26, 2017
In June 2014, Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote a feature in the Atlantic arguing that the terrible history of blacks in the United States justified reparations. Many consider this a radical proposition. Yet critical reaction was mild. Kevin Williamson, writing in National Review, disagreed with Coates’ proposal but was impressed with the “beautifully written monograph,” describing the
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It’s Time for the Supreme Court to Take Up the Second Amendment Again, Scholars Say 0
- Politics
- October 26, 2017
Because the Second Amendment protects the right to bear all arms in common lawful use, any law that limits that right has to pass certain standards to be constitutionally permissible. The courts haven’t yet ironed out exactly what kind of scrutiny laws implicating the Second Amendment must pass, but such laws must have an important
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Head Lice Epidemics Are Breaking Out in Schools Across the U.S.0
- Education
- October 26, 2017
Head lice in children are rampant in schools throughout the country. The CDC reports that an estimated six to 12 million young people get head lice each year, and there are indications that these itchy bugs are growing widely resistant to the insecticides commonly used to treat them. A head lice outbreak earlier this month
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‘Porn Star’: Why We Should Probably Lose the Term 0
- Culture
- October 26, 2017
A few years ago, an 18-year old Duke University student named Miriam Weeks began performing in pornographic films for $1,300 per scene to make ends meet. Today she is better known by her nom de porn: Belle Knox. The story created a national stir, especially after Weeks, who said she began shooting porn because tuition
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Who Gets the Biggest Tax Cut in the Republican Tax Plan?0
- Economics
- October 25, 2017
Critics are saying that the Republican tax plan would give high earners the largest cuts. There has been a flood of news stories with that theme since the Tax Policy Center (TPC) released its analysis of the plan. The TPC summary says, “Those with the very highest incomes would receive the biggest tax cuts,” and
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Want Dumbed Down Schools? Get Rid of Logic.0
- Education
- October 25, 2017
In a recent column for The Washington Post, Valerie Strauss highlighted a program called NoRedInk, which helps students across the nation improve their writing skills. Given that only 27 percent of U.S. high school seniors are proficient in this area suggests that such a program is quite necessary. What’s interesting, however, are the areas in
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The Truth About Money in Politics 0
- Economics
- October 25, 2017
I recently participated in a panel discussion in Frankfort, KY about the evils of money in politics. The groups sponsoring it were liberal groups and I was the only conservative on the panel, taking the place of someone else who could not make it. The discussion was specifically about “dark money” in politics, and generally
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The Death of Common Sense 0
- Culture
- October 25, 2017
Three yards of black fabric enshroud my computer terminal. I am mourning the passing of an old friend by the name of Common Sense. His obituary reads as follows: Common Sense, aka C.S., lived a long life, but died from heart failure at the brink of the millennium. No one really knows how old he
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Should Cambridge University ‘Decolonise’ Its English Curriculum?0
- Culture
- October 25, 2017
In an attempt to foster diversity and inclusion, many college campuses, secondary institutions, and even elementary schools have gradually changed up their English curriculum. This change has caused a number of the classic works students have studied for centuries to disappear, replaced by modern tales representing a variety of backgrounds and cultures. The latest school
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Taking Ta-Nehisi Coates Seriously 0