Blog 3 Columns

Why ‘Uncomfortable’ Books Like ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Are Precisely the Ones Kids Should be Reading 0
- Culture
- October 20, 2017
Another book has made the infamous “banned books” list. The public school district in Biloxi, Mississippi decided to pull To Kill a Mockingbird from the eighth grade reading curriculum this year because, district officials said, “There is some language in the book that makes people uncomfortable.” If the language in To Kill a Mockingbird makes
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The Rosy—and False—Narrative of American Public Schooling 0
- Education
- October 20, 2017
Humans tend to romanticize the past. In many ways it helps us see the good in what has been and what is now, but in other ways it disguises the truth. The history of American public schooling is a notable example of viewing history through rose-colored glasses. In my college and graduate school education classes,
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Sharing May Be Caring, But Redistribution Is Not 0
- Culture
- October 20, 2017
I had to have a frank discussion with one of my sons today. I have two of them, you see. Twins. Mark and Michael. They’re not quite seven years old. On Saturday, I went to the grocery store. I asked each of the boys if they wanted to come with me. Michael accepted the offer.
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Propaganda: 4 Tips to Fight It 0
- Culture
- October 20, 2017
Edward Bernays, considered by many to be the father of modern propaganda, opens his famous book Propaganda by stating: We are governed, our minds molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. Of those men “we have never heard of”, Bernays writes: “Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of
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Philosopher: ‘Having Children is Immoral’0
- Philosophy
- October 20, 2017
It’s widely believed that the beginning of the Hippocratic Oath—history’s most famous medical document—states “First, do no harm.” It actually doesn’t. Nevertheless, this sentiment is the driving principle behind philosophy professor David Benatar’s argument that “people should never, under any circumstance, procreate.” Benatar—the head of the philosophy department at the University of Cape Town, South
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Paglia: The Dumbing Down of America Began in Public Schools 0
- Culture
- October 20, 2017
In the last several years, Americans have been sensing that something is seriously wrong with the current crop of young people. True, they are likely to have the most education credentials any generation has ever received. They also are technically-savvy, and as such, have a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips. But in spite of
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Four Fabrications About Firearms 0
- Politics
- October 20, 2017
According to two recent op-eds published by the New York Times: “more guns means more murder.” “more guns means less safety.” “a gun is 22 times more likely to be used in a criminal assault, an accidental death or injury, a suicide attempt or a homicide than it is for self-defense.” “gun-owning households were 41
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The Moral Imagination of ‘Leave It to Beaver’0
- Entertainment
- October 19, 2017
Russell Kirk defined the moral imagination as “an enduring source of inspiration that elevates us to first principles as it guides us upwards towards virtue and wisdom and redemption.” It is a quality which informs the great works of art, not excluding the more popular art forms of film and television. Since its premiere sixty
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The Facts About Who Pays the Most in Taxes in America 0
- Economics
- October 19, 2017
Politicians exploit public ignorance. Few areas of public ignorance provide as many opportunities for political demagoguery as taxation. Today some politicians argue that the rich must pay their fair share and label the proposed changes in tax law as tax cuts for the rich. Let’s look at who pays what, with an eye toward attempting
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Why ‘Uncomfortable’ Books Like ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Are Precisely the Ones Kids Should be Reading 0