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Blog 3 Columns

  • How Summer Camps and Scout Groups Turn Kids into Citizens

    How Summer Camps and Scout Groups Turn Kids into Citizens0

    The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has both proud supporters and critics of its policies on religious beliefs and sexuality. But for more than a century, the organisation has performed a distinct and vital social function. The BSA and other youth-camping associations developed in the early 20th century. They came to exist primarily as a

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  • How Last Night’s Debate Proved the Dumbing Down of America is Real

    How Last Night’s Debate Proved the Dumbing Down of America is Real0

    Like many Americans, I tuned in last night to catch part of the first presidential debate. Part way through, I had a horrifying “the emperor has nothing on” moment when I realized that neither candidate seemed to know what he/she was talking about.  The content was so low on substance, that I decided to check

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  • How Emotionalism is Slowly Replacing Rationalism

    How Emotionalism is Slowly Replacing Rationalism1

    My hometown has recently been hit with a barrage of ads for the local high-end theatre’s production of Sense and Sensibility. Like all of Jane Austen’s works, the novel manages to marry everyone off, but only after bringing the characters through the harrowing ups and downs of uncertain romantic relationships. As I was reflecting on

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  • 5 Things Your Kids Will Remember About You

    5 Things Your Kids Will Remember About You0

    Parenting is hard work. It calls on mothers and fathers to really forget themselves and put their kids first. So it’s no wonder that sometimes, we take shortcuts. We buy them a toy rather than spend more time with them; we lose our temper rather than practice patience; we put on the TV at dinnertime

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  • Why Do So Many People Lack Compassion?

    Why Do So Many People Lack Compassion?1

    Milan Kundera, in his beautiful novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being, said that compassion was preeminent of all human sentiments. In languages derived from Latin, the word “compassion” is formed by combining the prefix “com” (with) and the noun “passio” (suffering). Other languages use words with a slightly different meaning—“feeling” instead of suffering. This, Kundera

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  • Was Plato Liberal or Totalitarian?

    Was Plato Liberal or Totalitarian?0

    No one reading Plato’s work Republic is likely to come away seeing it as a manifesto for libertarianism. However, it’s common to hear people claim that it is a blueprint for totalitarian collectivism, as, for example, FEE past president Richard Ebeling wrote in his September 23, 2016 column. Plato isn’t even engaged in utopian political

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  • Thomas Jefferson’s 3 Tips for the Presidential Debate

    Thomas Jefferson’s 3 Tips for the Presidential Debate0

    If early reports are any indication, the first presidential debate of 2016 is shaping up to be the most watched – and probably most entertaining – in history. Recognizing this, the candidates are both taking the appropriate steps to be well-prepared. They might be wise to take a look at Thomas Jefferson’s simple tips for

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  • The Reason America Fell in Love With Zombies Again

    The Reason America Fell in Love With Zombies Again0

    This March, another season of The Walking Dead will come to a close, much to the chagrin of its devoted fan base. The show’s success in particular, and the prevalence of zombie-themed shows in general, has led me and many others to ask: Why zombies? Why now? Surprisingly, the reasons for zombies’ popularity are not

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  • Should People Still Be Free to Argue That Homosexuality is ‘Wrong’?

    Should People Still Be Free to Argue That Homosexuality is ‘Wrong’?0

    Christianity is known for traditionally teaching that homosexuality is wrong and therefore a sin. This past weekend Richard Swinburne—a famous Christian philosopher—argued that homosexuality is wrong. He argued this in his keynote address he was invited to give at the Midwest Society of Christian Philosophers. Doesn’t seem all that controversial, right? However, Swinburne’s arguments triggered

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