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Catalonia Shows the Danger of Disarming Civilians 0
- Politics
- October 5, 2017
Since the tragic murder of 59 peaceful concertgoers in Las Vegas, I’ve heard well-intentioned Americans from all political corners echoing heartbroken and tempting refrains: Can’t we just ban guns? Surely we can all get together on the rocket launchers. Things like this would happen less often. We have enough military. While victims were still in
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Barzun in 1999: The Internet Will Lead to Isolation and Chaos 1
- Culture
- October 5, 2017
Jacques Barzun (1907-2012) was one of the preeminent historians of his day. His magnum opus, From Dawn to Decadence, traces the history of Western culture from 1500 to 2000. The book is required reading for anyone serious about understanding Western history, thought, and culture. It’s been more than a decade since I read From Dawn
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Homeschool Slow-Down? Not So Fast 0
- Education
- October 5, 2017
The Washington Post reported last week that after years of rapid growth, homeschooling rates seem to be leveling off. Between 1999 and 2012, the homeschooling population surged from 1.7 percent of the overall K-12 school-age population, to 3.4 percent—or approximately two million homeschoolers. Updated homeschooling data from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) indicate that
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Three Atheists Explain Why the Bible Should Be Taught in Schools 0
- Culture
- October 5, 2017
Ask most Americans if the Bible should be read in schools and a majority will likely say no. After all, the Supreme Court ruled in 1963 that states and school boards may not require the Bible to be read in schools… so doesn’t that mean that its presence should be completely abolished? Even though the
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The Opioid Epidemic in 6 Charts 0
- Culture
- October 5, 2017
Drug overdose deaths, once rare, are now the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., surpassing peak annual deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents, guns and HIV infection. As a former public health official, clinician and researcher, I’ve been engaged in efforts to control the opioid addiction epidemic for the past 15 years. The
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Catalonia’s Road to Secession: Why it could mean the end of the European Union 0
- Culture
- October 5, 2017
For about a year, in the period 1966-67, I lived in Spain while it was still under the Franco dictatorship. I arrived in August 1966 and enrolled in the University of Madrid. The falangista (extreme right wing) government had been in power for 30 years, and were celebrating the anniversary under the slogan “treinta anos
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