Western Civilization

Patriotism, Gratitude, and Western Civilization 3
- Culture, Western Civilization
- January 11, 2024
Many years ago, I attended West Forsyth High School near Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Though our sports teams then were generally mediocre, at basketball and football games our cheerleaders would inevitably break into a chant: “WEST IS BEST! WEST IS BEST!” That cheer came back to me while reading “The Decline and Fall of the Descendants
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Creche, Credo, Courthouse: Reminders of Western Civilization at Christmas 0
- Culture, Western Civilization
- December 11, 2023
The creche has gone on display at the Warren County Courthouse in Front Royal, Virginia. There we see the figures we might expect—Mary, Joseph, the newborn in the manger, the Magi, and several animals. Beside the creche stands a plain white wooden cross about four feet high. The statues are a bit timeworn, and to
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The Heroism of Civilization 1
- Culture, Western Civilization
- December 11, 2023
A long-held but somewhat flexible fantasy I have engaged in periodically since about middle school has me doing some truly unusual, heroic thing—perhaps pulling someone from a fire or heroically diving into the rapids to save some helpless person from drowning or even taking a bullet to protect a child. (I’m afraid of heights, so
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An Attitude of Gratitude and Gratitude with Attitude: Thanksgiving 2023 1
- Culture, Western Civilization
- November 21, 2023
An idea sent me to my calculator. The United States is 247 years old. I am 72 years old. Simple division revealed that I have lived in this country for 29.2 percent of its history as a nation. Good grief! Hand me a cane and call me Methuselah! Another three years, if I am so
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Why Are People Ripping Down Israeli Hostage Posters?1
- Culture, Western Civilization
- October 31, 2023
Of the many troubling protests seen since the Hamas pogrom of October 7, surely among the most callous are those involving pro-Palestine activists ripping down posters of Israeli hostages. Some 235 Israelis were taken captive by Hamas terrorists, according to the American Jewish Committee. To date, only four abductees have been released. Of course, this
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The Doctor of Deconstruction: Who Is Jacques Derrida?4
- Philosophy, Western Civilization
- October 26, 2023
It seems that words today change meanings every day. For instance, the words “man” and “woman” are now taken to mean a variety of mutually exclusive realities. What was clear and simple is now conflicting and confusing. How did we arrive here, why does it matter, and who is responsible? Enter French philosopher Jacques Derrida.
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