Blonde is a controversial recent film about Marilyn Monroe. It’s a dark and queasy film about sexual exploitation – the story of how a stunningly beautiful woman was chewed up and spat out by Hollywood. Even the positive reviews – and there aren’t many of them – say that the graphic sex in Blonde makes it hard to
READ MOREStand a random American on a scale, and odds are we’ll find someone overweight or obese. Increasingly, America is a nation of men, women, and children where the word husky is a compliment. Many statistics confirm this expansion of our waistlines: More than 42 percent of adults over the age of 20 are now officially
READ MOREThe claim that beauty is in the eye of the beholder is an expression of philosophical relativism. It confuses and conflates goodness, truth and beauty with preference, prejudice and opinion. Preference has a kinship with prejudice and is often kindled by it. It can distort our ability to see beauty. Many young people prefer rock
READ MOREA federal judge last week stopped New York state officials from enforcing the part of a new gun law that bans firearms from places of worship, at least temporarily. The Oct. 20 ruling is a small but important Second Amendment victory for New Yorkers and advocates of self-defense in a state that largely has been hostile to
READ MOREThe Presbyterian church where I once taught homeschoolers was located in a suburban neighborhood of Asheville filled with medium-sized houses and well-tended yards. And with its broad lawn and surrounding woods, the church was a place of tranquility. Except when the bears decided to pay a visit. Black bears roam much of western North Carolina,
READ MOREOne of my early childhood memories is watching the movie Superman II on television. One scene in particular left an indelible impression. The film’s villains, three Kryptonians named Zod, Ursa, and Non, terrorize a rural town. A boy rides off on a horse to get help. Zod, the leader, sees the boy trying to escape. At that
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