The faculty of Princeton University presented a list of demands to the administration in the form of a 4,122-word letter with four hundred signatories. Many points would only interest those connected to Princeton. However, one item should concern anyone who believes in universal truth. The demand reads: “Constitute a committee composed entirely of faculty that … Read more
On July 17, 2020, Attorney-General William Barr gave a speech about the Chinese threat at the Gerald Ford Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Attorney-General’s choice of location was ironic, in that Gerald Ford’s Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, was the architect of the existing U.S-China relationship. Mr. Barr did not mince words in exposing … Read more
Amid the Coronavirus crisis and social unrest, few Catholics noticed the release of the Directory for Catechesis by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization. It follows the lead of the 1971 General Catechetical Directory and the 1997 General Directory for Catechesis. The goals of the new guide were heralded in glowing … Read more
When watching the news, the difference between the important and the absurd is harder to distinguish. Ideas ridiculed a couple of years ago are now taken seriously. No one could, for example, imagine eliminating police forces from crime-ridden cities. Now, several cities are seriously considering such proposals. No More Master Bedrooms This change of ideas … Read more
In yet another sign of these tumultuous times, “social justice warriors” are now demanding that “The Star-Spangled Banner” be replaced as the national anthem. One proposed replacement is John Lennon’s “Imagine.” Indeed, “The Star-Spangled Banner” is difficult to sing. Sopranos struggle with “twilight’s last gleaming” and “gallantly streaming.” Basses screech through “the rockets’ red glare, … Read more
The current unrest has the left trotting out its tired arguments to take advantage of the crisis. The wave of anti-police sentiment has some leftist educators argue against stationing police officers in schools. Often referred to as “school resource officers” (SRO), they provide three functions. They educate students about the law. They serve as informal … Read more
“It is better to build schools now than to build prisons later.” The old progressive maxim offers some comforting logic. Someone without a good education is likely to fail. A certain percentage of those will turn to crime and end up in prison. Free Book: Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy to an Organic … Read more
In 1966, Mao Zedong launched his “Cultural Revolution.” He decided that Red China’s greatest enemy was tradition. He made war on what he called “The Four Olds.” These consisted of old ideas, old customs, old culture, and old habits. It seems the left in America is borrowing Mao’s old ideas. In the name of changing … Read more
Every human being needs to distinguish truth from error. God gave humanity intelligence to perceive the truth. Training the intellect is a life-long pursuit. Professor Nicholas Merriweather teaches philosophy at Shawnee State University in Ohio. He believes that his primary task is to help students recognize and appreciate the difference between truth and error. Many … Read more
Children do better when their parents stay together. The above statement is obvious to pro-family advocates. While there may be exceptions to the general rule, they automatically accept that children in stable homes have a big advantage over their peers. A Cautionary Tale When I began my teaching career in the mid-eighties, I had the … Read more
