How to Educate an American is a collection of essays edited by Michael J. Petrilli and Chester E. Finn, Jr. that embraces a serious task. The subtitle set out its goal – The Conservative Vision for Tomorrow’s Schools. Unfortunately, this book cannot deliver something that does not exist. There is no unified conservative vision for … Read more
In times of great suffering like ours, it does us good to think about heavenly things. Such considerations are constant reminders that our greatest concerns should be our union with God in this world and the next. Indeed, in times past, people commonly raised their hearts to Heaven, which made all their woes seem small. … Read more
Anyone who thinks that the coronavirus crisis represented a truce in the raging culture war is very mistaken. The war is only going to accelerate. Likewise, anyone who thinks there is a need to construct complex conspiracy theories to explain what is happening is also mistaken. Free Book: Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy … Read more
Recently, I went to a local funeral home for a viewing. The deceased was a former student. He was driving while intoxicated, and the resulting high-speed collision was horrible. His passenger died as well. I will refer to the young man as John, even though that is not his real name. John was in his … Read more
The Chinese virus crisis has led California Governor Gavin Newsom to issue a stay-at-home order. No one in the state is allowed to leave home for nonessential reasons. The rest of the nation may soon be subject to similar restrictions. Due to this forced seclusion, many feel trapped. Contradictory news stories concerning the virus’ severity … Read more
“If you were to examine any speech made by a university president fifty years ago, you would find that the word ‘excellence’ occurs with great frequency…. If you made the same examination now, you’d find that ‘diversity’ has taken its place.” This quote summarizes the main idea behind the book, The Breakdown of Higher Education: … Read more
Almost anyone in academia or business administration has seen a “TED Talk.” These are five to twenty-five-minute lectures first given at TED events. The presentations are then available on YouTube. The Power of TED The power of these talks comes from their easy availability. They have a Creative Commons license. They can be used for … Read more
Does America need more government or less during the Coronavirus crisis? In the face of the challenges of the coronavirus crisis, it is an awkward question. Without quick action, people could lose their homes. Healthy companies could go bankrupt. A strong case exists for government aid. Free Book: Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy … Read more
I witnessed a gut-wrenching scene when I recently entered an adoration chapel in North Carolina. Like the rest of the country, there were no Masses anywhere. Thus, this chapel served as a place for local Catholics to pray and make spiritual communions. Upon entering, I saw a woman kneeling in the back with her head … Read more
The fear of the coronavirus has created a climate of frenetic intemperance that is causing much anxiety and agitation. In times of crisis like these, calm is a very important virtue. I witnessed this need for calm during a recent trip to Walmart. I was not there to buy anything since I simply wanted to … Read more
