I’m reading a book—Occasions and Protests—written by novelist John Dos Passos. It’s a collection of several articles and book excerpts that express his ideological views over the course of his life, views that shifted considerably. I have a special interest in him because he grew up on a farm on Read more
Like many Americans, I’m taken aback by the recent revelations concerning the Somali communities in Minneapolis. That city has become a haven for Somali immigrants from a war-torn and corrupt nation in Africa. You can understand in part why people have fled that continent by reviewing Somalia’s history. It’s ripped Read more
Recently, a pollster from the Rasmussen company, Mark Mitchell, visited with President Trump to share some realities. He was blunt: we need a new “Contract for America” to show voters that Republicans understand their problems. According to Mitchell, only one in four Americans thinks their children will be better off Read more
It’s a depressing statistic when the FBI highlights the widespread anti-Jewish hatred in America today. Jews account for two percent of the US population, yet they were the second most-targeted group for violence that is categorized as a “hate crime.” In 2024, that was at 18 percent, up from 5.8 Read more
The topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI) evokes all sorts of emotions. On one end of the spectrum, it’s the way of the future, the route to progress that will create jobs, advance medical research, and revolutionize our lives. On the other hand, it will usher in Armageddon, and people will Read more
When Army soldiers are taught map reading and land navigation, they are trained to know where they are, the directions they will take, and how to navigate from point to point to their destination. I recall doing this several times during my Army ROTC summer camp experience in 1972 at Read more
Today, many of us will gather around the table with family and friends to give thanks for the blessings of life. My family—Shelley and I—have much to be thankful for, including our kids and grandkids. The former bless us with their example as adults. The latter are a blessing by Read more
Like so many of you, I can hardly imagine what will be the outrage du jour. Most of what passes for outrage today is vastly out of proportion to what should cause a person to be frothing at the mouth over a particular issue. I thought I had seen it Read more
I am not an economist. That’s a good thing because Econ 101 was not a strength for me as a freshman at the Virginia Military Institute in 1969. Most of my physical and intellectual energies were devoted to surviving the “ratline” each day, not economics. But I digress. Despite suboptimal Read more
