I know — virtually every day, week and month has a designation, sometimes multiple designations, to commemorate. That’s why I was not surprised when a friend told me today was National Freedom of Information Day (NFID). Why not? This day comes to us courtesy of nationally syndicated radio talk show host Jim Bohannon. Its purpose
After viewing the recent impeachment hearings and President Trump’s reaction, I’m going to throw out two words (and then run for cover): Greek Tragedy. Does anyone else feel like that’s really what we’re watching? The ancient Greeks loved their theater, particularly their tragedies. The plays that have survived the ages have inspired a genre with
You may have seen the expression “bleeding heart” used occasionally in political columns. Actually, it has a surprisingly long history in Western literature. According to Merriam-Webster, the phrase first appeared as “he felte his herte blede” in Geoffrey Chaucer’s 14th-century poem Troilus and Criseyde. It also took on a religious meaning as an image of the
If you are wondering how the latest U.S. border policy was implemented and what effects it is having on both the immigrants and the Border Patrol, the National Public Radio program This American Life has produced a show about the Trump administration’s “Remain in Mexico” asylum policy. Entitled “The Out Crowd,” it first aired on
Our Founding Fathers did not make it easy for us. They could’ve given us a king or other type of supreme leader and let it go at that. That would’ve been much simpler — just do what you’re told and don’t worry. But instead they gave us a system that requires a lot of work
August 30 was the birthday of Molly Ivins (1944-2007), a favorite journalist/humorist of mine. Among her musings is “The thing about democracy, beloveds, is that it is not neat, orderly, or quiet. It requires a certain relish for confusion.” She was born in Monterey, California, but raised in Houston, Texas; her adopted state provided plenty
Have you ever been told “If you don’t like the way the country is being run, why don’t you run for office yourself”? Don’t laugh, a lot of people are. In fact, this includes the presidency. As of this writing, more than 400 people have announced their candidacies to run our nation (http://time.com/5481580/presidential-campaign-filings-skyrocket/). Overseeing this
I’m both a news junkie and am active on social media. That’s a volatile mix in these political times. So when I saw an article on Ideas.TED.com about a better way to read the news, I was hooked. The better way is actually quite simple — read as if you were a scientist. How? Here
Maybe it’s the nerd in me, but whenever I’ve studied the Bill of Rights, I’ve always wondered why so much is crammed into the First Amendment. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Establishment of religion, free exercise
With the extreme polarization of American politics, I’ve been seeing a lot of discussion about possible changes to our elections. Should we abolish the Electoral College? Do we need a stronger chief executive? How do we make our democracy more responsive? I’ve recently listened to a podcast that discusses this issue in detail — “Tweak
