Free Republic

A Fourth of July Gallup poll presented an interesting picture about our country. Americans overwhelmingly express pride in being American, yet the division is wide and deep about what being an American means. Eighty-five percent of respondents say they are “extremely” or “very” proud to be an American. Yet, 71 percent say they think the signers of the Declaration of Independence would be “disappointed” how the country has turned out. Only 15 percent of conservatives and 12 percent of Republicans say the signers of the Declaration would be “pleased” with how the country has turned out. But, 41 percent of...

Or are they teenage boys raging with hormones, like E.J. Dionne, that are willing to say anything to get into some panties? (with shows like Glee out there I'll throw libs a bone and not assign any pronouns to said panties) ...our friends in the Tea Party have offered a helpful clue by naming their movement in honor of the 1773 revolt against tea taxes on that momentous night in Boston Harbor.Whether they intend it or not, their name suggests they believe that the current elected government in Washington is as illegitimate as was a distant, unelected monarchy. It implies something...

From where do your rights come? Not the right to bear arms, or freedom of the press. I’m talking about those unalienable rights our founding fathers spoke of: Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. At face value, it’s quite a simple question; who, or what, gives you these rights? It seems to me there are two possible answers, God or government. Though it seems like a simple question, the implications of either answer are quite severe. Either your rights come from an objective, unchangeable higher authority, or a manmade power with the potential for corruption. The danger in assuming that...

This approach would force students to study American history without consulting the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, every inaugural address, the bulk of writings by America's founders and much more. Taken to further extremes, it would deprive Stevens Creek students knowledge of the Roman Empire from Constantine on, the Crusades, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, most of the greatest artwork before the 20th Century, the oevre of English-language authors from Chaucer through Eliot (C.S. Lewis no doubt is strictly forbidden!), and the musings of great scientists who to this day puzzle over the existence of G-d. The result: a curriculum that...

By now, most of you know that I'm not that much of a sports fan. I watch maybe one football game a year. Not a whole one, mind you, just a minute here, 30 seconds there, as I'm flipping channels between Food Network, Animal Planet, Adult Swim and Fox News. I'm not all that fussed about basketball, except when a fight breaks out of course, and I can't be bothered too much with hockey except when a fight doesn't break out. Being an American citizen and a male of the species, however, it is expected that I give a rat's...

This is my entry into an essay contest on this topic. Click on the URL to find details. This is a draft. Please critisize, correct, and comment. I value your input. As far as I know, this essay is bullet proof; everything in it is true and irrefutable. Let me know if I'm wrong. How Much Freedom Should We Trade for Our Security? I begin by clarifying the meaning and scope of this essay’s theme. By “freedom”, I mean the basic freedoms protected by the U.S. Constitution: freedom of press, of speech, of religion, of assembly, as well as all...