Category: Politics & Government

Opinions on contemporary political happenings and the workings of civil government.

Walker’s Withdrawal

  

Wisconsin governor Scott Walker last night withdrew from the GOP presidential nomination race. All things considered, it is understandable that he did so, but I believe it says a lot of things—mostly bad—about our current nominating process and the expectations of the electorate. I’ll explain in a moment. First, I want to examine Walker’s comments in his withdrawal statement. They say a lot. One of the points he made was how disappointed he was that this entire campaign “drifted into… Read more »

The Fine Art of Being Sorry

  

We’re very good at being sorry. We’re not so good at being repentant. Wait a minute—aren’t those the same? Not necessarily. You can be “sorry” for a lot of things, and it’s all too easy to make your “I’m sorry” statement sound petulant or forced, as if you don’t really mean it. Genuine repentance takes stock of one’s heart and actions, acknowledges when there is sin, and does more than a simple “I’m sorry” in response. Repentance leads to a… Read more »

America’s Jeremiah Moment

  

From the heart today. Well, everything I write is from the heart, but this one is burning within. I have been doing my best to warn conservatives—and Christian conservatives, in particular—about giving any aid, verbal or otherwise, to the candidacy of Donald Trump. Some of you, I’m sure, are tired of hearing my warnings. No one has responded to my warnings with anger, I don’t believe, yet I’m still astonished by people I certainly love and respect giving room to… Read more »

This Is Why I Write

  

One of my concerns for those who read my posts is that they won’t grasp the real reasons why I desire to share my views. It would be easy, from a superficial reading, to think I’m just a conservative who doesn’t like Obama specifically and Democrats/liberals in general. I do oppose Obama and his policies, and I’m also opposed to the Democrat agenda. But there are foundational principles that guide my opposition. I believe in objective truth, and that it… Read more »

Priorities: The Obama Version

  

Four police officers have died from attacks in the last nine days. One was a particularly brutal attack from behind at a gas station, practically execution style. Our president has said nothing publicly about any of those attacks. The Kate Steinle family is now suing the city of San Francisco for the murder of their daughter by an illegal immigrant who was deported five times and ordered to be turned over to the federal government, but San Francisco officials allowed… Read more »

A Historian’s Perspective on Bad Times in American History

  

I don’t think there’s really any disagreement about how pessimistic the majority of Americans are about the future. Currently, all the polls reveal that pessimism. As I survey the scene–the spiritual/moral, political, and cultural aspects [what does that leave?]–I have grave concerns as well. I’d like to offer a historian’s perspective. Since I teach American history, I have a more in-depth knowledge of what has transpired previously. I can imagine myself transported back into earlier eras and think about how… Read more »

The Trump-McCarthy Parallel

  

I admit to being amazed at the support Donald Trump seems to be getting, not only from what might be called “movement conservatives,” but more specifically, from evangelical Christians. One article indicates that he is the leading candidate among that latter group. I don’t know for sure if that’s true, but if it’s even close to the mark, it’s astonishing. I won’t go into detail again (see a previous post) on why I do not support Trump’s candidacy, but I… Read more »