Tag: Tea Party

Liberty or License?

  

Some people are beginning to grumble about the stay-at-home orders during this COVID-19 era. Protests are beginning to pop up in various state capitals. The concern, they say, is that their liberty is being trampled by authoritarian government. At this juncture, it might be beneficial to define terms. Noah Webster, America’s first lexicographer, offered in his 1828 dictionary a key distinction between the words “liberty” and “license.” He divided liberty into various types, one of which was “civil liberty,” the… Read more »

Man’s Anger & God’s Righteousness

  

James 1:20—For the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. That Scripture came to mind this morning as I reflect on the state of our nation and the political developments in recent years. Anger over sin is not a sin in itself, but whenever anger becomes the driving force for what one does, we go off the rails spiritually. There are legitimate reasons for anger: Over 57 million babies aborted since the Roe v. Wade decision in… Read more »

Friends, Colleagues, Former Students–Lend Me Your Ears

  

I am going to make a concerted effort next week to turn to other subjects in this blog, but for today, I feel compelled to make a heartfelt appeal to those I count as friends or colleagues, and to a multitude of former students of mine who appear to be supporting Donald Trump. Please lend me your ears. I come not to praise Trump, but to expose him. But I’m sure you already know that. When Trump first announced his… Read more »

Retiring the New Order

  

Barack Obama’s pledge to fundamentally transform America wasn’t an empty promise/threat. While this transformation has been obvious to anyone paying attention over the past 4+ years, sometimes it takes a really foolish act—like closing the WWII Memorial—to highlight his basic break from all of American history and tradition. Whether you realize it or not, we are now living in a new America under this president. It’s an America we’ve never seen before: Those who normally would be seen as patriotic… Read more »

The Campaign Meets the Occupiers

  

The presidential campaign is more than up and running; it’s in high gear. Not only are Republican contenders lining up for the nomination, but President Obama is actively campaigning while officially calling it a “jobs tour.” That way all the taxpayers receive the distinct privilege of paying for it. For Republicans, the goal is clear: Those who want more fundamental change continue to search for the anti-Romney. They’re not convinced he is the real deal. Yet oddsmakers still put their… Read more »

Bitter Division & Truth-Telling

  

There’s been a lot of talk lately about how the political arena has become bitterly divided. As a historian, let me first say that this is not unique in American history. There have always been periods of strong division: the 1790s, the Jacksonian era, the entire 1850s through the Civil War, the beginnings of the Cold War in the late 1940s-early 1950s, Vietnam and Watergate. And for those who think everyone loved Ronald Reagan [which is what you might surmise… Read more »

In Praise of Harmony & Mutual Respect

  

The budget/debt ceiling bill passed the House last night, and the Senate is slated to vote on it today. Half of the Democrats opposed it; sixty-six Republicans also said no to it. The Democrats’ objections were that there were no tax increases, there were spending cuts, and it called for the Congress to send a balanced budget amendment to the states for ratification. Republicans’ objections were that most of the spending cuts were too far down the road, there is… Read more »