Say you were buying a car, and the used-car salesman told you that you could get a car with an accelerator, or brakes, but not both. Then he enthusiastically explained that really, you only need one or the other. I think most of us would opt for the bus. The word ‘conserve’ means to keep, … [Read more…]
The political right has become strongly identified with a vocal Christian base. The left is likewise identified with a strong secular/humanist element. Despite such disparate starting points, both of these approaches agree that love and service of humanity are among their loftiest goals. Which is pretty funny, because they absolutely loathe one another. And neither … [Read more…]
I got some feedback, positive and negative, on the Justice Scalia/Affirmative Action piece. One person asked an interesting question about different admission criteria for football players, and that gave me something to think about. In Fisher v University of Texas, Fisher was not denied admission because her slot was filled by a minority student. Rather, … [Read more…]
For many years, I tried to identify the key differences between liberals and conservatives, the functional definitions, beyond the hot-button issues. I have not completely given up on that, but I have decided that the division between left and right is secondary, that there are more important considerations. To start, one of the things I … [Read more…]
In the oral arguments of Fisher vs. University of Texas, Justice Antonin Scalia raised some questions about Affirmative Action: There are those who contend that it does not benefit African Americans to get them into the University of Texas where they do not do well, as opposed to having them go to a less-advanced school, … [Read more…]
Syrian immigrants included my grandparents. Today we are accepted as Lebanese Christians, but 100 years ago we were not welcome, either.
The government has declared that women will be added to all military positions, including special forces. This is clearly a victory for women who have worked for such changes. Critics, people who insist they know better about such things, say that women slow down units, they aren’t as strong, they aren’t as mentally tough. I … [Read more…]
The heroic Tin Can Sailors of Taffy 3 in the Battle off Samar is almost unknown; but men like Thomas J Lupo challenged military discipline, and won.
We think of compassion as a universal moral position, but when the choice is compassion or survival, pragmatism will always win out.
Consider these Thanksgiving thoughts: beyond our one day to focus on our tremendous bounty, we too often forget to be grateful the rest of the year.