Recent Viewpoints

Kerby Anderson Why do the rioters in the street have so much rage? Trying to find rational answers to irrational actions is often a worthless endeavor. But Ned Ryan has found some reasons for “The Misdirected Rage of Young Rioters.” His recent column parallels some of the insights from the book, The Coddling of the American Mind, that I have discussed in previous commentaries. He notes that many of the rioters come from a “spoiled, enabled, and poorly educated generation…

Kerby Anderson Six months into this pandemic, Americans still misperceive their risk of death from COVID-19. That is one of the conclusions from an extensive survey done by Franklin Templeton in conjunction with Gallup. They also found that the misperception is greater for people who identify as Democrats and also for people who rely more on social media for their information. Americans generally underestimate the impact of the coronavirus on a person aged 55 or older. They believe that people…

Kerby Anderson One striking difference between Europe and America has been the temptation of many European countries to fall into totalitarianism. Dennis Prager reminds us that after World War I, many of these countries embraced communism, fascism, or Nazism. There is a very good reason why. The primary beliefs that gave rise to meaning in life were patriotism and the Judeo-Christian religion. The senseless slaughter during the Great War (as it was called) challenged both of those foundations. National identity…

Kerby Anderson A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documents what we already suspected. The coronavirus pandemic has adversely affected our country’s mental health. Correspondent Alexander Nazaryan summarizes the findings from a CDC survey of 5,412 Americans. More than four in ten (40.9%) respondents reported at least one adverse mental or behavioral health condition. More than three in ten (31%) suffered from anxiety or depression. More than a quarter (26%) experienced symptoms of traumatic disorder. Many…

Penna Dexter After months of online worship services, many Americans are happy to get back to in-person church. But parents with young children, who would love to return to church, may find that their church is open, but Sunday school isn’t. Churches that offer nursery care often haven’t ramped up classes for kids beyond age 3. Many moms and dads have never considered bringing their squirmy little ones into the service. Perhaps now is a good time to rethink this…

Kerby Anderson Andrew McDiarmid is a media specialist at the Discovery Institute and author of a blog that attempts to apply biblical principles to technology. He was on my radio program recently to talk about an article posted on the Breakpoint website. The global pandemic has affected our lives in countless ways. One of the most concerning is the reality that our screen time has skyrocketed. We are now relying on technology companies more than ever. He concludes that the…

Kerby Anderson The last two months have shown us how easily the veneer of civilized American society can be shattered. We naively assumed that the moral foundations and social institutions would be strong enough to handle a global pandemic and scattered protests and riots. Now we see their weaknesses. Victor Davis Hanson writes about this thin veneer of American civilization and begins by focusing on New York City which used to be thriving not so long ago. “The city is…

Kerby Anderson America is currently in the midst of a contentious debate about whether to open the public schools and how to do it. Parents, teachers, and administrators have concerns about the risks and safety. Those are legitimate concerns that need to be addressed. But what needs to be called out are the actions of some of the teachers’ unions. For most of us, the pandemic presents a public health problem. For many of the teachers’ unions, it provides an…

Kerby Anderson My commentary yesterday raised the question of whether we would be able to declare a winner in the presidential contest even a week after November 3. If the election isn’t close, then we don’t have to consider those concerns. But the polls in a number of states suggest the election is too close to call. Ari Fleischer served as press secretary for President George W. Bush. He says, “As a survivor of the 2000 recount, I do not…

Kerby Anderson Election night on November 3 could be much more confusing than any election in modern times. We usually expect to know who our next president will be before we head to bed. One major exception was the 2000 election night that ended with questions about Florida ballots and hanging chads. The 2020 election night promises to be even more confusing because of mail-in ballots. If the presidential election is close, we won’t know for some time who will…

Penna Dexter The vast California State University system announced last month that anyone receiving a degree from one of its schools must complete coursework in ethnic and social justice studies. These courses, like English and science, are now required for a bachelor’s degree. This requirement simply makes official the political indoctrination of students that’s taken place, and is growing, at universities across the country. Students are taught that America is systemically racist and that the drivers of prosperity and the…