Recent Viewpoints

Penna Dexter There’s a wide disparity across America regarding how we’re experiencing the coronavirus pandemic. More and more of us know people who have or have had COVID-19, but polling shows the majority still doesn’t. A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that 59 percent of Americans don’t know a soul who has contracted the virus. Yet every one of us is affected by it. Some Americans’ lives have been upended — others terribly inconvenienced — due to the…

Kerby Anderson Last Friday was the beginning of Ramadan, and I took the opportunity to explain why we sometimes see radical Muslim violence during this time. The examples I gave were from other countries, but there has been disturbing evidence that some radical Muslims in this country would also want to engage in terrorist acts. Let’s begin with the obvious statement that the vast majority of Muslims in the US are peaceful and make great neighbors. But is there a…

Kerby Anderson The latest polls show that a majority of voters (58%) favor reforming our election laws so everyone in America can vote by mail. An additional percentage (9%) back a one-time exception this year because of the pandemic. Having the entire nation vote by mail is not a good idea, but it will take some convincing arguments to sway the current push for nationwide voting by mail. In fact, there are already five states (Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and…

Kerby Anderson Many hospitals in America seem headed for bankruptcy. How could this be, given the need for clinics and hospitals to fight the virus pandemic? The reason is simple. The CDC recommended that health-care providers postpone “elective” procedures in order to have the needed capacity to treat COVID-19 patients. If you needed a knee replacement, you had to wait. Everything from hernia repairs to colonoscopies were delayed. Some doctors even paused chemotherapy for less aggressive cancers in order to avoid exposing their patients with…

Kerby Anderson If you have been concerned about how the media has been reporting the virus pandemic, you are certainly not alone. HBO host Bill Maher is not only upset with the way the establishment media is reporting, he has even warned those in the media that their current methods of reporting will help President Donald Trump be reelected. He began by acknowledging that “we’re starting to see some hope in all this.” But he fears that this “non-stop doom…

Kerby Anderson Should Congress approve more stimulus money? Former Senator Phil Gramm says no. When he was in Congress, he served as the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and previously was a professor of economics. He co-authored an op-ed arguing that more stimulus would crush the recovery. He acknowledges that we always face a challenge when a major crisis occurs during an election year. There is lots of political posturing and opportunism. But he also believes we need a…

Penna Dexter The air is leaking out of the bubble of frustration we’ve all been living in. There’s a national sense of relief as states and localities announce they’re relaxing lockdowns, quarantines and social distancing standards. We’re anxious to jump back into normal life, but also cautious – a bit hesitant. Now that Americans are getting a few more opportunities to try to work again, shop again, pursue recreation in public, and even have elective surgery, some of us are…

Kerby Anderson Ramadan begins today. It is a holy month of fasting for Muslims. But you may have also noticed that Ramadan seems to be a time of increased attacks on infidels. Every year the death toll runs into the hundreds. I fear this year the statistics will also be grim. At first this seems like a contradiction. Ramadan occurs during the ninth lunar month in the Islamic calendar. It is time when Muslims fast from their first prayer of…

Kerby Anderson How many Americans have died of the coronavirus? You would think the answer to that question would be fairly simple. After all, we have the bodies in morgues and funeral homes that we can count. That is true. But how many of those people died of the virus becomes a more difficult question to answer. Most media reports argue that we have a significant undercount, even in this country. It isn’t because government officials are trying to hide…

Kerby Anderson Three dozen states have voter ID laws, but one of those states (Virginia) just struck down the requirement to show identification before voting. The governor signed the bill arguing that “voting is a fundamental right.” That is true and all the more reason to make sure voter fraud does not take place. Meanwhile, Michelle Obama announced a nationwide push to have every state vote by mail and allow people to register online. Progressives have tried to eliminate voter…

Kerby Anderson Whenever you see a news report or hear a comment from a medical expert during this virus pandemic, it is important to use some discernment and apply some logic. Since so much of what is reported is from medical experts, it is easy to be intimidated since few of us have a medical degree. But you don’t have to know much about science or medicine to see the flaws in what is reported. A good example from a…