Recent Viewpoints

Kerby Anderson The US Constitution reminds us that the responsibility for our government rests with “we the people.” In order for us to be effective, we need to know something about our government and our history. Citizens in countries ruled by dictators don’t need to know much since the major decisions are made for them. But we Americans should be educated and informed. Unfortunately, we are not well educated and informed. A study done by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship…

Kerby Anderson A recent research paper concluded that first responders are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. The Ruderman White Paper on Mental Health and Suicide of First Responders is a chilling look at the sobering statistics of the lives of men and women who protect us each day. The paper explains that, “Police and firefighters, when compared to the general civilian population, are at heightened risk for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicide.”…

Kerby Anderson Most Christians understand that the problems facing America are not going to be solved in Washington. But it is noteworthy when a sitting U.S. Senator says that “Politics Can’t Solve Our Political Problems.” That was the title of a commentary by Senator Ben Sasse. He believes that the tribalism in our nation has a deeper source and is tied to loneliness in America. We are relational beings and want to be in tribes. He observes that, “the traditional…

Penna Dexter Have you found yourself tipping generously these days? Americans are of a mind to be generous with those working hard to deliver food and supplies and the things we need during social distancing. But fears and uncertainties also arise. Even for people who are fully able to pay their bills, the specter of some disturbing economic scenarios gives rise to the temptation to cut back on giving to ministries for the time being. We should do our best…

Kerby Anderson A study by the Manhattan Institute explains why it is so hard for middle-class families to make ends meet. The author, Oren Cass, distilled his research down in a Twitter post. “In 1984, the typical male worker could cover a family of four’s major expenditures (housing, health care, transportation, education) on 30 weeks salary. By 2018 it took 53 weeks. Which is a problem, there being only 52 weeks in a year.” Christopher Ingraham wrote about this in…

Kerby Anderson As we all know, the virus crisis has created a financial crisis. Companies and businesses cannot survive for long when they are closed down. But the greater crisis is what could be called a paycheck crisis. People who live paycheck to paycheck cannot go for very long without dire economic consequences. One survey last year by Bankrate confirmed what previous surveys originally discovered. A majority of Americans are economically vulnerable. Their survey found that only 40 percent of Americans would be able to…

Kerby Anderson Whether you are a Christian or not, you are benefiting from the positive impact of Christianity on your life. That is the premise of the book by Dr. Rodney Stark, America’s Blessings: How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists. His book is a perfect response to atheistic professors who criticize America and the Christian foundation of this country. This book is a natural one for the professor to write since he has talked about the positive contribution of Christianity…

Kerby Anderson Over the next few weeks, we will see many pundits and politicians blaming the president and his administration for the virus crisis. But before we start assigning any blame in the US, we need to go back to the country of origin. China and the World Health Organization should be held accountable for this pandemic. When the first Chinese citizens became sick, doctors tried to connect the dots of these cases and found they went back to the…

Kerby Anderson No doubt you have heard the quote: “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.” The oft-repeated quote is from Rahm Emanuel, who was President Obama’s Chief of Staff at the time. Back then, he was talking about the 2008 financial crisis. This time, a number of progressive groups want to use the virus crisis to attack the president and a few Democratic politicians want to use it to promote their progressive agenda. A Democrat-aligned Super…

Penna Dexter As we all adapt to social distancing, the new normal for daily living, we’ve also got to get serious about economic distancing from China. We have become too dependent on China in key sectors of our economy — like pharmaceutical and medical supply production.  China’s state news agency has issued several warnings that if the United States isn’t careful, China could ban exports of pharmaceuticals and medical protective gear and throw our nation into “a mighty sea of…

Kerby Anderson A number of columnists and political thinkers have tried to explain why there is so much hate in the public arena. Shelby Steele is a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. He has some profound insights on “Why the Left is Consumed With Hate.” He takes us back to the 1960’s when this country “finally accepted that slavery and segregation were profound moral failings.” So the left put itself in charge of righting this wrong, thus giving…