Recent Viewpoints

Kerby Anderson Tony Perkins asks a good question. “If NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell thinks football unites us, then why is his league taking political sides?” The National Football League has had trouble keeping TV viewers this year. There are many theories for the rating drop ranging from concern about concussions to the ongoing Colin Kaepernick controversy. So, you would think that the NFL would focus on how to attract more viewers for next season. But shortly after the Super Bowl…

Kerby Anderson One of the many dividing lines between progressives and conservatives is their belief in the efficiency and effectiveness of government bureaucracies. Liberals may have some misgivings about how they are treated at the Department of Motor Vehicles or by the TSA at airports. Nevertheless, they tend to believe that government is the solution to most social and political problems. Conservatives are usually more skeptical about government and support the private sector over the public sector. But their reactions…

Kerby Anderson When is a misstatement or an exaggeration an actual lie? This is hardly a hypothetical question. Critics and media organizations have accused the last two presidents and the current one of lying to the American people. You might remember such phrases as: “Bush lied, people died” and “Obama continually lied about Obamacare.” Now critics claim that President Trump and his administration frequently lie. When Kelly Ann Conway talked about the “Bowling Green terrorist massacre,” was it lie? She…

Penna Dexter On cool winter days I often zip on my black Ivanka Trump ankle boots. I got them at Nordstrom about five years ago. They’re still in good shape, still stylish, and look great with pants and skirts of any length. They have a couple of years left in them and it’s a good thing because I wouldn’t know where to replace that brand right now. Certainly not at Nordstrom. The retail chain announced it will no longer sell…

Kerby Anderson Events over the last two months illustrate how difficult it is to argue for unhindered abortion rights. Put another way, if you were in a debate competition and were given the assignment to defend abortion, you would know that you would have a more difficult time than the person who was given the assignment to defend the pro-life position. Last month, for example there was the article in The Atlantic with the provocative title: How Ultrasound Pushed the…

Kerby Anderson Ayaan Hirsi Ali begins her commentary with these words: “I was a Muslim refugee once. I know what it’s like.” She was en route to Canada to consummate a marriage arranged against her will by her father. At the Frankfurt Airport, she fled to the Netherlands. There she learned Dutch and received a master’s degree in political science before coming to America. She has worked as an interpreter for abused Muslim women and understands the Muslim refugee experience….

Kerby Anderson When a new president is elected, he inherits an executive branch that is stocked with government workers from the previous administration. Sometimes the transition is very smooth. Think of the transition from Ronald Reagan to George H.W. Bush. Sometimes the transition is rough. That is what Donald Trump is experiencing. An article in the Washington Post described how federal workers are resisting the executive actions by President Trump and looking for ways to push back against his agenda….

Kerby Anderson Today is Valentine’s Day. Traditionally in this country, it has been a day for cards, candy, and flowers. I think it would surprise most people to know that Valentine’s Day is rooted in church history and not an invention of greeting card companies. Pope Gelasius designated February 14 as a day to celebrate the life of St. Valentine. Actually there were at least three men who were named Valentine that have been tied to this day. During the…

Kerby Anderson The free speech movement on the University of California campus began more than 50 years ago. I remember it because, as a youngster, I attended a church in Berkeley very near where it was taking place. So I thought it was indeed ironic that a raging mob forced the university to shut down a scheduled speaking event. It is not unusual these days to cancel a speaker, especially if he or she is a conservative.  Years ago, Ambassador…

Penna Dexter As the country implements President Trump’s executive order that limits travel to the U.S. from seven countries plagued by jihadi violence, and places a temporary hold on any refugee travel here, some people are willing to absorb the inconvenience in favor of safety and national security. Others are asking: Where’s the compassion, especially for refugees from war zones. Some critics of the ban wonder why these particular countries? James Carafano, national security expert at the Heritage Foundation worked…

Kerby Anderson Shortly after the “Women’s March on Washington,” Dr. Steve Turley wrote about the “feminist futility” of the march and its major policy initiatives. Feminists and LGBT activists have been pushing programs and policies that almost guarantee that future feminists and activists will be smaller in number. It all comes down to what I have written about in the past: the fertility gap. Steve Turley cited a recent demographic study done by a professor at the University of London….