Recent Viewpoints

The critics of voter ID and election reform need to come up with better arguments. First, they allege that these laws are a ploy by Republicans to suppress the minority vote. Second, they say that voter ID laws put a burden on the poor to get a proper ID in order to vote. As Robert Knight explains in a recent column, neither of these two arguments can be used to explain why the Rhode Island chapter of the ACLU has…

Last spring, a new abortion clinic opened in Montgomery County, Maryland. It’s called Carafem and it advertises a “spa-like” experience. Women entering the clinic are provided with cushy spa robes, tea, and a pill — to end the life of their unborn child. This abortion spa has a sort of salon atmosphere with wood floors and plush upholstery. Eight videos obtained undercover by the Center for Medical Progress have educated us regarding Planned Parenthood’s secondary profits emanating from the sale…

The numerous videos of Planned Parenthood have generated lots of comments and conversation. Sadly, they have also demonstrated how many Americans want to deny what is happening. And they have provided a platform for lots of disinformation. Denial is how most of us react to news that is troubling and unexpected. We shouldn’t be surprised that many Americans have troubling accepting the reality presented in these undercover videos. John Zmirak reminds us that the Allies in World War II had…

Earlier this month, I saw an article in USA Today with the title: “Pentagon’s elite forces lack diversity.” That same day Col. Allen West was in my radio studio, and I commented that you could also say that the elite NHL hockey teams lack diversity and some NBA basketball teams lack diversity. That’s because they are dedicated to putting the best players on the ice or on the court. Doesn’t the same standard apply to the men and women in…

The Republican presidential campaign and the first Republican presidential debate have shown that many Americans don’t seem to value previous political experience in choosing a candidate. Donald Trump has been leading in the polls for weeks. Not only has he never served in political office, this is the first time he has even run for political office. After the first presidential debates, some wondered if some Americans would change their minds about the candidates. They did, but not in a…

The release of videos, by the Center for Medical Progress, exposing Planned Parenthood’s participation in the trafficking of baby body parts warrants criminal investigation. The Heritage Foundation summed it up by pointing out three ways in which Planned Parenthood may be violating the law. First, we must ask:  “Is Planned Parenthood receiving too much money in exchange for the body parts of unborn children?” Planned Parenthood spokespersons say that any payment the organization receives for fetal tissue is reimbursement for…

A few decades ago, marriages were the foundation of what many commentators referred to as “the traditional family.” Now marriages and families are taking some very unfamiliar shapes and orientations due to different views of marriage and family. Americans are not exactly sure about what to think about these dramatic changes in marriage and family. On the one hand, they believe that marriage and family are very important. One survey found that their readers rated their relationship to their spouse…

If you want to know the future of an economy or a technology, one helpful measure is Wriston’s Law (named after Walter Wriston, a significant name in banking and finance). His book, The Twilight of Sovereignty, explained that capital (both financial capital and intellectual capital) “will go where it is wanted, stay where it is well-treated.” The success of America in the recent past illustrates the reality of Wriston’s Law. America was a safe place for smart people and investment…

When I was growing up, there was lots of talk about the new morality. And while it is true that the 1960s and 1970s ushered in a new morality, there is growing evidence that the most significant shift in moral attitudes is taking place right now. A study by the Barna Group confirms what I have been seeing among young people. Put simply, the younger you are the more likely you are to have engaged in immoral behavior. The survey…

Christians have been called to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). Unfortunately, three powerful social forces in society undermine the effectiveness of the gospel in this country and around the world. Writers such as Peter Berger and Os Guinness have documented and described these forces. They are secularization, pluralization, and privatization. The first is secularization. It is the process by which sectors of society and culture are removed from the influence of…

No matter what’s on the busy parenting calendar, reading aloud to our children is a satisfying indulgence moms and dads should never feel guilty about. It’s good for kids — and parents. Children’s author and Newbury Medalist Kate Camillo says, “I do think that people, in the rush and clamor and get-things-done-ness of daily life, need to be reminded about what reading aloud can do.” Wall Street Journal children’s book critic, Megan Cox Gurdon agrees. “To curl up with children…