Recent Viewpoints

Kerby Anderson Today is Memorial Day. For many Americans, it is merely a day off. For others, it marks the start of summer. But hopefully for many of you, it is a day to honor those who fought for our freedom and especially for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Sure we can enjoy our picnics and go for a walk or go for a swim. But we should take some time to put up a flag, make a banner,…

Penna Dexter Over time, Target Corporation has made a string of marketing and policy decisions that blur gender lines — and more. First, the company stopped separating children’s clothing according to sex. Boys’ and girls’ departments ceased to be specifically identified and much of the clothing for kids skewed androgynous. This didn’t generate much controversy but, in April 2016, Target made a public announcement that did. Management said bathrooms and dressing rooms would open for use by customers and employees…

Kerby Anderson This week I spent some time talking about misinformation and disinformation. Therefore, it is worth mentioning a commentary by John Lott with the appropriate title “When Misinformation Drives Bad Policy.” He is the author of books and scholarly research on many topics but is probably best known for his research and writing on guns, crime, and gun policy. He has been on my radio program many times, and I trust his careful research. You can imagine my surprise…

Kerby Anderson Earlier this month, Netflix posted a memo to its employees that suggests that some companies are pushing back against progressive culture warriors within their organizations. The memo explained that: “If you’d find it hard to support our content breadth, Netflix may not be the best place for you.” Charles Cooke responded with the comment: “There. That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Of course, it shouldn’t be that hard. As he observes, “If you don’t like soft drinks, it…

Kerby Anderson Two weeks ago, the Washington Post ran an op-ed by a student at George Washington University calling for the administration to change the name of the university. He also wants to change the motto, the mascot, and even the names on some of the buildings on campus. The reason as you might have guessed is racism. A few commentators have pointed to the irony of the fact that the student’s op-ed that wanted to change the university’s name…

Kerby Anderson Yesterday, I talked about “misinformation” and “disinformation.” Today I want to quote from Barton Swaim who explains “How Disagreement Became Disinformation.” In the early part of the 20th century, progressives placed their “faith in the perfectibility of man” and “held that social ills could be corrected by means of education.” People do bad things, according to this view, because they don’t know any better and have bad information. Even secular people can see the folly of such a…

Kerby Anderson The terms “misinformation” and “disinformation” are frequently tossed around. That is why it is good to define the terms and explain why they are often misused. Getting a good definition shouldn’t be difficult. Historically, dictionaries have defined misinformation as false or mistaken information. But if you type the word misinformation into some Internet websites, you will get a definition that implies that it includes information intended to deceive others. That should be the definition for disinformation which intends…

Penna Dexter During the Q & A session at a recent seminar an audience member, a mother of four accomplished girls, wondered: “How do we help our teenaged children have good friendships?’ Coming from her, the question seemed odd. But the speaker, Coleman Ford, who teaches at Southwestern Theological Seminary, shares that concern. He pulled a phone out of his pocket and said, “The problem is this.” The mother nodded. Dr. Ford is writing a book he’s calling: Augustine and…

Kerby Anderson While we lament the fact that much of the news today is censored or suppressed, the American consumer understands that inflation is real and here to stay for the foreseeable future. David Catron argues in The American Spectator that “Inflation Can’t Be Censored.” A recent Gallup poll concluded, “Americans’ confidence in the economy remains very low, and mentions of economic issues as the most important problem in the US are at their highest point since 2016.” When asked…

Kerby Anderson One symbol of Russia has been the Russian bear. Sometimes the image has been positive. The mascot of the 1980 Moscow Olympics was a bear cub called “Misha.” More frequently the Russian bear image has been used to describe Russia as “big and brutal.” The war in Ukraine has certainly reinforced the idea of brutality. Consider this short list of brutal acts by the Russian military: the massacre in Bucha, airstrikes in various cities and ports, the use…

Kerby Anderson Bobby C. Lee is an entrepreneur and was also an early adopter of bitcoin. In his book, he makes the claim that money is a natural right. He acknowledges that it may seem odd to say something like that. After all, it isn’t what John Locke listed as one of the many inalienable rights like life, health, liberty, or possessions. But if you think about it, money represents the fruit of your labor. You are paid for your…