Recent Viewpoints

Kerby Anderson Wilfred Reilly has written a book about how American history is taught today. It has the provocative title, Lies My Liberal Teacher Told Me. In some ways, it can be seen as a response to the book by James W. Loewen, Lies My Teacher Told Me. You can read his opinion column that provides a summary of his book. What is his concern? “We often, bizarrely, hear the claim that American history is taught mostly from the political right…

Kerby Anderson There are many reasons why politicians talk about “draining the swamp.” The federal bureaucracy is bloated. Our taxes don’t even cover all the costs of the executive branch in the federal government. Economist Stephen Moore argues that “The Case for Draining the Swamp Is Stronger Than Ever.” He reminds us that the latest official employment report finds once again that “the federal government and state-local hiring spree is still in full gear.” Government and health care are hiring…

Kerby Anderson With political tensions throughout the world, we need someone to step forward and promote some important principles for America to provide global leadership. It isn’t too often that a speech by the Speaker of the House fulfills that need. But these are not ordinary times. Earlier this month, Mike Johnson spoke at the Hudson Institute and laid down a marker for future leaders because he rejects American decline and retreat. He explained, “While democracy is not perfect, the…

Penna Dexter Nine years ago, the United States Supreme Court issued the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision that brought same sex marriage to every state. This despite the fact that 31 states had specifically defined marriage in their laws and constitutions as being between one man and one woman. Many Americans still hold to that definition of marriage, especially people of faith. During oral arguments in Obergefell, Justice Antonin Scalia asked, “Is it conceivable that a minister who is authorized…

Kerby Anderson It’s time to have a meaningful conversation about tipping, for two reasons. First, there is a significant reaction to the expectation of tipping. Andy Kessler writes about “The Tyranny of Tipping.” Second, tipping may become a political issue. Donald Trump declared in Nevada: “When I get to office, we are going to not charges taxes on tips.” Why do we tip? Historically, it goes back centuries. Andy Kessler talks about London taverns in the 17th century that suggested…

Kerby Anderson If you spend any time viewing social media, you have probably seen a few clips from notable experts on the dangers of alcohol. We know so much more about its dangers than we did just a few decades ago. Professor Jordan Peterson warns that “alcohol is an extraordinarily pernicious drug.” He understands why people would use it because of its anxiety reducing properties. But he argues that alcohol is a really bad drug. He says, “50 percent of…

Kerby Anderson Warner Wallace has a new book out with the title, The Truth in True Crime: What Investigating Death Teaches Us About the Meaning of Life. Although he is known as a cold-case homicide detective, he is best known in Christian circles as an apologist. The title of his book might be a bit deceiving. He uses the crime scenes he investigated over the years to point to life principles that lead to human flourishing. The fifteen chapters discuss…

Kerby Anderson We need to find the “lost boys of America” and reach out to them. They are responsible for mass shootings. And they are also killing themselves (slowly with drugs or quickly through suicide). This needs to be a priority for every church in every community. Many people have written about this. David French wrote an essay and quoted from two authors I have discussed in previous commentaries. Robert Putnam is best known for his book, Bowling Alone, that…

Kerby Anderson Batya Ungar-Sargon is the deputy opinion editor of Newsweek and is getting lots of attention for her recent book, Second Class: How the Elites Betrayed America’s Working Men and Women. In her book, she explains the plight of people who live and work on the opposite end of our social ladder. She is unusual among the establishment media because she is willing to interview people in the working class and thus tell the story of class differences in…

Penna Dexter Every four years each political party sends seasoned activists to the table to write a platform for convention delegates to pass. Words are carefully chosen; positions painstakingly framed.  The document — though not binding on candidates — provides a blueprint for policies advocated by the party.  Since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, no other plank in the platform of either major party has received more scrutiny. The 2016 Republican platform language on abortion is strongly supportive of…

Kerby Anderson The other day I came across a shocking statistic. Lee Burdette Williams says, “About three million first-time college students will soon be arriving on campus—most of them coming directly from high school. About one million of them won’t make it through their first year or return as sophomores.” She concludes that “this attrition is financially and emotionally devastating for families” and it is also “destabilizing for colleges.” Why is this happening? Many of these departures are financial. Higher education…