A Socio-Political Blog
It is time to get behind Abby Finkenauer who is defending her Congressional seat in Iowa’s 1st District. The race with her challenger, Ashley Hinson, is closer than it should be as a recent poll only separated them by one percentage point in favor of Finkenauer. I will go on record to say that Ashley…
I am a Democrat but I’m not anti-Republican. I am a Liberal but I am not anti-Conservative. What I believe is that liberalism is necessary to move our conservative nature in the direction of progress. Believe me, I have as many friends on the right side of the aisle as on the left and they…
Boy, can I step into a fire, or what? I probably use Facebook too much and lose sight of my own dictum that social media does not contain nuance and tends to absolve false premises. But I enjoy the laughs it provides and posts that stimulate debate. Sometimes I will repost a meme that I…
It occurred to me….I’m not helping. I’m not calming anyone’s nerves, I’m not making fewer people angry, and I’m not convincing anyone who didn’t already agree with me to listen or, God forbid, change their mind. When I was door knocking as a candidate for the Iowa House, 4 years ago, I often joined a…
I have a dear friend, who sadly passed away a few years ago. He was a dashing, British actor named Peter Dennis who was delightfully full of himself, as only British folk can pull off with graceful aplomb. I think of him all the time, but the pearl of kindness that he always imparted upon…
Whenever there is a disaster, natural or human-caused, it seems that an evangelical will make a statement that it confirms God’s wrath. And each time I hear a new pontification regarding Holy punishment due to gay marriage, legalizing pot, or for debunking trickle-down economics, I am compelled to look critically at their religious cause. Evangelicals…
There sure is a lot of talk lately about that venerable old document we call the “Constitution.” There’s a lot of disagreement over how it is to be interpreted, and the intentions of the original Framers regarding language, but one thing everyone seems to agree on: No one is getting it right…except for ourselves, of…
Since “socialism” and “social democracy” are going to be hot button topics for the next several months, it might be a good idea to calibrate some understanding. I have preached until I am blue in the face that many people think they are saying “communism” when they say “socialism” but that isn’t resonating. Even pundits…
As Bernie Sanders shows strength toward the possibility of becoming the Democratic candidate, the issue of his association with “socialist” ideas will weigh more and more heavily within our political rhetoric. Sanders identifies with Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the New Deal. Fair comparisons can be made with regard to how Sanders proposes to focus federal…
Let’s say you’re in school and your assignment is to write the most interesting, yet factual, account of the Battle of Gettysburg. You are told that you can choose one of only two options as your source for information. ONE option is a college history professor who is a world renowned expert on the Civil…