Like everyone, I was shocked and dismayed by the the Newtown, Connecticut shooting. I grieved for the families who lost children. What an incomprehensible act of violence. It will indeed be a black mark on American history. And as much as I feel their loss and grieve with those families, I still believe that citizens have a right and duty to … [Read more...]
In Defense of the Manual Arts
May 3, 2013 by 2 Comments
You've read a lot of articles from me promoting a liberal arts education, which we teach at Monticello College. But there is a lesser known side of our curriculum -- the manual arts, which are not something the average American thinks about in the 21st century. But a hundred years ago, the vast majority of Americans were engaged in the manual … [Read more...]
A New Paradigm of Leadership from Charles Shulz
April 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The following philosophy has often been attributed to, Charles Shulz, the creator of Charlie Brown and Snoopy. In our capacities as fathers and mothers, family protectors, and business decision makers, we all have to measure other people. We have to judge who to trust, to help us, and who to lead us. Who will I trust with my kids? Who will I … [Read more...]
12 Ways to Live the Second Great Commandment
March 29, 2013 by 1 Comment
“Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said unto him, “thou shalt love the lord thy God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt … [Read more...]
The Study of Liberal Arts: A Search For Self
January 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The full spectrum of human nature cannot be taught; it must be discovered. But it is virtually impossible to discover in the modern world of computer games, social media, and texting. Seldom do we see anything but the worst of human nature in the world of politics or in the mansions of materialism or the ivory towers of skepticism. The … [Read more...]
The Fat Lady Begins to Sing
January 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
And so it begins... The most recent national election declared the passion of the American people for the Nanny State. Of the almost 127 million voters, a majority preferred a governing system that favors high taxes, a saturated welfare system, forced health care, and an abundance of government dependent workers. Apparently we have learned … [Read more...]
The Human Spirit
January 14, 2013 by 3 Comments
In spite of the fact that we live in a world dominated by the extreme credentialism, government regulation and oversight, and aristocratic hierarchy prophesied by Alexis de Tocqueville, Americans are still capable of pushing through the social and political miasma that bogs down our society and shine their individual brilliance on a nearly comatose … [Read more...]
Why Hebrew?, Part Two: Hebrew Compliments Greek
November 11, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Shanon Brooks Read Part One Here Must an education be limited to completing a checklist of courses in order to receive a certificate of conformance to present as evidence to a prospective employer of having met a minimum standard of proficiency in practical, productive job skills? Is an education limited to passing through a “liberal … [Read more...]
Why Hebrew?: Part one
October 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Shanon Brooks Contributing Author - James Malmstrom, Monticello College Faculty CHOMRONG VILLAGE, Nepal – 2011 – I was sitting in the courtyard of Chomrong Cottage, a charming lodge and the second stop of a 10-day trek into the Annapurna mountain range. The towering snow-capped Himalayan peaks in the distance guarded the gateway to our … [Read more...]
Article V: A Potential Path to Restore State Sovereignty & Citizen Responsibility
September 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Shanon Brooks According to Article V of the U.S. Constitution, a Constitutional Convention could be activated by the application of at least 34 states. There are two strongly-held opinions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of such a convention. One purports that such a move would likely put the nation and her 224 year-old charter in … [Read more...]
