By Oliver DeMille Education today is at a crossroads, and the options are fascinating. Certainly the rise of the Internet has revolutionized most industries, and its impact on education is expected to be significant. But the change in technology isn’t the only major shift which is impacting schooling. The end of the Cold War ushered in a … [Read more...]
Lighten Up or Toughen Up
November 9, 2010 by 1 Comment
By Chris Brady There are two attitudes toward life that I think are paramount for leaders, especially in our modern, pampered times. They are: 1.) Lighten Up, or 2.) Toughen Up. There is nothing more off-putting than a person who takes him or her self too seriously. One of my favorite phrases is, "Take everything seriously except … [Read more...]
Seven Spheres of Influence
November 8, 2010 by 2 Comments
By Dave Wilson I read in a recent piece by David Brooks that, “Over the past seven months, the number of people who say government is doing too many things better left to business has jumped from 40 percent to 48 percent, according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.” My first reaction was, “Remember last year when ‘business’ ruined … [Read more...]
The Tyrant Next Door
November 5, 2010 by Leave a Comment
What makes a community a great place to live? The answer will vary from person to person but most of us would agree on qualities like cleanliness, order and low crime. Notably missing from those terms we use to describe a livable community is the word “freedom." In fact, occasionally the concept of freedom is found to be somewhat at odds … [Read more...]
What Are We Sowing?
November 3, 2010 by 1 Comment
Our modern world is infatuated with the ends we have in our sight, the goals we want to accomplish, and the changes we want to see. Most people have the same needs and desires: liberty, happiness, security, prosperity, and peace. Why do we consistently find ourselves so far from where we want to be? The problem is two-fold: 1) we mistakenly … [Read more...]
Monuments to the Faith
October 27, 2010 by 2 Comments
For a long time in the U.S. there has been a battle between people who want to be able to display religious symbols, particularly the Ten Commandments, on government property (such as city parks, government buildings, etc.) and those who think the First Amendment prohibits such things. Christians who want vehemently to display the Ten … [Read more...]
“On His Brow I See that Written Which is Doom”
October 20, 2010 by 1 Comment
One of the sharpest social critics of 19th century European industrial capitalism was...Charles Dickens. Those who have read Karl Marx’s writings see the world that he is attacking; those who have read Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, Bleak House, or A Christmas Carol will see that same world. However, we find the world described by … [Read more...]
The True Mirror of Our Doctrine
October 15, 2010 by Leave a Comment
The conduct of our lives is the true mirror of our doctrine. – Michel Eyquem de Montaigne Glenn Beck, a nationally-syndicated political talk show host who also has a TV show, recently told his listeners that if their churches mentioned “social justice” or “economic justice” (what he called political “code words” for communism, etc.), his … [Read more...]
Why Societies Decline, Part 2: Six Choices for Citizens
October 13, 2010 by 1 Comment
This is part 2 of a 2-part article. Read Part 1 Here If the first step of decline is arrogance, the second is “a time of troubles” where the actions of society and its institutions too often fall short of the people’s lofty ideals. For example, consider the era when Americans saw themselves as the land of the free, the best place in the … [Read more...]
Why Societies Decline, Part 1: The Positive Effects of Adversity
October 12, 2010 by 3 Comments
This is part 1 of a 2-part article. Edward Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is often cited by people trying to see where America is on the long path of her place in history. Certainly the detail of Gibbon’s work is full of specifics and nuance. But another work may be even more helpful. Although it is more … [Read more...]
