This past December, my 14-year-old son requested a flagpole for Christmas so he could fly the American flag for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. My profession for nearly three decades has been to teach American history. Needless … Continue reading
Though I’m not convinced Nike has proven itself to be a patriotic company, reflecting on America’s semiquincentennial does make me wonder if there is a more American slogan than “Just Do It.” One of my favorite things about the United … Continue reading
Astronaut Victor Glover on his recent trip past the moon had a physical perspective on the Earth that very few have ever been afforded. This led him to the metaphysical reflection that all humans need to realize we all are … Continue reading
250. The Semiquincentennial. Twelve score and 10 years ago, our forefathers brought forth upon this continent a nation dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and that among … Continue reading
For thousands of years if you asked who the two greatest teachers of all time were, the answer would be Jesus and Socrates. Tragically, these celebrated instructors share another trait: they were both executed by their societies, perhaps particularly for … Continue reading
The dog days of summer are not typically associated with school, but the summer of 2025 has marked the hundredth anniversary of two pivotal events in the history of American public schools. One is well known but arguably misunderstood. The … Continue reading
One hundred years ago this month, the United States and even the world turned its attention to Dayton, Tennessee, to witness a trial purported to be a showdown between modern science and backwards religion. Despite the widespread media coverage, or … Continue reading
That America’s social fabric is frayed hardly needs further documentation. Likewise, that the historic strength of the American family has dramatically waned is obvious to all who care to look. The reasons for these declines are legion while countervailing trends … Continue reading
The largest cultural event of 2019 is the release of Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame, a movie that culminates a decade of story-telling and that’s seemingly destined to make more money at the box-office than any other (even if it required a … Continue reading
The public outcry over Roger Goodell’s failure to adequately punish NFL running back Ray Rice for knocking out his girlfriend in an Atlantic City hotel elevator is an encouraging sign that some vestige of civilization remains. It has been heartening … Continue reading
Editor’s note: This three-part series commemorating the 150-year anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg first appeared at TheBlaze.com. Part one-Gettysburg: Day one In the first week of July, tens of thousands of visitors descended on a small town in southwestern … Continue reading
Best-selling author and controversial social scientist Charles Murray is back in the news. This time it’s because of his new book, “Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960–2010.” In “Coming Apart,” Murray deftly wields both statistical data and anecdotal … Continue reading
A book review of Anthony Esolen’s “Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child,” written exclusively for The University Bookman. Read the book review»
Though my mastery of Greek mythology is not strong enough to know off-hand the muse of history’s sexual orientation, I do know that Clio might try to persuade her father to hurl thunderbolts from Mt. Olympus into Sacramento as punishment … Continue reading
A book review of Howard Gardner’s “Truth, Beauty, and Goodness Reframed: Educating for the Virtues in the Twenty-First Century,” written for the University Bookman. Read the book review»
“The Death and Life of the Great American School System” By Diane Ravitch | Basic Books (March 2, 2010) | 283 pp. | List Price: $26.95 In her latest book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing … Continue reading
The beginning of June brings the onset of summer vacation for children across the United States. The excitement bubbling in their young hearts is easy to understand yet also offers a valuable opportunity to reflect on why students tend to … Continue reading
Editor’s note: “E.D. Hirsch Jr.: The Twentieth Century’s Liberal Conservative Educator” (6,389 words), by Dr. Jason R. Edwards, research fellow with The Center for Vision & Values and an associate professor of education and history at Grove City College. Media Inquiries: If … Continue reading
Editor’s Note: The “V&V Q&A” is an e-publication from The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. Each issue will present an interview with an intriguing thinker or opinion-maker that we hope will prove illuminating to readers everywhere. In … Continue reading
Quick, attempt the following: Name the three branches of the federal government. Recognize the speech where the words “of the people, by the people, and for the people” come from. Identify the female judge on American Idol. The Intercollegiate Studies … Continue reading
