Memorial Day is a wonderful constant. Every year, it never ceases to touch me. My family attends an annual parade in Mercer, Pennsylvania. It’s terrific—total old-school. The flags, the courthouse, the kids, the snow-cone stand, the marching bands, and, most … Continue reading
Editor’s note: This article first appeared in The American Spectator. Every human life is special, unique, unrepeatable — to borrow from Pope John Paul II. Every loss of life is a loss. Some losses, however, seem larger, leaving a void no … Continue reading
The great 20th century novelist Chaim Potok wrote, in his novel, My Name Is Asher Lev, “You have a gift, Asher Lev. You have a responsibility.” My Mom had a gift of 89 years, 89 years to live her life; … Continue reading
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com. Sunday, April 28, marks the 255th anniversary of President James Monroe’s birth in 1758. Recently, I had the pleasure of reading one of Harlow Giles Unger’s thorough biographies of … Continue reading
Margaret Thatcher, one of the greatest leaders of the Cold War, of the 20th century, and of British history, has died at the age of 87. I’ve referred to her as one of my Cold War seven: Ronald Reagan, John Paul II, Mikhail Gorbachev, … Continue reading
One of the most famous opening lines in literature comes from Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina: “All happy families are like one another; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Great literature causes us to think and ponder; it directs … Continue reading
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com. New Year’s observances blend recollections of the past, celebrations in the present, and anticipation of the future. For a variety of reasons, I’m feeling nostalgic this year. I’ve been … Continue reading
It was shortly before Thanksgiving. I was in the kitchen washing dishes when I heard my first music of the holiday season. Sick of talk radio and sick of election post-mortems, I gave myself a breather, turning the FM dial … Continue reading
Editor’s note: A version of this piece first appeared at USAToday.com. Dear Mitt, I have awakened on November 7 to learn that your bid for the presidency was unsuccessful. In the midst of the disappointment that I share with you, … Continue reading
Fifty percent of college students today are either unemployed or underemployed. Dr. Jim Thrasher, the director of Grove City College’s top-ranked career services office and coordinator of The Center for Vision & Values working group on calling, gives some potentially life-changing … Continue reading
Alex Karras, the former Detroit Lions All-Pro defensive tackle and later a successful actor, died on October 10. I have vivid memories of him before he ever gained immortality as “Mongo” in “Blazing Saddles” or as the stepdad of “Webster.” … Continue reading
Dr. Craig Columbus (executive director of The Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation) joins Dr. Paul Kengor (executive director of The Center for Vision & Values) and Glen Meakem (a successful venture capitalist and radio talk-show host) on the campus of Grove City College for an evening discussion … Continue reading
This August 23, 2012 marks the centennial of the birth of Gene Kelly, the great American dancer, actor, singer; a guy’s guy who—along with Fred Astaire—is the only male who ever left me (momentarily) wishing I could dance. I’ve always … Continue reading
A book review of Gregg L. Frazer’s “The Religious Beliefs of America’s Founders: Reason, Revelation, Revolution,” written exclusively for The Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal’s University Bookman. Read the book review»
When we open our newspapers on Father’s Day, we expect to find something nice about dads—often heroic dads. Yet, for every boy or girl whose father was a doctor or Marine who stormed the beaches of Normandy, there is a … Continue reading
“It is morning in America. Good morning, welcome back. I’ve had a zillion talks and lectures around the country and had a lot of fun—always enjoyed them. I never had as enjoyable an evening as I had at Grove City. … Continue reading
Like many Americans, Memorial Day never ceases to move me. Rivaled only by Christmas and Easter, it’s the most poignant time of the year for me, maybe because, like Christmas and Easter, it’s about life, death, and remembrance. This Memorial … Continue reading
Editor’s note: A longer version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com What interesting timing. I had recently planned a column on my observations about Mitt Romney at Cranbrook. Why? Not because of anything in the news related to Cranbrook—at … Continue reading
December 1941 is usually remembered by Americans as that fateful month when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, thus thrusting the United States into World War II. However, consider an alternate scenario: Adolf Hitler appears triumphantly before the Reichstag announcing the destruction … Continue reading
On March 19, speaking at a Morris Township, New Jersey Democratic Party fundraiser, Vice President Joe Biden provided what may be the mother of all election year bumper stickers when he asserted, “Osama Bin Laden is dead and General Motors … Continue reading
