For 20 years we have lived in our current home in humble Grove City, Pennsylvania. It came with a nice flagpole mounted on the front. We change the flag a lot. Sometimes we display flags with various types of art … Continue reading
The COVID-19 coronavirus is a novel virus, and everybody who claims they have it figured out is living under an illusion. Our knowledge is growing, but it is still very fragmented. Our local politicians have been cautious because of the … Continue reading
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Last weekend I overheard two recent grads (both musicians) discussing America’s greatest composers. The usual names were raised: Copland, Gershwin, Bernstein, Sousa … Foster. “Who?” said one. “Stephen Foster,” replied … Continue reading
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at American Greatness. Twitter’s decision to ban the viral Trump meme creator Carpe Donktum from its platform last week precipitated an unexpected development in the normally stagnant, crippled marketplace of Big Tech: a departure. Thousands of users, sick … Continue reading
“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 quote requires no citation for those in my age bracket. These are, in fact, the only words … Continue reading
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at thegospelcoalition.org. The storm surrounding J. K. Rowling’s tweets on women and menstruation is as predictable as it is depressing. That her gracious response has, if anything, exacerbated the fury simply underlines the way civil debate is now … Continue reading
The current worldwide protests against racial injustice and inequality spurred by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 have prompted attacks on individuals who sold and owned slaves and defended the abominable practice of slavery. It has … Continue reading
Suppose that suddenly a new disease X appears to be spreading rapidly and killing people. The symptoms of X are very similar to those of Y and Z, but X may have a far higher fatality rate than Y and … Continue reading
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at National Catholic Register. In July 1969, three American astronauts landed on the moon. It wasn’t just a great technical triumph. It was a much-needed respite amid social and political chaos. … Continue reading
Earlier this week during a routine arrest Minneapolis police officers knelt on George Floyd’s neck for several minutes, finally killing him. This act fits a long and too-frequent pattern of incidents where police use substantial and often lethal force for … Continue reading
The streets were empty. No one marching. The bands weren’t playing. No music, no 21-gun salutes. Where were the old-timers hobbling along in their military uniforms? The flags flew at the courthouse and lined the streets, but the sidewalks weren’t … Continue reading
I do not hate my mom. Many in the media and some friends on social media seem to believe I do hate my mom, as well as other older people with compromised immune systems. For more than a decade my … Continue reading
In mid-March, President Donald Trump declared himself a “wartime president.” While the usual legion of media critics bellyached, Trump during the COVID-19 pandemic has rallied the country to a semblance of togetherness not seen since the terrorist attacks of September … Continue reading
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at The American Spectator. One of my favorite annual rituals for Holy Week is the Via Crucis—the Way of the Cross. Held at the Roman Colosseum, where early Christians were fed … Continue reading
Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. In 1998, the eightieth anniversary of the Spanish Flu pandemic, I was fortunate to hear two survivors relate their indelible experiences. Marian McConkey and Lois Monahan were schoolgirls then, old … Continue reading
Conservatives, don’t give up on higher education. That’s essentially the opposite of what conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, leader of the conservative youth organization, Turning Point USA, told a crowd of young people at CPAC, the annual Conservative Political Action … Continue reading
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Exhibit 1: Elizabeth Sovel Flinn. Born in 1891, she died about this time 100 years ago, age 29, a victim of the catastrophic influenza epidemic of 1919-20, also known as … Continue reading
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at the Washington Examiner. Michael Bloomberg is spending loads of money to win the Democratic nomination. Financial disclosures made by the Bloomberg campaign indicated that as of Dec. 31, he had sunk more than … Continue reading
Troy Polamalu, who played safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2003 to 2014, has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He will enter the hall with Bill Cowher, who coached the … Continue reading
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at The American Spectator. The year 2019 brought some notable golden anniversaries from a wild year: 1969. Some were glorious, such as the Moon Landing; others were scurrilous, scandalous, such as the Manson … Continue reading
