In a speech during the primaries, John Kerry called companies that outsource “Benedict Arnold” companies. If Benedict Arnold would have had his way, he would have denied Americans what they, and all of mankind throughout history, have sought—freedom—the unalienable rights … Continue reading
Vision & Values Concise E-publications
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: What Bush Believes
The influence of President Bush’s faith on his foreign policy has been greatly exaggerated by both friends and foes. Enthusiasts proudly call the president’s foreign policy “faith based.” Detractors angrily assert that the president invaded Iraq and removed Saddam Hussein … Continue reading
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: Extraordinary Forgotten Report on Iraqi Terrorism
The Bush administration’s twin pillars for going to war in Iraq were weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. Critics have seized upon the lack of WMD stockpiles as a means to de-legitimize the war. Yet, in their zealousness to discredit … Continue reading
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: The Age of Liberty
Over the last week, something enormously important has happened — something deserving of much more than the routine news-cycle coverage. To put it bluntly, the presidential election in Afghanistan is a seminal event, and those who don’t understand how or … Continue reading
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: Answering Bob Schieffer’s Big Debate Question
Bob Schieffer was not the first person to ask the contentious question concerning the origins of homosexual feelings. Such questions are frequently asked by pollsters, researchers and people at the water cooler. The thorny issue arising in a presidential debate, … Continue reading
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: Do You Miss the Smell of Tear Gas in the Morning?
Aging boomers nostalgic for those long ago days of anti-war demonstrations and that whiff of tear gas floating across the quad, take heart. On October 14, four Princeton Theological Seminary professors and Assyrian Catholic Church of Iraq peace activist, Sister … Continue reading
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: Whose Country Is It, Dude?
In the early 1960s, impressionist Vaughn Meader developed a great routine about President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert, who served as Attorney General of the United States. It seems the two got involved in a family spat about … Continue reading
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: The WTO Punching Bag
The World Trade Organization, a favorite punching bag of some conservatives, is at it again. But hold on conservatives, the WTO is right on this one! For pocketbook reasons, the U.S. would be wise to heed their ruling. For the … Continue reading
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: A Governor and a Shooting in Fort Worth
This week marks the fifth anniversary of one of the worst weeks in the history of Fort Worth, Texas. What happened that week was a demonstration of evil and good, of a mad killer at work and a kind community … Continue reading
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: Hopeful Solutions to Teenage Pregnancy
One of the most contentious debates in education — sex education, contraceptives vs. abstinence — has become more important. At least four studies have found that there is a meaningful number of adolescent women who desire to become pregnant in … Continue reading
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: “So Help Me God”: Faith and the Presidency
George W. Bush’s deep personal faith significantly impacts his performance as president and has evoked much commendation and criticism. All this attention on religion leads many to conclude incorrectly that Bush is unique or at least very unusual among American … Continue reading
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: The DaVinci Code in Your Backpack
What can the popular book “The DaVinci Code” teach us at back-to-school time? History and critical thinking are inseparable for a good education. If read merely as fiction, The DaVinci Code would be an interesting mystery story. However, when the … Continue reading
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: Give Lower-Skilled Workers a Chance
Election years are the times that try economists’ souls. Practically everyone with his hat in the ring will promise us this and promise us that and promise us everything under the sun, more often than not implying that, by the … Continue reading
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: The Tale of Two Reports: Are Schools Safe or Not?
Election years are the times that try economists’ souls. Practically everyone with his hat in the ring will promise us this and promise us that and promise us everything under the sun, more often than not implying that, by the … Continue reading
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: Hiding Truth From Schoolchildren: It’s Elementary Revisited
“It’s Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School” is an award winning video that aims to give teachers ideas about how to discuss gay issues in schools. Released in 1996 by producers Helen Cohen and Oscar winner Debra Chasnoff, this … Continue reading
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: The Theater of Terror
At this writing, American contractor Paul Marshal Johnson may face a gruesome death at the hands of his al-Qaeda captors. The image of a blindfolded Johnson accompanied by a message demanding the release of terrorists in Saudi custody, seen around … Continue reading
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: Ronald Reagan’s Rainbow
Ronald Reagan was a man who had it all. It is difficult to identify an American who lived a fuller, or greater, life—what he understatedly called “An American Life.” In nearly everything he did, Reagan succeeded wildly. When he left … Continue reading
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: Amazing Grace and The Lord of the Rings
What made J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings an Oscar winner? Strangely enough, in an age that purports to be modern and secular, the Lord of the Rings is a success because its structure and vision focus the viewer … Continue reading