opinion

This weekend, Americans celebrate Independence Day, commemorating the day in 1776 when our Founding Fathers declared the separation of the 13 colonies from the Kingdom of Great Britain and established a new nation. We all know how it works: barbecues, fireworks, parades and other festive gatherings. But what many Americans …

It has been well established under the Constitution and throughout our history that the president’s job as the chief federal law enforcement officer permits him to put his ideological stamp on the nature of the work done by the executive branch. The courts have characterized this stamp as “discretion.” Thus …

Is there an epidemic of school shootings? Parents are understandably fearful, but their fear is unjustified.Schools are relatively safe places, and they have gotten much safer. While even one death is too many, the number of children killed in school shootings has declined over the last couple of decades. The …

“Choice in education is no mere abstraction. Like its economic cousin, free enterprise, and its political cousin, democracy, it affords hope and opportunity.” – President Ronald Reagan Over the past half century, the federal government has proven that a top-down, one-size-fits-all approach to education is ineffective. During that time, the …

Many have knocked on Pam Jones’ front door in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. She’s pulled it open to find family, friends, fundraisers, strangers and salesmen. Like most of us, nothing surprises her anymore. The evening of June 24 was no different. When the doorbell rang at9:45 p.m., Pam wasn’t surprised. …

At a dinner party in Washington the other night, I was asked a question I’m often asked. No, not, “Can I buy a vowel?” but, rather, “Why is Hollywood so uniformly made up of liberal Democrats?” There are a lot of theories on the subject, and I have a few …

Today is April Fool’s Day. So it might be appropriate to note the hoaxes, con jobs, frauds and pranks which the New York Times has been suckered by since the Jayson Blair fraud and plagiarism scandal in 2003. Blair, you’ll recall, was the young New York Times reporter who plundered …

It is not necessary to have an opinion about where President Obama was born to know that his lack of candor has cost him public trust. Obama’s approval ratings are in the mid-40s, while his disapproval ratings hover at the 50 percent mark. The president’s release of his birth certificate …

“Prayer,” said the poet Hannah More, “is the cry of faith to the ear of mercy. The confession of need to Him who alone can relieve it.” These words were given to the world two hundred years ago. They are a timeless, beautiful reminder that God both hears and answers …

This February 6, 2011 marks the centennial of Ronald Reagan’s birth. Reagan died June 5, 2004 at the ripe old age of 93. Ironically, throughout that long life, he had been a model of fitness. If not for Alzheimer’s disease, it is quite possible we might be watching news clips …