Culture

California Dems Mobilize Against Hysterical Move To Whitewash “Life Of Washington” Mural

July 22, 2019 Richard Cameron

photo of Victor Arnautoff's "Life of Washington" mural, subject to removal or censure by the San Francisco Board of Education

by Richard Cameron Americans in Red states commonly imagine that Democrats in solid Blue states like California are all monolithic ally situated on the political margins – as in that they are in lockstep with each other. A recent decision by the San Francisco Board of Education put the lie to that notion. The board voted unanimously in early July to paint over a mural commissioned during FDR’s administration, depicting first president George Washington. The mural, illustrated the artist’s conception of Washington as the prime mover and catalyst…

Trumpism is Another Step in the Evolution of Conservatism, a Misstep

July 21, 2019 Tony Wyman

by Tony Wyman They are foreigners! That’s what they are! And we want them out by the millions! And Trump supporters are willing to go to civil war if that’s what it takes to get it done! – Pro-Trump caller on the Republican line on POTUS Radio, 21 July 2019 Let’s be clear about what is happening to the Republican Party, shall we? The mainstream establishment wing of the GOP that ran the party since its inception is dead. And with its death goes the principles and values that made…

The Choice Is Yours – Ethics, God, Integrity … Or The Corrosion Of Conformity

July 20, 2019 Jennifer Puebla

It takes a lot of guts to do the right thing. Takes even more when those closest to you tell you not to. Tell you you’re wrong. Wrong to think. Wrong to speak. Wrong to believe. Wrong to act. Herd mentality is real. And within the human herd we have everything from generic group swagger to cliques and even cults. People seldom like to walk alone. The narrow way is just too lonely when you place your value as a human being in other human beings. Jesus said “If…

Megan Rapinoe Knows What It Really Means to Be Patriotic

July 14, 2019July 14, 2019 Tony Wyman

by Tony Wyman If any male footballer had struck the same pose as Megan Rapinoe struck after scoring the winning goal that earned the United States Women’s National Soccer Team their second consecutive World Cup title, the sporting world would barely have taken note. After all, such displays of brashness and boldness are common among male athletes. Players in men’s leagues used to rip their shirts off in celebration, but now that practice is banned, they make self-aggrandizing jaunts to the corner flags every time the ball touches the back…

How America Chose Christian Nationalism Over Traditional Patriotism

July 13, 2019July 13, 2019 Jennifer Puebla

by Jennifer Keller-Puebla America has finished celebrating it’s 243rd “birthday” and as a nation we have seldom been more divided. Beyond just politics, Nationalism has been growing at an alarming rate dividing people within parties, within churches, and within families. Many would tell you they just love their country, that they are “patriotic”, but patriotism is very different from nationalism. The word Nationalism is relatively new to America, appearing first in the later 1800’s, and is almost exclusively connected to politics. Patriotism is much older and refers more generally to…

Independent Candidates: Please Run For Office, Just Plan On “Failing”

July 2, 2019 Paul Hamlin

political party buttons all in Red, White, Blue themes

by Paul Hamlin For the naïve and uninitiated, the campaign trail is full of heartache and pain. The apathy, the dismay and the contempt that the voter has about the election process and all people who dare run a campaign is astounding, and not necessarily misplaced. PERSONAL JOURNEY When I struck out to run for the US House of Representatives the intent was noble, and I can only assure people that it did not come from a desire to have power. I am a firm believer that the people…

The Russian People Saved Ivan Goluov. Now, Can They Save Russia?

June 30, 2019 Tony Wyman

by Kseniya Kirillova The victory of Russia’s civil society in the case of Ivan Golunov* has raised two very important points. Firstly, we have seen that, if provoked, Russians are able to stand up for persons who have fallen into disfavour with police authorities. Secondly, Russian civil society seldom rises to the occasion, especially on such a large scale. (*Ivan Golunov, who works for the independent Russian website Meduza and is known for exposing local corruption, was recently arrested in Moscow on trumped up charges of drug dealing. He was reportedly…

Could You Or Your Loved One Be Refused Emergency Service On Religious Grounds?

June 29, 2019 Shannon Hanson

photo of an Emergency Medical team providing treatment to an accident victim

By Shannon Hanson How Far Should We Allow “Religious Rights” to Go? Imagine someone you care about has been critically injured in an auto accident. Paramedics arrive quickly then just as quickly pack up the medical supplies and leave. Turns out the EMT – who also owns the small ambulance company – recognizes the injured person and knows that she is a lesbian, so he refuses to treat her or allow her to be transported in his ambulance. Seems like something that could only happen in a bad…

Why Doesn’t Donald Trump Have a Nickname for Vladimir Putin?

June 16, 2019 Tony Wyman

by Tony Wyman Lyin’ Ted. Little Marco. Little Rocketman. Pocahontas. 1% Biden. Alfred E. Newman. Animal Assad. Donald Trump has a nickname for everyone, it seems. Everyone except Russian President Vladimir Putin. No “Sad Vlad” or “Little Putinpie” or “The Murderer of Moskva.” No “Goober of Gorky” or “Moscow Mule” or “Bald Boris.” Where President Putin is concerned, Donald Trump has nothing but good things to say. “You know what? Putin’s fine. He’s fine. We’re all fine. We’re people,” President Trump said in July 2018, responding to press questions about…

Trump isn’t the Cure for the Cancer Destroying American Politics, He’s the Disease

June 1, 2019June 1, 2019 Tony Wyman

by Tony Wyman “To my friends who wonder how a decent, educated woman could support a crude, narcissistic reality TV show host and erstwhile pro-wrestling figure like Donald Trump as president, I answer that it’s simple,” wrote Dr. Robin Burk, former West Point instructor and researcher at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency in an article recently published in the unabashedly pro-Trump online publication American Greatness. The article is a very well written explanation of how a woman as intelligent, cosmopolitan and worldly as Dr. Burk could come to see a…