admin's blog
By James E. Davis, H. Michael Hartoonian, Richard D. Van Scotter, & William E. White
Ask most social critics what ails America, and "low-performing public schools" will be high on the list. Pundits offer little supporting data (as if the pronouncement were self-evident), but when they do, they usually refer to test scores, not higher-level thinking skills, creativity, and resourcefulness—the tangible abilities that best serve a democratic society and market economy. K-12 schools, in effect, have become a scapegoat for a society incapable of or unwilling to face deeper problems associated with our education system.
In Washington, the contest between House of Representatives and President Barack Obama over increasing the federal debt ceiling is approaching a July 22 deadline. But it may be that there is no need of any action at all; that no expenditures need be cut and no revenues need be enhanced.
Discussion about former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's account of Paul Revere's ride makes us wonder--how well do we know what happened that day in April 1775? Read an account of the events of Lexington and Concord, including Revere’s ride, in "Throw down your arms, ye villains, ye Rebels, Disperse!" How do you think it squares with Palin’s version, and the analyses of her statements?
What was your reaction to the news of Osama bin Laden's death? What impact do you think his death will have on U.S. relations with other countries?
Mobile device users are concerned about the privacy and security of personal data. No news flash here. The issues have bothered cell phone owners for years. A February 2011 survey, reported by eMarketer.com, says 64 percent of mobile device users it talked to are now “primarily” concerned about the safety of personal data stored on their gadgets.
Internet privacy may get a little more private thanks to a Senate bill introduced this week. Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said the Internet privacy bill will protect Web users from online companies who collect personally identifiable information and create profiles about them. The Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights Act of 2011 would decrease the amount of personal information collected and shared by Web companies regulated by the Federal Trade Commission. Facebook and Google are just two of the hundreds of thousands of websites that would be affected if the bill becomes law.
In last night’s televised address, President Barack Obama defended his decision to involve U.S. military action in Libya. The president said “We should not be afraid to act” to offer humanitarian assistance when a country faces a potential massacre.
By Miguel R. Salazar
As security along the southwest border continues to be a cause of concern, those on one side of the immigration debate have turned to vigilantism to further their agenda. This week, Shawna Forde, the leader of the Minutemen American Defense Group, was found guilty of orchestrating a home invasion back in the summer of 2009 that left a nine-year-old and her father dead. The victims, both Latino, seem to have been targeted because they were migrants.
It was 50 years ago today that John F. Kennedy said “Ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country.” He used this phrase in his 1961 presidential inauguration address to the American public. Did President Kennedy leave a lasting legacy of responsible citizenry? Do we still have that commitment to citizenship today that was felt that January afternoon in 1961?
The shooting in Tuscon, Ariz., of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords at a "Congress on Your Corner" event is shocking for the violence and loss of life. Some have said the six deaths and serious wounding of 14 others is a national tragedy.
