Gastonia, NC Correspondent- In Stephen King’s epic “The Stand,” there was a minor character called the “monster shouter,” who roamed the streets shouting that the monsters were coming. He was a paranoiac degenerate, and thus reminds me very much of the Breitbart organization. It exists to spread rumor and falsehood, propagate fake news, stoke the fires of racial hatred and cloud the real issues we face by setting up pariahs and heroes on a whim. Kellogg’s was right to do what it did, and the other advertisers who’ve fled the site in response can see the writing on the wall. With Trump as our president, who will be Breitbart’s bete noire now? In the absence of the Obama crew, who will populate its enemies list? I’m looking forward to not paying attention. Continue reading
Politics
Symposium 2016: The North Dakota Pipeline has caused controversy on a number of fronts. Those in opposition to the pipeline are protesting the plans to route the pipeline under a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux Indian reservation. Is this protest legitimate? Should construction of the pipeline be shut down or permitted to continue?
Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent- The protests surrounding the North Dakota Pipeline were legitimate in the sense of the support of the Standing Rock tribe’s efforts to suspend the pipeline project, as the Army Corps of Engineers has now successfully blocked a final piece of the 1,200 mile pipeline, but in the true sense of legitimacy, the tribe had no real reasons for protesting. Continue reading
Symposium 2016: Hollywood celebrities have taken it upon themselves to dictate their political views to the general public. Should they be allowed to become self-appointed spokespersons for the whole country?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent- Celebrities become spokespeople because we allow them to. Celebrity worship in this country has reached alarmingly pathetic proportions. George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey are just exercising their freedom of speech, but because they have been anointed as celebrities, their words are given greater weight and greater supposed wisdom than yours or mine. This, of course, is hogwash. However, nothing should be done to shut them up, as that would be a constitutional nightmare. Rather, let’s stop buying, watching and giving web surfing time to the outlets that deify them. Continue reading
Symposium 2016: The costs of attending college have skyrocketed while actual learning has declined. Are these costs legitimate and has learning simply become a big business?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent- Since 1980, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, average college tuition increases have more than doubled the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The strange accompanying fact is that enrollments in post-secondary schools have also increased significantly, nearly doubling in that time. Continue reading
A judge in Texas recently ordered a school to restore a Charlie Brown Christmas decorative display that had been ordered taken down by the school principal and local school district. Should schools be allowed to incorporate Christmas-related displays during the holidays?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent-The continual hand-wringing over Christmas in the schools is getting quite tiresome. It’s not as if there are any punishments handed out for failing to participate in the rituals, and no one’s forcing a non-observant child to dress in swaddling clothes and lay in a manger. I have one child in elementary school and another in middle school, both in quite “liberal” schools, and both have a variety of seasonal observances throughout December. Continue reading
Is the War on Terrorism the New Normal?
Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent-It appears that the War on Terrorism is here to stay, at least until ISIS and other related terrorist organizations, cells, lone wolf operatives and fanatics involved in domestic and international terrorism are put out of commission. Continue reading
With the recent death of Fidel Castro, is it time for the United States to seriously rethink its Cuba foreign policy and the status of Cuban exiles here in America?
Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent-Fidel Castro was a ruthless and oppressive dictator for nearly 60 years and the Cuban people deserve a reprieve from the unimaginable suffering, poverty and denial of fundamental human rights that they have endured for over half a century. With his passing, hope has been reignited with many Cubans exiled in America for a return to a free, democratic and prosperous Cuba. With Fidel’s brother, Raul, still living and still in charge, Cubans and Americans are skeptical about reconciliation in spite of Barack Obama’s attempts in 2015 to normalize diplomatic relations. Continue reading
Do denial of service attacks have other implications for US national and economic security?
From our Prescott, Valley, AZ Correspondent
Denial of service attacks (DoS) have implications for US national and economic security as any one of these attacks can be launched with ease form the comfort of a computer keyboard or other device, making it hard to detect who is perpetrating the action. Continue reading
Will the Middle Class Become a Thing of the Past in the United States?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent-Much hand wringing has been done over the fact that the middle class in America seems to be shrinking. The richest one percent widens its income gap over the rest of us. A few lucky or hard-working or entrepreneurial souls claw their way toward the top from poverty or the depths of the middle class. But most people who grew up in middle-class homes in the 80s, 90s, and 00s seem to be struggling with wage stagnation, excessive student debt, housing prices that put a serious strain on incomes, and a diminishing number of higher-paying jobs blamed more or less equally on automation and global competition.
In the last seven years, the American military has been significantly downgraded. With the end of the draft in 1973 and the development of the all volunteer military and a now dwindling military force, should the draft be reinstated to fill the gaps and attract a wider variety of individuals?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent-There is a correlating reason the American military has been downgraded (assuming downgraded means reduced in size). We are no longer fully engaged in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which was the primary reason for the buildup in the early 2000s. The number of troops and weapons available should ebb and flow based on the defense needs of the US. To arbitrarily decide we need X thousands of troops, or a certain number of planes, warships, or missiles, implies those resources will be used and not sit idle in bases or hangers or navy ports. Continue reading
Thinking Outside The Boxe 