The great, and at times frustrating, thing about my Facebook wall is the diversity of my friends and their willingness to engage in discussion. I have conservative Tea Party friends, Socialist friends, Christian friends, Atheist …
I recently enjoyed the opportunity to contribute a chapter to a collection of essays reflecting on the influence of media during the Trump presidency. American Television During a Television Presidency was edited by Dr. Karen …
Book burning and censorship campaigns seemed a relic of the past in the rural middle-class world where I grew up. We vigorously attacked the censorship of the repressive Soviet Union and insisted that Americans stood …
I first wrote this reflection in 2015 and was concerned then about the evangelical embrace of hateful ideologies and rhetoric. Sadly, that embrace has only grown stronger. I am proud to see old essays like …
I have seen a couple of interesting posts on this subject on Facebook. One was an article entitled “Christian Democrat?” on In All Things. The website is a Dordt College project, so the article has a very reformed leaning. …
I am a Democrat. Even more…by most metrics, I’m a progressive or liberal Democrat. There, I said it. My Facebook friends won’t be surprised by this. I haven’t hidden my political orientation, but I’ve also …
The conventional wisdom that Trump supporters took him seriously, but not literally, was challenged on January 6, 2021, when hundreds of his supporters–literally–answered his call to march to the Capitol and “fight like hell!” His …
For over a decade, the United States of America was a dry nation. The Volstead Act was a nationwide constitutional ban on alcohol in all its forms, and while statistically, the consumption of alcohol did …
I just saw the news that Mike Johnson from Louisiana was elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives. As he became the leading contender some of my friends began a group chat about it. …
Martin Luther stood in peril of his earthly life and possibly his eternal soul. The energetic Wittenberg firebrand challenged more than he realized when he issued debating points to the popular indulgence seller Johann Tetzel. …