Edwin Benson 
“Divestment is not an incrementalist goal. True divestment necessitates nothing short of the total collapse of the university structure and American empire itself…to divest from this is to undermine and eradicate America as we know it.” Those statements comprised the beginning and the end of an entry placed on the social media … Read more
The education press is all abuzz about “chronic absenteeism.” As is usual with conversations among the educationists and educrats, they miss the point entirely. Occasionally, they ask the right questions, but their philosophies don’t provide answers, just new psychological dilemmas. “Skipping school” is nothing new. I vividly remember high school freshman orientation … Read more
The United States education system is corrupted from top to bottom. That is a strong statement but one that is quite easy to defend. The evidence is all around. This article will focus on one aspect of that corruption: grade inflation. Indeed, the present system of awarding grades is disintegrating. In a … Read more
The phrase “housing shortage” is gaining traction in America’s political discourse. As it does, leftists have devised plans that they say will alleviate the “crisis.” Unsurprisingly, all these schemes feature a massive increase in the government’s role in this vital area of daily life. An Affordable American Dream? The goal of homeownership … Read more
“Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14). Ever since the days that Saint Monica (c. 332-387) wept over her son Augustine’s sins, raising children in the Faith has been challenging. Virtuous parents sometimes raise children who depart … Read more
On May 30, 2021, Canadian flags were lowered to half-staff, a traditional sign of mourning. They remained in that position for five months—until November 9. This unprecedented national grief accompanied the “discovery” of hundreds of children’s graves near the “Indian Residential Schools (IRS).” Religious organizations-three-fifths of them Catholic-operated these long-closed academies. Therefore, … Read more
According to the Wall Street Journal, government inefficiency makes so–called green energy needlessly expensive. On the other hand, the New York Times examined solar power only five days later and inquired optimistically, “What Will We Do With Our Free Power?” So, will the “Green New Deal” bring us limitless, almost free energy, … Read more
The postmodern university is fascinated with magic, and this is a most curious coupling—one with ominous social overtones. Until the mid-twentieth century, serious academics regarded any mention of magic as the ravings of the stupid or insane. They followed the scientific method of empiricism, emphasizing verifiable evidence in acquiring knowledge and forming … Read more
Perhaps the best symbol of the war in Ukraine is a photograph that the Catholic News Agency ran early in the conflict. It shows the ruins of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region. According to the caption, it was built in 1862. A Russian bomb … Read more
Any teacher knows that cellphones interfere with education. The first rule of learning is to watch and listen to someone who knows more about the subject. The child who isn’t paying attention learns nothing. Of course, there are many ways to ignore teachers besides using cellphones. Pondering the upcoming lunch break, daydreaming, … Read more