“Sent from my shiny companion that’s taken over my life.” That tagline appears at the bottom of any e-mail sent from the smartphone of a friend’s daughter. When I first saw it, I chuckled and thought that such a sentiment was strange for a teenager. Yet there are signs that some young … Read more
“Strong evidence is emerging that we are mostly succeeding in creating a generation of overwhelmed young people paralyzed into learned helplessness.” Robert Pondiscio of the American Enterprise Institute provides this harrowing conclusion. He spelled out the supporting logic in a recent article in Commentary magazine with the compelling title, “The Unbearable Bleakness … Read more
Today, the only problem in the universe is called SARS-COV-2 and eradicating it has become the be-all and end-all. It matters little if deaths from other diseases have increased or if the economy is destroyed and poverty increases. No one cares if the manifestations, even extreme ones, of psychic problems caused or … Read more
Nothing evokes a fresh start like the beginning of something. Be it the start of the day, the week, the month, the year or the decade. Hope grows as one period ends and another begins. In school, students experience hope when a semester ends, and another begins. In times of major change, … Read more
She was already suffering from sadness and depression. A few days after Christmas, Kendrea Johnson decided to end it all. The six-year-old girl from Minnesota was found hanging from a jump rope in what officials called a suicide. She left a note that said, “I’m sorry.” People used to believe that such … Read more
In the summer of 1942, the USS South Dakota set sail to do battle in the Pacific. One of the gunners on board was Calvin Graham. On November 14, the South Dakota encountered eight Japanese destroyers. Graham was manning his gun when shrapnel tore through his jaw and mouth. Another hit knocked … Read more
We live in what might be called a prodigal son delusion. People suffer from the temptation to live prodigal lifestyles in which they engage in the frenetic intemperance of demanding everything instantly and effortlessly. Such a state promises happiness to those who follow the program to the end. However, it does not … Read more
A huge geo-social gorge has suddenly appeared on the nation’s political landscape, and nearly everyone is talking about it. This strange chasm unites politicians of all parties into demanding immediate action. Educators, too, have placed it high on their agenda. What is this yawning gash that must be bridged at all cost? … Read more