ABC News just ran a very interesting news broadcast called "Are Americans Cheap? Or Charitable?" There was extended discussion with Arthur Brooks, a professor of public administration at Syracuse University. Brooks struck me as a very reasonable man. He has just published a book called Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth about Compassionate Conservatism. Some of the findings: 1. Working poor conservatives, on a percentage basis, give more than the average middle class American and far more than those of liberal persuasion (who are more likely to think it's the government's job to … [Read more...] about Americans: Cheap or Charitable?
Archives for November 2006
Congressman to take oath of office on Koran
Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress (representing a district of Minneapolis, MN), has announced that he will not take his oath of office on the Bible, but on the bible of Islam, the Koran. Dennis Prager explains why he should not be allowed to do so. 1. First, it is an act of hubris that perfectly exemplifies multiculturalist activism -- my culture trumps America's culture. 2. Plenty of Jewish elected officials (who do not embrace the New Testament) have taken their oaths on the Bible. 3. Plenty of secular officials (even atheists) have taken their oaths on the … [Read more...] about Congressman to take oath of office on Koran
Alex and Brett Harris speak out With One Voice
Alex and Brett Harris are recipients of six national championships in high school speech and debate. Through their blogging, speaking, and writing, they are exhorting their peers to "stop wasting the teen years and to rebel against the low expectations of an ungodly culture." A little bit about their family: Their father, Gregg Harris, is a well-known homeschool author and speaker. He is also a teaching elder at Household of Faith Community Church. Their mother, Sono Harris, is an accomplished speaker and speech coach. Their older brother, Joshua Harris, is senior pastor of Covenant Life … [Read more...] about Alex and Brett Harris speak out With One Voice
Biography of Milton Friedman Coming to PBS
On November 16, 2006, the great economist Milton Friedman died at the age of 94. On January 29, 2007, PBS will telecast a 90 minute biography of Milton and Rose Friedman called The Power of Choice: The Life and Ideas of Milton Friedman. The biography's executive producers include Bob Chitester, the same small-town TV executive who organized the PBS TV Series Free to Choose, whose transcripts Friedman later converted into a book bearing the same title. Chitester descibes his interactions with Friedman over a 30+ year span: "He was a famous Nobel Prize winning economist. I was a bearded, … [Read more...] about Biography of Milton Friedman Coming to PBS
Why Iraq is Crumbling
Charles Krauthammer argues that "the root problem lies with Iraqis and their political culture." "Americans flatter themselves that they are the root of all planetary evil. Nukes in North Korea? Poverty in Bolivia? Sectarian violence in Iraq? Breasts are beaten and fingers pointed as we try to somehow locate the root cause in America." … [Read more...] about Why Iraq is Crumbling
Amazing Grace – The William Wilberforce Story
Kathleen Parker of The Washington Post Writers Group pens an essay about the role of Christians, particularly William Wilberforce, in ending the slave trade of Africans. Wilberforce is to be the subject of a major motion picture entitled: Amazing Grace: The William Wilberforce Story. The movie's release is being timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Britain's abolition of slavery (February 2007). In 2002, John Piper delivered this biographical sketch of William Wilberforce. Parker mentions another forthcoming film, an independent documentary Let My People Go, which deals with … [Read more...] about Amazing Grace – The William Wilberforce Story