Texas: The Unenlightened State

The state of Texas has been guided by a system of poor leadership and what I call a good ‘ole boy network as it relates to its hill billy notion of justice; I have only blogged about my thoughts towards the death penalty once before, but it is safe to say I am beyond angry [...]

Learning from the Quakers: Carson on being a Pacifist

My United States history sections have been discussing the early formation of the American colonies and how each one developed its own particular identity. Our discussion today on the formation and settlement of Pennsylvania allowed us to discuss Quaker theology. In doing so, we addressed their role as pacifist. In colonial America, enclaves of Quakers [...]

Just A Thought: President Carson

Academics or Ideology

I will start this post off by saying I had a number of excellent teachers and met some great students during my years at this Searcy, Arkansas school; however, over the years it is has become very clear to me that I have ZERO in common with the religious philosophy and ideological views of Harding. [...]

Barack Obama: FDR or Clinton? by Alejandro Penafiel

The following piece was written by Alejandro Penafiel, a friend and former HCHS student of mine. Alejandro is a third year student at American University in Washington D.C. Moreover, he spent his first semester of college interning for the Republican Party at its national head office working for Senator John McCain. Alejandro is one of [...]

Aggressive Politics

 
AP – President Barack Obama on Friday struck down the Bush administration’s ban on giving federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide abortion information…  an inflammatory policy that has bounced in and out of law for the past quarter-century. Obama’s executive order, the latest in an aggressive first week reversing contentious Bush [...]

The American Socialist Tradition

Above: Recent Issue of Time. Obama as FDR.
In Obama’s The Audacity of Hope, he noted his philosophical contention by addressing his favor for FDR’s New Deal — the birth of American Socialism and the death of America’s puritanical notion of Rugged Individualism. Modern sociologists and economic theorist Max Weber wrote in The Protestant Ethic and [...]

The Black Bourgeoisie and Uncle Tom

I posted this a while back but thought after recent developments it would be of interest to jump start this conversation. A very good friend of mine contends that I am a bit confusing in that I am a conservative dresser, teach in a conservative school (my 2nd one), and address life outside of academic [...]

Yes We Can Mr. President!!!

Nobama What?

Shall we call him President Obama? If we asked the estimated 200,000 Europeans that showed up to hear Obama’s speech yesterday in Berlin, I am sure many would say yes. Obama mania has clearly arrived in Europe. On my way to a United States history seminar at Rice University for our last meeting with Bill [...]

Democracy: Truth or Farce part III

In Lions for Lambs, a movie many conservative pundits call anti-American and typical liberal Hollywood propaganda, links the complexities of class and status to democracy and an ill fought war on terrorism. I am sure many of you who know me will not be surprised to hear how much I enjoyed this movie. Stephen Malley [...]

Politics by the Numbers

A recent poll illustrated that George W. Bush’s approval rating is at 33% a year before the November elections. Moreover, that same poll noted that 75% of Americans wanted him out of office. This is an interesting number when you compare it to those of Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. At the mark a year [...]

“Proof” that Liberals are Smart, Conservatives are Dumb

In the past, having a college education tended to be associated with voting for Republicans; in recent years, however, this correlation has become weaker; in particular, individuals with a postgraduate education — more than a bachlor’s degree — have become increasingly Democratic — as well as liberal. Also, a higher percentage of voters with only [...]

Cornel West: To Be A Leftist in the 21st Century

I have attended two conferences that presented Cornel West as its key note speaker. Most recently, the African American Studies department at the University of Houston invited him as a speaker and public intellectual. West promulgates the need for leftist ideology in the 21st century as a juxtaposed construct to: religion, corporate greed, youth, white [...]

Blog Comment Takes Center Court

I wrote a blog piece earlier in the year entitled “Do Conservatives Fear Liberal Thinkers?” I have received and continue to receive e-mails on this. I most recently read a posted comment in which the author addresses a few of my questions as seen below. My blog article can also be found published at the [...]

Obama is a True Liberal

After reading Barack Obama’s The Audacity of Hope, I have concluded that he might be the new hero for the Democratic Party. Democrats have been searching for a new person to champion liberalism since Bill Clinton was forced to abandon some of his liberal policies. This is not an easy task, especially after the recent [...]

Two Sides of Love: The Intellectual Side and the Southern Side

The philosopher John Stuart Mill (1860 – 1873(?)) was the conscience of liberalism. While supporting the activist morality of utilitarianism, he focused again on the fundamental issue of individual freedom. In his essay On Liberty, Mill argued for respecting the absolute liberty of the individual, despite the pressures of communitarian needs. Free speech, for example, [...]

Ideology and the News

When I watch this channel, I find myself amazed at the overt agenda it portrays in trying to take on other news establishments. It is clear that Fox News is distinguishing itself by portraying a fairly conservative agenda. I suspect this is just a way to generate ratings while separating itself from what has [...]

Immigration & Mexicans

I have a few “overly” conservative family members and friends that send me chain e-mails all of the time about the so called immigration problem. Here is reason number 100 for why I teach: If I do not inform my students that the issue of immigration is nothing new — who will. During the 18th [...]

Breaking News: Al Gore is Up For the Nobel Peace Prize

It is true, Gore has been nominated for the most prestigious humanitarian award given. Furthermore, he has been one of the most active environmentalists over the past decade. My wife and I caught An Inconvient Truth when it first opened at Houston’s River Oaks Theatre. It is one of the more academic and scientific documentary [...]