News - of the people, by the people & for the people

“Nothing so American” – The National Parks

9/3/2010 07:16 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

Two factors undermining the teaching of history in the classroom are the federally mandated “No Child Left Behind” standards and the ACT assessment exam.

Muslim in the White House?

8/25/2010 08:37 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

Is President Obama a Muslim? It has been a growing point of discussion on TV, the internet, and amid the general populace. Frankly, labeling President Obama a Muslim is rather specious and just downright silly.

The Mosque

8/18/2010 9:43 PM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

If Muslims have a right to build at Ground Zero, but not all rights are absolute, is there a solution to this difficult predicament?

Time for a Vacation

8/10/2010 4:15 PM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

Are vacations by America’s political leaders and their spouses really such a bad idea?

Pakistan – a Good Ally?

8/3/2010 08:51 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

No one likes a two-faced friend. The recent Wikileaks reveal that America’s ally, Pakistan, may be playing the United States by taking billions of dollars to fight the Taliban, while simultaneously aiding the Taliban in their war aims.

The Sherrod Postulate

7/28/2010 06:15 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - reNuz.net

Is “Social Inequity” the next battleground in a post-racial society? Shirley Sherrod asks the question. But the answer might not be obvious.

The Most Virtuous

7/6/2010 3:49 PM - Mark Hoduski

Today, with less than three percent of Americans identified as farmers, it is worth exploring what benefits ninety-seven percent of Americans are missing.

The Spy Game

7/2/2010 09:05 AM - Mark Hoduski

With the recent arrest of eleven Russian spies the Cold War chatter of the James Bond era has returned.

Don't Drink The Water

6/24/2010 2:32 PM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Geo Cochran

Where is Erin Brockovich when you need her? And how many PCBs are in that plastic bottle of water you're drinking?

A Tarnished Name Redeemed

6/24/2010 08:45 AM

The economy is in the worst shape since the 1930’s and there is a great deal of discussion about the strategy for avoiding a further decline. Such debates inevitably lead to talk of Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression.

Washington – Model of Fatherhood

6/17/2010 7:28 PM

Though flawed, George Washington’s character enabled him to ultimately earn the title, “Father of our country.” The qualities and virtues that bestowed this designation provide a model for modern fathers.

Poseidon Comes

6/9/2010 1:09 PM

From the depths of the ocean, the slow, remorseless advance of disaster moves towards the inhabitants of the Gulf Coast. Oil, an economic friend for many in the region, now comes like an angry Poseidon seeking to exact vengeance.

Three Chords that Bind

6/4/2010 06:45 AM

Are the civil, social, and moral chords that have bound Americans these past two-hundred years fraying so radically, as to leave the United States a fractured menagerie of faiths, races, and ideologies, incapable of unified thought and action?

Scotsman in Iraq

5/26/2010 7:12 PM

The war in Iraq continues. For some, it lingers in the metaphysical realm, tarrying in the dream of a distant past. A war debated, fought, and now forgotten.

September 11th Volunteer

5/18/2010 8:18 PM

World War Two was not solely fought by men overseas, but by all Americans. Franklin Roosevelt envisioned an America willing to give their all for the cause, “This whole nation of 130 million men, women and children is becoming one great fighting force."

The Buchanan Syndrome

5/13/2010 07:27 AM

James Buchanan, our 15th president, engendered the paralysis common in today’s politicians. As a result of Buchanan’s lack of leadership, the Civil War erupted shortly after he left office, and historians have ranked him as the worst president ever.

World War Two and National Prayer

5/5/2010 07:42 AM

Since 1952, Americans have participated in an official National Day of Prayer. Recently, a U.S. District Court ruled that state sponsored prayer amounts to an unconstitutional advocacy of religion.

Freedom versus Security

4/28/2010 07:07 AM

America has been extolling and exporting the idea of freedom since the days of the Revolutionary War, influencing nations as diverse as France and Iraq to embrace its virtues. It is America’s national covenant, and some would argue, its destiny.

G. I. in Korea

4/21/2010 07:07 AM

In the mid-1950’s, a youth of seventeen volunteered to go to Korea with the Army. Korea was only several years past a horrific war that had left the countryside devastated, much of its population displaced, and thousands of its children orphaned.

The Brewing Battle

4/14/2010 07:25 AM

The battle is brewing between the Tea Party and the Progressive Democratic Party. The conflict actually predates the current split between Republicans and Democrats and harkens back to the days of the Revolutionary War

Barack Obama's Presidential Grade Card

4/9/2010 07:24 AM

Grading presidents, although somewhat arbitrary, can be reasonably accomplished with a simple rubric as a guide. This presidential assessment is based on five criteria.

Grading Presidents

3/31/2010 08:34 AM

Critiquing presidents, though an imperfect science, provides valuable guidance for voter calculations in coming elections.

Caution - Hot!

3/23/2010 10:16 PM

The warning is stamped on every McDonald’s coffee cup across America, thanks to a 1992 landmark case in which Stella Liebeck sued McDonalds after suffering third degree burns over six percent of her body.

Forgotten Silhouettes

3/17/2010 07:34 AM

Atlanta has one of the largest homeless populations in America. Some of the homeless are dispossessed by choice, while others are compelled by mental illness, addiction, or an imploding job market, to take refuge in the streets.

Forgotten Heroes - Presidents

3/10/2010 10:42 PM

Do heroes still exist? The Veterans of Foreign Wars recently held a national scholarship contest with over sixty-thousand high school participants responding to the question.

Time to Negotiate?

3/4/2010 09:53 AM

For over eight long years the United States and the Afghani government have struggled to defeat the Taliban, sponsors of the Al-Qaida terrorists that perpetrated the 9-11 attacks.

The Difference of One

2/23/2010 7:04 PM

Sitting at the City Council table, a lone councilman silently looked up and shook his head no in response to the proposed amendment. It was a ritual he had performed many times before.

Something Fishy About Global Warming

2/17/2010 08:30 AM

What do three-legged frogs, toxic fish, and new fluorescent light bulbs have in common? They are legitimate environmental concerns that have been overshadowed by global warming.

Rights for Terrorists over Americans?

2/1/2010 4:39 PM

Mark Hoduski asks the question, "Who deserves more rights, Americans or those trying to destroy America?"

Virtue to the Rescue

2/1/2010 4:22 PM

Mark Hoduski offers an opinion about Virtue. It is an idea that is central to the core of what it means to be an American.

What's up with KDOT

2/23/2010 7:11 PM

Is there a plan for the tunnel that goes nowhere at 87th and I-35?