13. April 2012 by admin.

Rome, I have been told by a certain Titus Livius, was a city founded upon the principle of clemency.  Romulus, knowing well that his survival depended partially upon numbers, granted safe haven to any man, foreigner or Italian alike, in search of a new life.  The city being filled with men on the lam, it soon took on a reputation of its own: Rome was known as a place in which aspiring Mediterranean foreigners could forego social and legal encumbrances and, if they had particular nobility of character — or at least, an upwardly mobile one –, could thrive according to their own personal merits. Read the rest of this entry »

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29. February 2012 by admin.

If one happens to be in the market for a cultural shock, he oftentimes needs only rent a movie from the 1940’s.  In my particular case, I had the pleasure of watching a Jimmy Stewart movie titled “The Shop Around the Corner,” a film excellent in every way, and unusually witty for a romantic comedy.  But what struck me most powerfully about the film was not so much the clever script, the perfectly selected cast, nor the believable romance, but rather a statement made by several characters about their employment.  They stated, in terms which make the modern man’s head spin, that they “wanted to be somebody,” when what they meant was, they wanted to be either clerks or store managers. Read the rest of this entry »

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18. February 2012 by admin.

There are perhaps fewer topics more uncomfortably discussed in America than the topic of slavery.  This horrible institution birthed a class of men who, though passing into the hereafter long ago, have bequeathed their whiplash scars to generations ever since.  It has cemented in certain races feelings of tremendous and unnatural guilt, and in others an almost irrevocable grudge, building from within to without, essentially destroying the very framework of liberty in the names of reconciliation and revenge; seeking a justice for which the time has so long since past, that any attempts at such result in injustice toward peoples who did not commit the crimes, oftentimes in favor of many who seek to explain their own moral deficiencies.  It is a horrible historical abomination, and one which all noble men wish could be put behind them, the hurt of yesteryear giving way to today’s camaraderie, and Americans living under one flag, under one God, and as one human race. Read the rest of this entry »

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29. January 2012 by admin.

There was a time before I was a Christian, only about eight years ago, when I met a young midwestern blonde in college.  I spent my time between classes trying to get her attention, eventually getting her number and being invited to multiple of her parties, ultimately failing, as I have been known to do, at being a smooth talker.  Her roommates seemed to like me, as I believe she did to some degree; but though I was at times charming and I made my intentions fairly clear, there was one thing which stood between us.  She was married, to a marine who was on tour. Read the rest of this entry »

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23. November 2011 by admin.

A high profile sexual misconduct case is oftentimes tragic whether or not the accused is actually guilty, as recent episodes in the lives of Justin Bieber and Herman Cain plainly display.  But this article does not concern whether or not Justin Bieber or Herman Cain are guilty of sexual misconduct; there are plenty of other highly-skilled investigators who have already accomplished quite a bit in that regard.  Rather, this article intends to analyze the laws pertaining to sexual harassment, both social and state-enforced, the need for such laws, and why both kinds desperately require reform. Read the rest of this entry »

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10. October 2011 by admin.

A short while ago, I encountered an unusually bizarre speech on a leftist site.  A cancer survivor, Jim Gilliam, detailing his physical and emotional struggles with cancer, explained how his very survival depended not only upon his determination, but upon a sea of knowing and unknowing participants in a sort of indescribable camaraderie. In fact, had his activist friends not intervened for him, causing such an uproar that a medical center felt obligated to give him a lung transplant, it is likely that he would be dead today. Read the rest of this entry »

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10. June 2010 by admin.

I’m not exactly sure how to begin writing about this, but I had an experience that made me think I was going to die today.  As I was sitting in the break room at work, I had a very sharp, sudden pain in the left side of my chest, about where my heart is.  The first incident I took as a random occurrence, but upon my second breath I realized something was wrong.  Another sharp pain split my chest, and I began to wonder whether or not this was really… it.

There were a few things that popped into my head as it happened, the first two being “not here” and  “not now.”  I suppose everyone thinks this as their life is coming to a close, as they begin to realize how fragile they were the entire time, and how much they’d taken their strength–and every possible misconception of invincibility–for granted.  If there’s one thing we can be sure of, it’s that not everyone is fortunate enough to die in battle, or to die rescuing someone, or to die a martyr, or doing anything with any purpose at all.  Actually, quite a few people kick the bucket and don’t have enough time to realize they’re about to meet their maker, and even less are likely to find Him even if they did.  But for some of us, there’s enough time to ponder what they did–and didn’t–do with their time. Read the rest of this entry »

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25. January 2009 by admin.

I have to admit that I’m a bit jaded when media-circus disasters show their obnoxious faces.  Perhaps it’s because I don’t understand the full reality of the disasters, perhaps it’s because nobody I personally know has been affected, and perhaps it’s because we seem to have a new disaster every year, but any way you look at it I’m not the kind of guy who holds a candle-light vigil every time a tsunami comes around.  Frankly, these situations feel so far away, the people seem so foreign, and I have my own life to worry about.

Part of the reason I felt this way was due to Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath: I’d donated my hard-earned money to the Red Cross because I felt it was the right thing to do, only to be disgusted later with the media-ignored tales from people who were actually there.  I couldn’t help but feel my stomach turn into knots when listening to witnesses describe the ghettoest of the ghetto inhabitants shooting at their rescuers, trying to loot their boats.  The coast guard eventually had to tell do-gooders not to try and rescue anyone, because the heroes were being attacked.  I heard about murders, I heard about rioting and looting, and I sat back and wondered whether my money had supported a rapist, or a mugger.  I wondered how many people’s homes were broken into and their families tied up while armed burglars rummaged through their possessions.  Suddenly, I felt like what I had done out of kindness had been turned into something vile, and I was determined never to send money into a Black ghetto disaster for the rest of my life. Read the rest of this entry »

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