Stop Howard Dean

The Democratic Party seems intent on nominating Howard Dean for president. Governor Dean leads in the polls and has a powerful grassroots organization. He raised $40 million in 2003, a one-year record for a Democratic presidential candidate. Dean has energized the angry, Bush-hating, anti-war cultural left--those who are mad as hell at President Bush and aren't going to take it anymore. 

November 30, 1999

New Technology Can Lead to Digital Distress

Going to the laundromat is one of life's enormous inconveniences. You have to drag your clothes to the washer, make sure you have plenty of quarters, plug them in, toss the laundry into the washing machine, wait around for the "spin" cycle, put the clothes in the dryer, and then hang around for them to dry.

Sounds like a real hassle, doesn't it? 

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
November 30, 1999

Flunking Quayle

The presidential election isn't over. The Electoral College will meet on December 19 to elect the next president and vice president. While the nation has clearly expressed its preference for George Bush for the presidency, it has profound misgivings about Dan Quayle. It is the responsibility of the 538 members of the Electoral College to dump
Quayle. 

Published in The Boston Globe
November 25, 1988

Back the Pack

For decades, the Dallas Cowboys have billed themselves as "America's Team." They could be right-if you think that America is typified by drug use, drunken escapades at strip joints, and orgies.

The Cowboy's owner, Jerry Jones, has thumbed his nose at league rules governing profit-sharing from corporate endorsements. The coach, Barry Switzer, says he can't be bothered... 

Published in New Times
January 23, 1997

ACLU and Community Interests

The fundraising letter had impressive testimonials. Chief Justice Earl Warren said that the American Civil Liberties Union "stood foursquare against the recurring tirades of hysteria that from time to time threaten freedoms everywhere." Senator Adlai Stevenson was "glad the ACLU gets indignant, and I hope this will always be so." President Kennedy commented that "our nation needs the services of organizations who will remain vigilant in defense of our principles." 

Published in The American Enterprise
July 1, 1997

Senior Citizen Discounts Are Affirmative Action for the Wealthy

What if private businesses and government agencies offered discounts for white people? Movie theaters, restaurants, the national parks, hotels, car rental agencies, airlines - just prove you're a Caucasian and you get a 5 to 30 percent discount.

It would be universally denounced as unfair and racist. So why does the nation put up with discounts for senior citizens - the wealthiest sector of the American public? 

Published in The Christian Science Monitor
September 2, 1997

Shh! Can You Turn Down That Leaf Blower?

Modern life is noisy. Freeway traffic, 6 a.m. garbage pickups, middle-of-the-night street sweepers, lawnmowers, 747 takeoffs, car alarms, and ghetto blasters pierce the ears and disrupt life.

Noise pollution leads the complaints to the quality-of-life hotline in New York City. According to the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse, "Good neighbors keep their noise to themselves." The Clearinghouse also calls noise polluters "bullies, claiming rights and freedoms that are not theirs while degrading resources that are ours."

And what is the most egregious, the most loathsome, the most needless form of pollution from the noise bullies?  

Published in The Christian Science Monitor
October 3, 1997

Girls-Only is OK

The ACLU is at it again. The organization that opposes school uniforms, obstructs teen curfews, fights metal detectors at airports, and challenges restrictions on child pornography is now turning its legal firepower against single-sex public schools.

Last fall, the Young Women's Leadership School opened in East Harlem, NY. It has 165 students in the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades. School officials plan to expand it to the 12th grade by adding a grade each year. The school is intended to emphasize math and science and allow young girls to attend school in an environment free of sexual pressures. It is one of three all-girl public schools in the country. 

Published in The Christian Science Monitor
October 23, 1997

When Good Grades Don't Count

Thirty years ago, President Nixon nominated G. Harrold Carswell to the Supreme Court. Carswell was attacked for being a mediocre jurist. Sen. Roman Hruska (R) of Nebraska attempted to turn Carswell's perceived mediocrity into an asset. "Even if he is mediocre," Hruska said, "there are a lot of mediocre judges and lawyers. They are entitled to a little representation, aren't they, and a little chance? We can't have all Brandeises, Cardozos, and Frankfurters, and stuff like that there."  

Published in The Christian Science Monitor
December 12, 1997

California Living: Snuff Out That Cigarette, Please

California is a political trend-setter. From cutting property taxes to banning leaf blowers, from eliminating affirmative action to enacting term limits, from limiting public services for illegal immigrants to ending bilingual education, the Golden State leads the way.

Now it's taken the lead on another big issue: smoking. AB 13, which took effect Jan. 1, bans smoking in virtually all indoor public places, including bars.  

Published in The Christian Science Monitor
January 12, 1998

What Andy, Opie, and Barney Fife Mean to Americans, Even in the 1990s

This Sunday, tens of millions of Americans will watch the Green Bay Packers play the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl. But there is a viewing alternative. Ted Turner, the man who gave $1 billion to the UN, is presenting his annual eight-hour "Andy Griffith Show" marathon on WTBS-TB. And I'll be watching.

Mayberry has a strong hold on American life. More than 5 million people a day watch Andy Griffith re-runs, on 120 stations. Aunt Bee's Mayberry Cookbook sold over 1 million copies. Money magazine, in naming Madison, Wis., the best place to live in the US, said the city "offers up a low crime rate and palpable friendliness you might assume are available only in, say, Andy Griffith's Mayberry." 

Published in The Christian Science Monitor
January 22, 1998

An After-School Haven Needed

As a child growing up in Nebraska and Minnesota, I remember coming home from school each day around 3:30 in the afternoon. My mother - a full-time mom - greeted me with a hug and some cookies. After we chatted, I practiced the piano until dinner.

Today, for most kids, things are very different. Schools - staying open later - could substitute for the parents that can't be there after school... 

Published in The Christian Science Monitor
February 7, 1998

Modern Orphanages for Troubled Kids: Not a Bad Idea

In 1994, Newt Gingrich suggested placing children of teen mothers in orphanages. If they could not support their children, the Republican Congressman said, "America should tell them, 'We'll help you with foster care. We'll help with orphanages. We'll help you with adoption.'" 

Published in The Christian Science Monitor
May 15, 1998

English on the Chopping Block

Several months ago, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott asserted that homosexuality is a disease, like kleptomania. Defending the religious basis of Lott's position, House Majority Leader Dick Armey commented, "Both myself and Senator Lott believe very strongly in the Bible."

Allen Quist, a Republican candidate for Governor of Minnesota in 1998, stood before a group of realtors and said, "Thank you for inviting myself to this forum."

What's going on here? Does anyone know how to speak proper English anymore? Does anyone care about the decline of the language? 

Published in The Christian Science Monitor
December 7, 1998

Jesse The Cheesehead

I'm driving back from Madison, after a weekend of scalping Badger tickets, setting off fireworks, 2:00 am bar-hopping, and driving my studded snowmobile through a national forest, and it hits me: Jesse wants Minnesota to be more like Wisconsin! 

Published in Minnesota Law and Politics
May 1, 1999

Why the Reform Party Reforms Won't Work

Third parties have played an important role in American politics. The Republican Party, founded in Ripon, Wisconsin in 1854, was formed to oppose the expansion of slavery. The Libertarian Party, established in 1971, seeks to protect citizens from governmental tyranny. The Green Party was founded in the United States in 1986 to promote economic justice and save the planet.

And then there's the Party of Jesse. The Minnesota Reform Party is based on two not-so-great ideas: (1) their trash-talking hero; and (2) tinkering with the mechanics of elections and government. 

Published in Minnesota Law and Politics
May 1, 1999

Adventures in Campaignland: My Saturday in Ames

Dan Quayle looked at the crowd at Iowa State University and quipped, "Just another summer day in Iowa."

Oh, sure: if you think it's normal for 25,000 Republicans to be packed into a parking lot to listen to Debbie Boone and Ronnie Milsap, meet Roger Staubach and Miss Iowa, hear fire-breathing speeches, see the Governor of Wisconsin show up on a Harley-Davidson, drop your kids off at the Gary Bauer Kidz Fun Zone, and wolf down freebie pork sandwiches and sweet corn--all in front of 600 members of the Fourth Estate. 

Published in Minnesota Law and Politics
September 1, 1999

America Needs a Parliamentary System

It's been a wild eight months. We've gone through Monica Lewinsky and her baret, Linda Tripp and her microphone, and President Clinton and his finger-wagging denial. Now we've seen Kenneth Starr send a pick-up truck to Capitol Hill to deliver his report, and Clinton's four hours of hair splitting.

And the ordeal isn't likely to be over soon. There is nothing in Bill Clinton's background or character to suggest that he will voluntarily relinquish the office he has sought since childhood...  

Published in The Christian Science Monitor
September 28, 1999

Kids Grapple with Wrestling Violence

The shootings at schools in Colorado, Georgia, and Oklahoma have reenergized the debate over juvenile crime. Pundits and politicians have pointed to guns, R-rated movies, violent video games, Marilyn Manson concerts, and family breakdown as causes of America's culture of violence.

I have another pernicious force to suggest: professional wrestling. The epitome of violence, sadomasochism, and sleaze, professional wrestling is trash TV for ugly Americans. 

Published in USA Today
March 30, 2000

Palm Pilot Al

Al Gore is a man of many wardrobes. For years, he donned dark blue suits with white shirts and power ties, while standing stiffly next to the president. Upon the advice of Naomi Wolf, "Alpha Al" switched to earth tones. When he met with Jesse Ventura, the vice president was wearing blue jeans and cowboy boots. At most summertime campaign appearances, Gore sported khaki pants and shirt-sleave cotton shirts. 

Published in UCLA Daily Bruin
October 10, 2000

Hurry Sickness

Westerners live in the age of instaneity. We have instant coffee, instant replay, instant polls, and Instant Messaging--all in the pursuit of instant gratification.

And there are products galore to help us save those precious milliseconds! In your car, you can read your e-mail on your... 

Published in HOPEDANCE
April 1, 2001

Noise Pollution: Sounds of the City Are Not Music to One Man's Ears

Both candidates for mayor of Los Angeles are focusing on "quality of life" issues, but neither has uttered a single word on the greatest threat to the quality of life in Los Angeles: noise pollution. In major US cities, noise levels have increased six-fold in the last 15 years. The Census Bureau reports that noise is Americans' top neighborhood complaint.

Noise isn't simply a nuisance; it's harmful. Excessive noise is associated with increased blood pressure, headaches, low frustration tolerance, ringing ears, and loss of sleep, and it affects sexual activity... 

Published in The Los Angeles Times
May 26, 2001

No Logo

As a college freshman, Naomi Klein had a job folding sweaters at an Espirit clothing store in Montreal. She reports that "mothers would come in
with their six-year-old daughters and ask to see only the shirts that said 'Espirit' in the company's trademark bold block lettering. 'She won't wear
anything without a name,' the moms would confide apologetically as we chatted by the change rooms. 

Published in HOPEDANCE
September 1, 2001

Strike a Blow

Sacramento had been dubbed the "City of Trees" by the National Arbor Foundation. After living here a few months, I think a more appropriate name would be the City of Leaf Blowers. 

Published in The Sacramento News and Review
December 27, 2001

Stillness

Richard Mahler spent 97 days in solitary confinement in the snow-covered Tusas Mountains of northern New Mexico, in order to spend "quiet alone-time" and to live "deliberatively." He was the winter caretaker of a ranch with no electricity, a wood stove for heat, and a short wave radio for emergencies. STILLNESS: DAILY GIFTS OF SOLITUDE is "part memoir, part adventure story, part spiritual reflection, and part self-help."  

Published in HOPEDANCE
November 1, 2003

Smoking Restrictions Gaining Ground and Eminently Justified

"The movement to restrict smoking in public places is gaining ground," writes Ted Rueter, assistant professor of political science at DePauw University, in today's edition of Indiana's Bloomington Herald-Times. Rueter notes that "almost 2,000 communities across the country have imposed smoking restrictions," including Bloomington, and that many others are now considering ordinances that would limit or ban smoking. 

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
February 25, 2005

Boom Car Ads Promote Mean Streets and Mean People

For many people, springtime means blooming flowers, chirping birds, and glorious sunshine. Spring is about rebirth and rejoicing.

For millions of Americans, however, spring means the return of loud car stereos thundering through their neighborhoods. Boom cars turn spring into a time of anxiety, angst, depression, and even sorrow. 

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
March 11, 2005

Democrats Should Forget Kerry in 2008

The 2008 presidential campaign has begun. Dozens of prospective candidates are already plotting strategy, raising money and traveling to Iowa and New Hampshire.

I have a message for the national Democratic Party: If you intend to win the 2008 election, do not give your presidential nomination to John Kerry. The junior senator from Massachusetts comes across as an aloof, condescending rich guy with a slim legislative record and a tempestuous wife. And he's threatening to run again. 

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
March 25, 2005

Car Alarms Should Be Banned

They have menacing names like Viper and Hellfire. Their ear-splitting shrieks wake people up in the middle of the night. Their high-decibel blare causes blood pressures to skyrocket. They are the apex of selfishness. They are pointless.

I'm speaking of car alarms — ridiculous, infernal devices that should be banned as a public nuisance. 

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
April 22, 2005

The Commercialism of Daily Life is Nearly Complete

Coming soon to a police department near you: NASCAR-style advertising plastered all over police cruisers. The Charlotte-based racing giant has graciously offered police cars for $1 each, in exchange for the free publicity. More than 20 cities have signed up, and 200 more have expressed interest. 

May 6, 2005

Corporate Villains Will Do Anything for a Few Bucks

Imagine the scene:

Your son is hooked on violent video games. Your e-mail account is overrun with spam. Your tap water is a light shade of green because of the nearby chemical plant. Your neighborhood is overrun with the irritating sounds of leaf blowers. A motorcycle gang rumbles down your street every weekend. You've lost your job because of "corporate downsizing." An accounting scandal has wiped out your pension. Your husband gets up at 4 a.m. to go to Labor Ready. Your credit cards are maxed out. 

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
May 22, 2005

DNC Chair Howard Dean - A Loose Cannon Who Needs to Go

Howard Dean is the poster boy of the Bush-hating, anti-war cultural left, who are mad as hell at President Bush and aren't going to take it anymore. And he is a disaster as chairman of the Democratic National Committee.  

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
June 17, 2005

Supreme Court's Eminent Domain Ruling An Outrage

Last week the United States Supreme Court ruled that your home is not your castle.

Last week the United States Supreme Court ruled that your right to own a single-family home or a small business pales in comparison to a city's right to smash your property to construct a casino, an office building, a strip mall, a high-rise condo, or a Wal-Mart--all in the name of increased tax revenues and "economic development." The Supreme Court's decision is an outrage. 

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
July 1, 2005

Wal-Mart: The Prices Don't Offset the Costs

Wal-Mart is the world's largest corporation, having recently surpassed General Motors and ExxonMobil. In 2003, it took in nearly $250 billion in revenue--more than the entire GDP of Israel and Ireland combined. It generates nearly $7 billion a year in profits. It has 4,400 stores worldwide--3,600 of them in the United States. It is the world's largest employer, with 1.3 million "associates." It is the world's biggest seller of groceries, jewelry, photo processing, dog food, and vitamins--and it's now moving into gasoline, banking, used cars, flower delivery, banking, and Internet access. Five of the ten richest people in the world are Waltons. 

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
July 15, 2005

Patriot Act Should be Repealed

Last week the US House of Representatives voted 257 to 171 to permanently extend virtually all of the key provisions of the USA Patriot Act--a cornerstone of the Bush administration's anti-terrorism strategy. The Act was scheduled to expire December 31. The Senate will consider the measure this fall.

The Act expands the government's power to conduct secret searches, demand library records, and eavesdrop. Extension of the Patriot Act is a sad day for civil liberties. 

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
July 29, 2005

Disastrous No Child Left Behind Act Should be Repealed

School is back in session. With the new academic year, school districts are once again struggling to implement the No Child Left Behind Act--a massive federal intrusion that impedes learning, encourages dropouts, narrows the curriculum, increases anxiety, fosters academic dishonesty, and does nothing to improve schools.  

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
September 9, 2005

GOP Missteps May Make Corruption a Major Campaign Issue

President Bush came into office promising that his staff would do "not just what's legal, but what's right." However, a recent Washington Post/ ABC News poll found that only 40 percent of Americans regard President Bush as honest and trustworthy, while 58 percent have doubts about his honesty. Recent scandals demonstrate a clear pattern of wrongdoing in the Bush administration and the Republican Party. The GOP appears to be engulfed in a culture of corruption... 

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
September 16, 2005

William Bennett and "Race Baiting"

On his radio talk show, former Reagan administration official Bill Bennett stated that "it's true that if you waned to reduce crime, you could--if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down. That would be an impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down." This statement by the former Education Secretary and drug czar was deeply offensive, insensitive, ignorant, and hurtful. 

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
October 7, 2005

America Should Move to a Consumption Tax

The 16th amendment to the US Constitution, ratified in 1913, allows the federal government to tax income. I believe the 16th amendment should be repealed. The federal income tax should be replaced by a national consumption tax.

The concept of taxing consumption rather than income has been discussed for nearly 500 years. In 1651, Thomas Hobbes wrote in The Leviathan that taxing what citizens consume is more just than taxing that they earn. Consumption, Hobbes thought, represented what people take out of society, while earnings demonstrate what they contributed.
 

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
October 12, 2005

Bush's Culture of Mediocrity

On January 19, 1970, President Richard Nixon nominated G. Harrold Carswell to the Supreme Court. Widely derided as mediocre, Carswell's nomination was promptly rejected by the United States Senate. During the confirmation process, Nebraska Republican Senator Roman Hruska rose to Carswell's defense:

"Even if he is mediocre, there are a lot of mediocre judges and lawyers. They are entitled to a little representation, aren't they, and a little chance? We can't have all Brandeises and Cardozos and Frankfurters and stuff like that there." 

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
October 21, 2005

Non-Competitive Elections Threaten Democracy

American democracy faces a crisis--the crisis of non-competitive elections. More and more, American elections consist of incumbents cruising to victory.

In 2004, 98 percent of US House incumbents kept their seats. Only 5 incumbents lost to challengers--the second-lowest number in our history. Eighty-three percent of the 435 House races were won by landslides. Nearly 90 percent of incumbents were reelected by margins of at least 20 percent. In 14 states, every race was won by a landslide margin of at least 20 percent. Only four states recorded no landslide victories. 

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
November 4, 2005

"Testostorama" is Nothing to Celebrate

Are men really necessary? The answer may be "no."

A team of researchers recently discovered that mice can reach adulthood through parthenogenesis--a form of reproduction in which the female egg develops into a live birth without benefit of male fertilization. Insects, lizards, and fish have long reproduced without any help from would-be fathers. 

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
November 18, 2005

Katrina and Race

The federal government's initial response to Hurricane Katrina demonstrates America's continuing indifference to poverty and its hostility to African-Americans. In the words of Jesse Jackson, "Katrina was a nightmare of a storm, but she hit a country suffering a nightmare of neglect." 

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
November 23, 2005

Degrees in Video Game Design "Kidnap American Education"

Coming soon to a college or university near you: a major in designing violent video games. The New York Times reports that such august institutions as the University of Southern California, Georgia Tech, Carnegie Mellon, the New School, and the University of Central Florida are now offering undergraduate and master's degrees in joysticks and video predators. The International Game Developers Association notes that there are more than 100 North American universities offering programs in video game design, with many more overseas. 

Published in Bloomington Herald-Times
December 3, 2005

Paper or Plastic?

In "The Graduate," Dustin Hoffman was offered one word of advice about his future: plastics.

Well, maybe no more. There is a growing national and international movement to ban plastic bags, a symbol of waste and environmental destruction. We are choking the planet with these non-biodegradable bags. 

Published in The Chicago Tribune
April 26, 2007