It has been known for a long time that homeowners have wanted to control who their neighbors are. In the past it was race; now it is for income and for how they might use their property, and often for […]
Howard Ahmanson
Why Republicans Are Not Always Reliable Defenders of Economic Liberty
As an activist against ‘redevelopment,’ I often wondered why Republicans, who posture themselves as the party of ‘small government’ or ‘limited government,’ were so hard to convince to repeal redevelopment. Josh Barro, a clever columnist for the New York Times, […]
Very Bad Taste Not A Reason To Forbid Anything: A Thought For 9/11, Nine Years Later
There has been quite a to-do about building an Islamic center in Lower Manhattan close to Ground Zero. I have to say I think the whole thing is in very bad taste. With one possible exception. The famous Sagrada Familia […]
Living with Same Sex Marriage
Several of the Federal circuit courts have found that the Fourteenth Amendment, which became part of the Constitution in 1868, requires the states to validate same sex marriage as equal with opposite sex marriage. Of course, I think this would […]
Suppose We Applied Some of the Theories of Today to the Culture Wars of 90 Years Ago?
Wesley J. Smith warns us that the ACLU is now maintaining that the rights of access of people to not only abortion but Death with Dignity should override the rights of physicians, pharmacists, and health care workers to conscientious objection regarding […]
The Residential College Experience and New Urbanism
Matthew Gerken, in Philanthropy Daily, has a nice essay entitled “Why We Love College.” For all the problems with the American university experience – they’re not preparing the kids for jobs! – they’re not preparing the kids for anything but […]
‘Beach People’ vs ‘Brunch People’ – the Eternal Struggle
I have concluded that there are two kinds of people, ‘beach people’ and ‘brunch people’. The first are those that like outdoor activities; the second are those that like to sit in one place for hours and read, or study, […]
Sympathy versus Empathy
I think I have finally figured out the distinction between ‘sympathy’ and ’empathy’, and why we have two words. ‘Sympathy’ is a much older word, and has been in use for centuries; ’empathy’ is a fairly new one, becoming fashionable […]
If 65 is the New 45, is 20 the New 13?
Anna Sutherland, in, Family Studies, points out that teenagers are getting less risky in their behavior nowadays; they are drinking less alcohol, and actually having less sex, not just less unprotected sex. [In fact, the average young person today is […]
The Adams Map: A Different Spectrum, A Challenge
Michael Adams’ 2005 book, American Backlash: The Untold Story of Social Change in the United States, got little attention in the States. In fact, since he is a Canadian author, only used copies can be found on the regular amazon.com, […]