Is it unreasonable to expect citizens to love their country? — “America: Love it or Leave it!” It’s a declaration that’s been around at least since the 1960s and 70s — during the tumult of the civil rights movement and the protests of the Vietnam War. Since then, it has been echoed by (normally conservative) politicians, pundits, a few celebrities, bumper…

#3 Don’t take your family for granted. — “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7, KJV) I love the ancient book of Proverbs. It’s the greatest collection of wisdom sayings ever written. And its overriding theme is that we need to continually acquire knowledge and wisdom. For this…

Listen more. Talk less. — This open letter is for all elected officials in the United States — those serving at every level in government (local, state, or national). Of course, in writing this open letter, I’m under no illusions about how important it will be to any actual elected official in the United States. …

Counting down the most enjoyable movies ever made — at least in my opinion — Ranking the best movies of all time is certainly not an easy task, and I make no claim that this list somehow represents a wholly objective take on cinema history. These are my favorite movies. Your list may be different. …

The death of patriotism will be the death of America — The United States of America is dying. We have become a nation of what Sir Walter Scott would call “dead souls” — men and women who no longer look upon their own land with fondness and whose hearts no longer burn with love for their nation. Scott was a Scottish…

True patriotism is about value and responsibility — Are you a citizen of the United States of America? Then you should love the United States of America. Period. No exceptions. Cue the objections and the protests. I can hear them all now. All the lamenting and condemnation of America’s sins (past and present). All the frustration over America’s…

My novella will release at the end of this summer — Me? A Storyteller? Yes, and by the end of this summer, I’m determined to self-publish my first (professional? serious?) story. I’m planning this story as a novella (roughly 20,000 words) and to give it away for free to help build my author email list. …

Many people certainly think so — “And … he’s a nationalist!” I was having a conversation with a relative several years ago about a certain well-known political figure. We were discussing several objectionable aspects about this person’s character, and my relative then added: “And can you believe … he’s a nationalist?” Her tone was a combination…

We must welcome disagreement in our society — We live in a time when disagreement is increasingly seen as disempowering and damaging to others. As a result, depending on the issues or the people involved, to express disagreement is often viewed as bigoted, harmful, and socially unacceptable. The phrase “depending on the issues or people involved” is crucial. …