Fighting 'Alternative Facts' with Reason
Dear America. Since the conversation around gun control has been dumbed-down to no restrictions verses banning all guns, we should study how other countries handle this issue with similar mental and social issues as the United States. Call this “Gun Control A La Carte” and look for 2-3 examples you Continue …
Much of white America, especially white male America, is suffering from delusion (Disclosure: I’m a white American man). Too many in my demographic have debased themselves through thoughtless xenophobia, callous sexism, knee-jerk bigotry, and angry cynicism. During the 2016 election, 62% of white males and 52% of white females knowingly Continue …
Recently I had a conversation with a conservative friend and Donald Trump supporter. I asked a simple question that generated strong emotion and defense. “How would you feel if President Trump agreed to provide financial support for any country that implemented socialized medicine and government-funded abortions?” Assuming this was just Continue …
Conservatism in America is dying, thankfully. I am not referring to the iconic conservative beliefs of Ronald Reagan and Bob Dole, who found success in compromise and concession. Compassionate conservatism will always be ingrained in our political system. I am talking about the mangled attempt to push the electorate to Continue …
As a Democrat, it’s hard not to watch the current GOP primary debacle and smile with a certain sense of optimism. Democrats are poised for a strong election cycle, gaining back territory that was lost as a result of low voter turnout in 2014. With the unemployment hovering around 5%, Continue …
The foods we choose to eat are a product of our culture. The best parts of holidays and family gatherings are often meal times. And when we think of a holiday, we often think of the foods that accompany them: Thanksgiving and turkeys, Christmas and roasts, Memorial Day and barbecues. Continue …
I am not a Republican. I believe in marriage between a man and a woman. I am a gun owner. I am a senior manager in the middle of corporate America. I did not support Occupy Wall Street. I believe unions can stifle business growth and drive productivity out of Continue …
How many times have I heard the ridiculous rhetoric about Democrats being pro-abortion or having my morality being compared to Vlad the Impaller’s? As a proud progressive, I feel the discussion should center on facts, data, and historical significance, and not arrogantly challenging people’s morality as a campaign tool. Conservative’s Continue …
#100Tweets in one hour. Here we go…. — MATTY ICE (@MattyIceAZ) April 12, 2015 Dear GOP, Don’t get too comfortable leading the Senate. In 2016 Republicans will be defending 24 seats in 34 contests. #100Tweets — MATTY ICE (@MattyIceAZ) April 12, 2015 Why do liberals like Obama? It’s not like Continue …
This past week was Ronald Reagan’s 104th birthday. I wish he were alive to celebrate, probably more than most conservatives I know. It would be interesting to see Reagan’s take on today’s political environment. Most likely his opinion would be tossed by the wayside by the same individuals that currently Continue …
As any viewer of Fox News will tell you, America has become an entitlement nation. This claim is reinforced by example after example of individuals gaming the system or dissected across Fox’s political theater. The right’s fixation on the poor has become so blatant Fox has even come up with Continue …
Several weeks ago, George Zimmerman, the man acquitted of murder in the shooting death of an unarmed teenager, Trayvon Martin, made an appearance at a Florida gun show as the guest of honor. Zimmerman was invited by the gun show’s organizer, who had supported Zimmerman at his trial, to help Continue …
Although I did not grow up in a home with guns, I was exposed to them at an early age. From the annual Boy Scout summer camp to visits with extended family, I had frequent opportunities to use guns, and as an adult, have thoroughly enjoyed periodic recreational shooting as Continue …
During my freshman year at BYU, a conservative friend of mine tried to explain to me why recycling, and caring for the environment in general, were scripturally unsound practices. He cited the LDS Doctrine and Covenants Section 59 verses 16 to 19, which, in a nutshell, indicate that the Lord Continue …
The recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court striking down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and allowing lower court decisions to stand overturning Proposition 8 in California makes for a dramatic shift in American society. This brief analysis is to consider some of the possible ramifications of the decision. Continue …
In the aftermath of any mass shooting in the U.S., an all-or-nothing rhetoric about guns typically infects the public discourse regarding what ought to be done to prevent such tragedies in the future. In many communities, inhabitants are warned that the government has a hidden agenda seeking to ban all Continue …
Recently the US Senate fell short of passing the most reasonable gun control measure ever brought to the Congressional floor by six votes (54 votes — just a few shy of blocking a filibuster). The legislation was centered on closing background check loopholes involving private sellers at gun shows and Continue …
The recent mass shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut reinvigorated the national debate about gun control. While I believe that additional measures must be adopted to make it more difficult for criminals and the mentally ill to obtain firearms, it is equally important that Americans evaluate Continue …
I am constantly criticized by my Republicans friends about the apparent contradictory position of being a pro-life Democrat. To them this position is contradictory and dishonest. To me voting with this political platform is irrelevant and insignificant. Why? Because whether or not someone is pro-life is a moral argument, and Continue …
President Obama’s recent announcement of his support for gay marriage sparked a firestorm of debate across the country. For Mormon Democrats such as myself, it has put us at odds with Obama on an important social issue. In Support of Traditional Marriage As a Latter-Day Saint, I believe in traditional Continue …