“Can you believe some jerk told me it was rude to talk on my cellphone inside the movie theater?” “Well, sir, he did have a point. In the era of cellphones and social media, too many people are so consumed with their own needs, they’re trampling civil society.” “Ah, put a cork in it.” “Look, there h...

W ith Halloween so close to the November election, we may as well bring up the obvious link between ghouls and political hacks: Dead people are voting.  Reports are popping up around the country about deceased people who continue to vote, as recently reported by a Denver television station. That rep...

"W hat do you mean Judge Judy is not a U.S. Supreme Court justice?”  “Ah, yes, you speak of a recent survey by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni's 'A Crisis in Civic Education.' ACTA found that a high percentage of college graduates are ignorant of the basic principles of our republic.”  “...

J ournalists in the mass media love to dig up dirt on Republican presidential candidates. Well, I just dug up some dirt on Hillary Clinton. In Bob Woodward's 1996 book, "The Choice," Woodward reports that Hillary once conducted séances to summon the spirits of Eleanor Roosevelt and Mahatma Gandhi. T...

“Son, you’re 18 now. As an American citizen that means you’ll vote for the first time in the upcoming election.”  “Gee, dad, I can’t wait to do my civic duty. How do you suggest I prepare?”  “Well, son, a good place to start is to re-read the American Constitution to understand the basic principles ...

F ewer Americans are watching the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro than they did prior Games. I offer a solution.  According to The Christian Science Monitor , only 26.5 million Americans watched the Olympics opening ceremony – “a 35 percent drop in viewership from London’s ceremony four years ago ...

I  became angry when I saw the neglected World War II memorial.  The stone tribute sits on a triangular piece of property at the junction of Brownsville and Piney Fork roads in South Park. On Memorial Day 2015, it was surrounded by clumps of dead, brown grass and overgrown weeds.  It was a disgrace....

B oy, did I love watching that show when I was a boy.  I speak of “The Waltons,” of course. I've been thinking about the show since Earl Hamner, its creator, died a few weeks ago at the age of 92.  Hamner based “The Waltons” on his book, “Spencer Mountain,” which recounted fond memories of his child...

By Tom Purcell B oy, are people staying single in huge numbers these days. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the proportion of one-person households increased from 17 percent in 1970 to 27 percent in 2012. In 1990, there were roughly 23 million one-person households.  That number jumped to 32 mil...

My  sisters and I were saddened when my parents sold the old house. It was a two-story, four-bedroom design that was typical of 1960s suburbia — a house designed to raise children. The bottom half of the exterior was brick; the top half, white aluminum siding. Inside, the rooms were efficient and co...