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Election Day 2024 prep: Conservatism vs. liberalism

The 2024 presidential election is underway. Early voting has begun and with it hangs the fate of our nation. The candidates for the White House stand in stark contrast to one another in their beliefs and their vision for the United States and its people. This election is not about personalities despite efforts to make it just that. Election 2024 is solely about political ideology — two diametrically opposed ideologies — and the outcome will determine the future of the United States for generations to come. The founding principles of the nation are part of the political ...

Books are a portable magic

Not the kind of magic you might be thinking of with Halloween approaching, but I must confess, I have a long-time addiction to a certain type of portable magic that has followed me throughout my life — books. This addiction began when I was just a child and has only grown more intense over the years. Like many of us, I blame my mother. She was the one who opened the door to this magical world for my brother and me when we were very young. Each week, she took us to the public library, encouraging us to wander the aisles, carefully selecting the books that would come home with us. I ...

Embracing life’s fullness: Family, home and gratitude

Have you ever experienced a time when your heart felt full overflowing with emotions you couldn’t contain? That’s exactly how I feel as I sit down to write today. There are several reasons for this overwhelming sense of well-being, and I’d love to share them with you. First and foremost, I just returned from a week at the beach with my entire family. For those who have tried to coordinate a trip with adult children and their little ones, you know how nearly impossible it can be to get everyone in the same place for an extended time. But we made it happen! The weather was ...

Sometimes it’s okay not to be okay

Have you ever had a time in your life when you just weren’t, okay? If we’re honest, we all have. This Monday morning, I’m in that space. I’m not terrible, not falling to pieces, no tears—just not okay. As I self-diagnose and spend some time in introspection, I think I’ve discovered some answers. For starters, I tend to cram a plethora of activities into a minuscule amount of time. Does anyone else have that tendency? It’s like trying to fit all my Aldi shopping bags into one little bag to save space in my car. It can be done, but my bags aren’t in the greatest shape ...

Trump’s regulation promises

This week, Donald Trump will officially become the Republican nominee. Soon he is likely to again be president, according to the most accurate predictions, which come from people who put their money where their mouths are -- people who bet. They currently give Trump a 67% chance of winning. President Joe Biden’s chances have fallen below 20%. This is good news to those of us who fear America is gradually being strangled by ever-increasing regulations. Trump promises to get rid of bad rules. “Remove the anchor dragging us down!” he said. “We’re going to cancel every ...

The far left won’t be badly missed

The hard-line pro-Palestinian group Within Our Lifetime has been protesting against, of all people, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders. Where did the New York congresswoman and Vermont senator go astray? Didn’t they denounce Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide”? Didn’t they call for halting military aid to Israel? They did both, but Ocasio-Cortez in particular has drawn the group’s wrath for approving a resolution affirming Israel’s right to exist. She also supported funding for Israel’s Iron Dome, which is not a weapon of attack but a system of ...