Consider, Reconsider
A Reason to Think, and Think AgainI Thought I Was the Freedom Fighter
I grew to believe over my lifetime, that as Americans, our liberties have been chipped away at for generations and I often felt I was the rare crackpot that noticed or cared. There are countless laws and permits for every occasion, and I've written and spoken out on...
The Pitiable Habitual Conspiriacts
There are many authentic conspiracies, and many we don't even know about. The problem is that thanks to the Internet there are a THOUSAND TIMES more fake ones, and their prevalence is based on psychological stickiness, not fact. The real ones probably won't even be...
The Quarantine of Our Time
I don't know what people a hundred years will say about COVID-19. People only talk about the death tolls of the Spanish Flu a hundred years ago. But in the middle of this, I see life coming into focus as a society like never before. We're rationing our attention onto...
Suleimani’s Assassination: Concerns and Consequences
{Posted by Gerard Strauss, esq., on Facebook, 6 January 2020.} When Trump entered office, we had a nuclear non-proliferation agreement with Iran, and we had a relative if contentious peace. If the terms of our treaty with Iran were not satisfactory to our leaders,...
The Government Reality Show Addiction
Let me "splain" something. Leadership is about people. Bureaucracy is not. Just like it mattered far less than we think who won the election, it matters just as little if the president is impeached or not. Now I know what you're thinking, or feeling rather -- that so...
Loading ...Repub: Bonhoeffer on the ‘Stupidity’ That Led to Hitler’s Rise
{Republication of article by Annie Holmquist} Although he was in power for only a handful of years, Hitler and his Nazi government slaughtered millions. One of the more well-known victims of that slaughter was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was executed on April 8th, 1945,...
Should the Incarcerated Vote?
It would make sense that those who pose a threat to society should probably not be calling the shots. Of course I am referring to a large number of politicians, but let's talk about those who are incarcerated under such pretenses. The current law is that those (in...
Love it or leave it? How about fix it?
I would like to think one can refuse to believe their country is the "best" in this or that way and not have to be told that if they don't like it they should leave. I've even heard the question, "What's stopping you?" in ignorance of personal and financial reasons...
What an Inappropriate School Lesson Teaches Us
In an 8th Grade classroom of a charter school in Texas, a teacher hands out an assignment: to list the "pros" and "cons" under the heading "The Life of Slaves: A Balanced View". Of course this was inappropriate, but not for the reasons everyone thinks. According to...
Let’s talk about, well… Everything
{Posted on Facebook by Ryan S Bonnett, 28 February 2018} I've been doing some thinking, and while this is nothing that hasn't been said by those smarter than I am, our issue is our cultural predisposition to a one problem, one solution system. I'm going to frame this...
The First Commandment and the First Amendment
{By Ryan S Bonnett, published on Facebook 29 June 2017} If you didn't catch it earlier this week, a man drove a car into a Ten Commandments monument outside of the Arkansas State Capitol building. While I certainly don't condone rampant vandalism, I think that it's...
“Religious Wars”? It’s Complicated.
{Facebook post by Ryan S Bonnett, published here with permission} I get asked every once in a while why I decided to get a history degree. After all, I never technically did anything with it. At the time, I took the classes because I enjoyed them. The longer I live,...
Taking the Bullying Issue Too Far
Bullying is a trigger word these days. We have a newfound awareness that it is a real problem with real consequences, even fatal ones. But there is bullying and there is BULLYING. Physical harm, unwanted social contact (mostly cyberstalking these days), and exposure...
Should We Care if Our Species Becomes Extinct?
Should we care if our species becomes extinct? I don't mean should we try to avoid it from happening tomorrow. I mean if (when) the earth becomes no longer suitable for life, the backup plan seems to be to colonize other worlds. This TED talk suggests that to do so,...
Before the Election, We’ve Already Voted
{Facebook post by Ryan S Bonnett, published here with permission} Hi everyone. It's going to be a rough few days as the election nears, so I figured we could have one, last, civil conversation about the whole thing. Mostly, I wanted to talk about how we got here. Just...
10 Arguments Against NOT Voting Your Conscience
Maybe you're a Republican who is shaking your head that "this is really happening". Maybe you're a Democrat who "got Berned" in the primary. Or maybe you're among the clear majority of Americans who do not identify as Blue or Red ideologically. Maybe you are...
The Rewards and Punishments of Clear Thinking
Sometimes I feel that the only assured reward for clear thinking is frustration. It is fruitful to you when you practice it, but will generally go unappreciated and thrown in the dung heap with every other opinion. People only care if you agree or not, and not...