Dave Hogsett

“What is Memorial Day? A holiday to honor soldiers who died in military service.” This is one of civic questions and its answer that may be asked a person when they are being interviewed to become an American citizen. They may also be asked what is Independence Day, and what is Veterans Day? A person wanting to be an American citizen should have a basic understanding of American government and American history. It is important they understand why we as a nation will be celebrating Memorial Day on May 25.

Almost 50 years ago I first subscribed to Reader’s Digest Condensed Books and now to Reader’s Digest Fiction Favorites. Over the years I have read books that I would not

The primary organizational unit of Classical Greece was the polis. The most famous was Athens with Sparta running a distant second. A typical polis had an urban center, agora (a

When I watch the news, it would appear that political debate in our nation today has degenerated into passionate attacks on one's opponents. Political ideas and theory have almost disappeared from the discussion. In fact, a position one may have held three or four years ago, they now oppose because their adversary is for it. Saul Alinsky's organizing principle of choosing an enemy would appear to be alive and well.

“I (Archie Goodwin) don’t know how long he (Nero Wolfe) would have stalled on that one — a day or a week or forever. At dinner he started on automation.

Friday, July 3, Diane and I made our weekly shopping trip to Kroger’s. Friday is usually a busy day because the Kroger gas points are increased four-fold. This Friday there

When Moses meets the Lord at the burning bush, the Lord tells him “So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring

Troy Spencer is the AG teacher at John Glenn High School in Walkerton, Indiana. On Saturday, July 11, he shared with the United Methodist Men at Plymouth United Church about

In the Gospel of Mark, the two brothers, James and John, ask Jesus if they could sit at his right and left hand when He comes into His kingdom. When the other 10 disciples heard about what they had said, they were indignant. Then “Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be a slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:42-45).”

Much of today's Western thought can be traced back to Socrates (469-399 B.C.E.), Plato (429-347 B.C.E.), and Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.). Plato's last and longest dialogue, “The Laws,” focused on political philosophy through a conservation among three elderly men: an unnamed Athenian, a Spartan named Megillus, and a Cretan named Clinias. For Plato “the first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself; to be conquered by yourself is of all things most shameful and vile.”