Opinion
When Carolina ladies made history
Americans insisted the power to tax lay with their own legislatures. Allowing faraway politicians to fund royal governors would make them vassals, not citizens.
Opinion
Push for liberty began in Rowan
Neither the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence nor the Halifax Resolves constitutes the first formal act by North Carolinians against British tyranny.
Opinion
On becoming a political advertiser
Upset by ideas you consider objectionable? The proper remedy is neither government restrictions on political speech nor heavy-handed policies by social-media platforms.
Opinion
Dismantling Thomas Jefferson and other outrageous stories
Below are a few of the stories that caught my attention this week. The left’s fascination with canceling American figures — including the author of our Declaration of Independence — continues. The inability to contextualize history is a scary ideology and reminds me a little of the Khmer Rouge and their utopian quest for year...
Opinion
Jefferson neighbors seek liberty
The travails of Albemarle County Baptists and other religious dissenters during the 1760s and 1770s had a strong impression on Thomas Jefferson.
Opinion
What the N.C. social studies curriculum should look like
Like much of the nation, North Carolina has a civics and history crisis. Yet, it may be even worse than thought in North Carolina after a Fordham Institute study gave the state a “D-” grade for civics and an “F” for history. Even more troubling for many educators and curriculum designers across the state is...
Opinion
John Hancock’s giant middle finger against tyranny
John Hancock is known for his sizeable signature etched on the Declaration of Independence. Nearly 250 years removed from his signing, almost everybody has been asked to offer their “John Hancock” on a document at some point in their life. It might be a myth that Hancock said, “There, King George will be able to...
Opinion
State blows it on history
North Carolina has the worst history and civics standards in the Southeast. Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Florida, South Carolina, and Mississippi all got “exemplary” or “good” ratings.
Opinion
Why we should read the American founders
Thomas Jefferson was renowned for stressing that authority ultimately rested with the people and not the government. Self-government often seems more like a theoretical concept today, or even a partisan issue. Ultimately, so much of what we see in politics today is a belief that Americans are no longer capable of governing themselves. They need more rules, and regulations to cope, and “free stuff” to...
Opinion
North Carolina must do more to protect property owners
Kelo v. City of New London is one of the worst modern U.S. Supreme Court decisions. The 2005 high court case may not mean a lot to non-lawyers or to those not in a public policy field, but the 5-4 decision allowed for private property to be seized and transferred to another private party in...
Opinion
Community colleges deliver great value
If the goal of raising educational attainment is to enhance human capital, then it would be a mistake to focus too narrowly on university campuses.
Opinion
Religion and politics always mix
It’s bad manners, and poisonous to political discourse, to question other people’s faith just because they disagree with you on an issue.
