Opinion
NC’s civics education should be revolutionary
By assessing civics statewide and tracking progress with a standardized benchmark, we could ensure students understand how our history equips them to be informed, engaged citizens.
Opinion
Roots of American freedom run deep
Last month I joined dozens of other writers, scholars, activists, and leaders across the country in declaring ourselves “Freedom Conservatives.” What do FreeCons stand for? You can read our statement of common principles at FreedomConservatism.org. Of course, virtually all Americans value freedom. But they don’t necessarily define the term in the same way. Nor do...
Opinion
Don’t that just beat all?
I’ve been writing a newspaper column since 1986. During that time, I’ve had occasion to criticize the policies of six North Carolina governors: Jim Martin, Jim Hunt, Mike Easley, Beverly Perdue, Pat McCrory, and Roy Cooper. None has seen fit to have me flogged. An ancestor of mine, William Pendley, wasn’t so lucky. Some years...
Opinion
When Carolinians killed Carolinians
Two hundred and fifty-one years ago this month, two large groups of armed North Carolinians camped about six miles away from each other in what is now Alamance County. A thousand state militiamen, led by North Carolina Gov. William Tryon, had come to suppress a popular revolt known as the Regulator movement. About twice that...
Opinion
Why Carolinians liked strong legislatures
North Carolinians have tended to favor legislative over executive power, statewide consistency over local sovereignty, and fiscal solvency over grandiose plans.
Opinion
What does freedom mean to you?
To be free is not necessarily to be happy. It certainly doesn’t make one free of social attachments, or capable of obtaining any particular goal.
News
Reformation’s political impact felt 500 years later
RALEIGH — Five hundred years after German monk Martin Luther launched what became the Protestant Reformation, his actions still exert a profound effect on the world. That effect includes a major impact on modern-day American political debates. Michael Gillespie, professor of political science and philosophy at Duke University, explained that impact in an Oct. 30...
Opinion
Carolina traditions still have value
North Carolinians have developed governmental institutions that favor legislative over executive power, statewide consistency over local sovereignty, and fiscal solvency over grandiose plans.
Opinion
How North Carolina Came To Be Shaped Like It Is Today
A concern about concentrated power helped shape the state's geography.
Opinion
How North Carolina Came To Be Shaped Like It Is Today
When did North Carolina become known as North Carolina and acquire its modern shape? We must go back to Jan. 24, 1712, when Edward Hyde became the first governor of what became known as North Carolina, or more specifically, he was the first official governor under the Lords Proprietors. Carolina was then divided into two...
Opinion
Regionalism Potent N.C. Influence Since 1700s
In the colonial era, regional differences about governance at times were resolved violently.
Opinion
Regionalism Has Been a Potent Influence in N.C. Since 1700s
Driving along Highway 64 from Murphy to Manteo, you can experience the state’s geographical diversity and in so doing hear distinctive, regional North Carolina accents in the mountains, the Piedmont, and eastern North Carolina. Along the way you also can eat barbecue that in one region is taken from the shoulder and another from the...
