Free Republic

It's true that the "good old days" weren't always good, but we should also remember that our belief that we're completely superior to previous generations of Americans doesn't even remotely square with reality. It's fine to pat ourselves on the back for being wealthier, more educated and considerably less racist than we used to be, but we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that those less educated, backward people in their antiquated clothes were head and shoulders better than we are in a myriad of other ways. We should remember that the real problem isn't having a problem; it's having...

Time for Chicago's vending machines to chip up or chip out. Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Wednesday he's cracking down on the caloric content of vending machines in city buildings and plans to replace them all with healthy vending by next year. A proposed ordinance, to be introduced this week, will lay out plans for the new machines and detail guidelines on fat, sugar and calorie content starting in January 2013.

The most widely offered explanation for Mitt Romney's defeat is that the Republican Party is disproportionately composed of -- aging -- white males. That is, alas, true. But the real question is what Republicans should do with this truth. There are two responses. The nearly universal response -- meaning the response offered by the liberal media and liberal academics (and some Republicans) -- is that the Republican Party needs to rethink its positions, moving away from conservatism and toward the political center. The other response is for conservatives and the Republican Party to embark on a massive campaign to influence,...

Since 1996, I have been terribly underwhelmed with the Republican nominees for the Presidency of the United States.  I have made no bones about the fact that I haven't voted for the nominee two of the last three general elections.  I took a pass on Bush in 2000, voted for him in 2004, and took a pass on McCain in 2008.  Look at what Bush passed off in 2008.  I voted for that.  Good grief! When I make it known what my vote is going to be, I try to be reasoned about it.  I'm not here to convince...

It's come to this, you've been blessed with children. They're growing up. And now you've got a house full of kids. Feeling overwhelmed? Yes, of course. But have you ever considered applying economic principles to managing a large household? Here are some real lessons learned from two Ph.D. economists with five kids. The basic key is to reinforce simple old fashioned values with the right incentives. Rule 1: Limit Their Options We don't offer a weekly allowance. If our kids want anything beyond basics, they have to earn the money. Make sure to set firm limits on TV watching and...

Estelle Carson was selected as “Democrat of the Year” for Jefferson County, Colorado for 2012 despite being under indictment for stealing from a 71-year-old wheelchair-bound woman who is partially blind and suffers from cerebral palsy. Though Carson was under investigation at the time Chris Kennedy, chairman of the Jefferson County Democratic Party, presented her with the award, Kennedy said she didn’t think it would’ve been fair to allow that to influence her actions. “The award is in recognition of efforts on behalf of the Democratic Party,” Kennedy explained. “Ms. Carson’s theft in no way diminishes what she has done for...

America is like a train going rapidly toward a cliff. The election of 2012 may determine if we fly off the precipice, or slow down enough to get the train turned around. (snip) So then, who should we vote for this November? In regards to the upcoming presidential election, I have heard some Christians say they will not vote for Barack Obama since he clearly supports and promotes issues contrary to the Bible, like abortion and homosexual marriage. But, they say, they cannot vote for Mitt Romney because he is a Mormon, and they point out the unbiblical doctrines of...

I like to make informed decisions about candidates, but sometimes it is difficult to sift through sound bites, propaganda and media bias. What do the individual candidates really stand for, and what is their record? It is especially difficult finding any local information about judicial races. I spent long hours looking for voter’s guides, with specific information to make informed election decisions. One helpful resource is Citizens for Community Values (CCV), http://www.ccv.org/resources/election-information/ .Who is CCV? “Citizens for Community Values (CCV) exists to promote Judeo-Christian moral values, and to reduce destructive behaviors contrary to those values, through education, active community partnership,...

In one traditional form of pornography, from the Victorian “A Man With a Maid” to the more recent “Fifty Shades of Grey,” a young woman is initiated — sometimes uncomfortably — into the mysteries of adult sexuality. In the end she is, at some level at least, grateful for the new horizons that’ve opened up to her. Well, we still have that. But let’s face it — porn has gotten pretty boring. The sex lives of many average Americans today would shock Grandma. And the depiction of sex in popular media has reached the numbing-point. A 2012 issue of Cosmo...

Paul Ryan pulled no punches! When the lone heckler tried his craft--- He was shouted down "USA USA USA" and escorted out. Our next VP is a very intelligent and well-spoken young man...

...Protecting the middle class might be the theme of Obama's campaign ads, but the defining movement of this campaign came when Obama belittled the efforts of Main Street America when he stated that "you didn't build that." Those sneering words about smart, hardworking people revealed the ugly side of Obama's redistributionalist ideology. As in 2008, most of the media accept all the carefully scripted images of Obama as Gospel truth while they busy themselves trying to either hide or spin away all those extemporaneous words and deeds that display Obama's true beliefs and character as being either out of context...

MBTA Transit Police have arrested a man and two women for allegedly beating and kicking a mentally disabled man on the Downtown Crossing Station Orange Line platform early Monday, officials said Tuesday. Authorities said Carlito Rezende, of Dorchester, a 40-year-old man with schizoaffective disorder who has a restricted ability to communicate with people, injected himself into a conversation he overheard, telling a group of people not to use the word “hate.”

JANESVILLE, Wis. - "Hello Janesville, it's good to be home," said Wisconsin congressman and expected Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan. In his hometown of Janesville, Wis. Monday morning, nearly 2,000 supporters showed up to send him off to the Republican National Convention being held in Tampa, Fla. this week. Republicans have officially opened the convention in a shortened session Monday that will culminate with the nomination of Mitt Romney to be president. Tropical Storm Isaac is forcing the GOP to cram four days of speeches and videos into three. Ryan, obviously a much-needed attendee at the RNC, spoke to...

Books about the history of Harlem have long fascinated me — my favorite being "When Harlem Was in Vogue" by David Levering Lewis. However, a more recent book, titled simply "Harlem" by Jonathan Gill, presents a more comprehensive history — going all the way back to the time when the Dutch were the first settlers of New York, and named that area for the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands. Most of us today think of Harlem as a black community, but it was not that for most of its 400-year history. John James Audubon, famed for his studies of...

An 87-year-old World War II veteran was walking from a corner store in West Englewood after buying lottery tickets when he was attacked by three people who smashed his glasses, knocked out his hearing aid and broke his dentures, then went through his pockets and fled with his wallet, according to his family and police.

"Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late." -- Thomas Sowell We like to think of children as innocent little angels. Of course, that's only true in the sense that there aren't any three year olds who've stabbed their cousins to death for drug money or set up a stock swindle designed to bilk senior citizens out of their life savings. Children are not naturally good. To the contrary, they begin their lives as selfish, completely self-absorbed little savages whose entire world revolves around meeting...

Mitt Romney today announced the support of five former U.S. Ambassadors to the Holy See. The Ambassadors wrote the following letter in support of Mitt Romney: “We the undersigned former U.S. Ambassadors to the Holy See...are united in our wholehearted support for the candidacy of Mitt Romney for the Presidency of the United States because of his commitment to and support of the values that we feel are critical in a national leader...We also know that Mitt Romney is a staunch defender of the principle that every human being should be welcomed in life and protected by law from conception...

Now is the time for all good men and women to put Country above Party. For far to long the RINO Wing of the Republican Party has been in control of losing National Elections. The time has come to cast aside the hold-your-nose clothespins that the RINOs expect us to use when we vote for their tweedle-dumb or tweedle-dumber Candidates. To all Primary voters: List the top 10 demonstrated positive values for each Candidate for all offices, and vote accordingly. If there is no Candidate that meets your values for a given office, then leave that slot blank. This will...

A first time ever telephone poll of what researchers claimed was a representative sampling of Iranians living in Iran shows that the majority of Iranians are in favor of democracy. The questions in the poll were prepared by Israeli researchers, and were presented in a non-political framework, so as not to frighten off participants who fear the country's dictators and clerics. Despite holding conservative beliefs in many areas, the poll showed, a large majority of Iranians – 94% - supported free choice for individuals, while 71% advocated tolerating people of all backgrounds. The results of the poll were compared to...

Washingtion - Mitt Romney focuses on his own family - and not the volatile of gay marriage - in early excerpts of the commencement address he plans to deliver Saturday at the conservative Liberty University.