There are few things I despise more than corrupt politicians who intentionally screw over their constituents for their own personal power or profit. One of those things is predatory lenders, like those drive through payday loan places. Although I am fortunate enough never to have had to go to one of those places, many Americans […]

Dictionary.com provides the following definition: my·o·pi·a (n.) Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning. Is it just me or have the American people fallen into a kind of stupor that allows them to accept the myopic worldview force fed to them on a daily basis by an incompetent and corrupt government and […]

[I must apologize again to regular readers for the length of time between new posts at Common Sense. My only excuse is that as I prepare to run a campaign for Congress, I have less time to spend on the blog. In that spirit, I offer a repost of the second essay ever to appear […]

(An apology to regular readers of Common Sense. As of late, I have become increasingly occupied with beginning a campaign. That explains the increasing length of time between posts. This post was originally published here in June 2005. But it came back to mind today after I read another similar essay, and it seems to […]

When I woke up this morning, my roof was still covering me from the elements of nature, my bed and blankets were still keeping me warm. I enjoyed a nice hot shower and slipped into some newly purchased apparel and went downstairs to get breakfast for my daughter and myself. After getting her safely on […]

When I turned 18 years old, I registered to vote. I indicated on my registration form that I was a Democrat. I stayed a registered democrat until 2004. That’s when I became an officially designated “non-affiliated” voter. In truth, I was just this kind of voter all along. I was raised to believe that if […]

You may have noticed a new banner on the right side for the 2005 Koufax Awards. I’d never heard of these blog awards until this year, but apparently they recognize writers and blogs for a variety of categories. It was a surprise to me that I was nominated in the ‘Best Series’ category, for my […]

At one of my favorite websites, Bring It On, I have recently been privileged to have heard the thoughts and experiences of some wonderful women on the topic of abortion. Pia, Miz Bohemia, and Shayna have all written brilliant and touching essays on the subject. I thank them for their candor and bravery in sharing […]

Free speech…it is one of the hallmarks of the American way of life. The ability to freely express oneself without fear of government reprisal is so fundamental that it is enshrined in the first amendment to our national Constitution. Yet despite this protection, there have always been restrictions on how free our speech really is, […]

Some readers may remember this essay from it’s original posting on February 17, 2005. I apologize for the repeat, but this topic is one that doesn’t seem to go away and needs to be addressed with some regularity. The plight of homosexuals in this and other countries is one of the last great battles for […]