by Conner Drigotas The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has a storied history of standing up for fundamental rights enshrined in the United States Constitution. In some cases, that has meant taking principled stands, despite negative popular opinion of their case or client. Times have changed, however, and the ACLU has shifted their priorities. In…
Thomas Catenacci Virginia Military Institute began tearing down a statue of Confederate Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson Monday morning after school leadership approved the removal in October. Virginia Military Institute’s (VMI) Board of Visitors unanimously approved Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson statue’s removal in October after the school was accused of systemic racism and of fostering a hostile environment…
Last week, I presented a list of what I consider to be America’s worst presidents. It pleased virtually no one. Not to be outdone, this week I will outrage you by flipping the switch and looking at America’s least offensive presidents. Notice I didn’t say “best”; they all kind of suck in their own ways….
The second battle of Atlanta is on January 5, 2021. Atlanta and its suburbs comprise almost two-thirds of the population of Georgia. The battle is over two Senate seats. The winner of these seats will determine which political party controls the Senate and the policy of the nation for years to come. Currently, the Senate…
Robert Speel, Penn State As states continue to count their ballots in the 2020 election, it seems possible that Democrats and Republicans will end up in court over whether President Trump will win a second term in the White House. President Trump has said he’s going to contest the election results – going so far…
“The main colors of Missouri are: Green for the grass and the trees Blue for the sky and the lakes Brown for the bricks, the dirt, the mud, the rivers—and the bullshit.” -me, November 18, 2003 Missouri has always had an identity crisis. We don’t know if we’re Southern or Midwestern. Missouri had a star…
Better Dead Than Red is a line I’ve found myself using on a number of occasions. Perhaps to be edgy, but also perhaps because I believe it. Absolutely, I would fight a war against an American version of The Great Leap Forward. That may be an extreme case, but don’t slippery slopes tend to slide…
Union dead at Gettysburg, July 1863. National Archives, Timothy H. O’Sullivan photographer Gary W. Gallagher, University of Virginia It has become common to say that the United States in 2020 is more divided politically and culturally than at any other point in our national past. As a historian who has written and taught about the…
Warning: This article does contain some spoilers There may be few things in the world as libertarian as a strong, independent, pistol-packing black woman, but that is exactly what you will see in “Harriet,” the new biographical film about abolitionist Harriet Tubman. As usual, I was very skeptical about Hollywood’s ability to tell a historical…
By Stephen Weese Last year marked a pivotal moment in U.S. political history—the confirmation hearings in the Senate for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. There were many takeaways from this event, yet there was one that may have escaped the notice of most: dozens of Senators were clearly lying. This might strike you as obvious,…