Oliver Winchester and James Brady Might Now Be Friends

Today is the bearer of two important milestones in American firearm history. It is the birthday of Oliver Winchester, founder of the Winchester Repeating Firearms Company, as well as the 25th anniversary of the day that President Bill Clinton signed the “Brady Bill” into effect. The debate over guns and the laws that govern them […]

Make Your Social Studies Teacher Proud

As one trimester ends, and another is about to begin, I’m going over my notes for what I want to say to my high school social studies students on the first day of the new term. I realized that these goals are not unique to me, but likely shared in some fashion by nearly everyone […]

The Sadness of “The Hug Shared Round the World”

Four years ago today, this photo of a young Portland, Oregon man hugging a Portland police officer was going viral around the country. Angry protestors in Portland were enraged over the decision in Ferguson, Missouri to not indict officer Darren Wilson for his involvement in the death of Michael Brown. Similar protests were going on […]

Who is Robert Mueller?

You don’t have to look hard these days to find people disparaging Robert Mueller, the Special Prosecutor assigned to investigate Russian meddling in the Presidential election of 2016. He has been called everything from “Rogue” to “Treasonous.” Every time I hear and read this, I wonder if those people have any idea about the background […]

William Wilson: We Are All His Friend

123 years ago today, a man was born who made each of our lives better, whether or not we ever were smart enough to realize it. His name was William Wilson. You might know him better as “Bill W”, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. William Wilson was ironically born behind the bar of his Grandparent’s […]

The Butterflies: How Today Became “International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women”

Today is “International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women”, which seeks to raise awareness of the number of women around the world who have been victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other forms of violence. Worldwide, one in three women have been the victims of some form of violence. Most often […]

Todd Beamer: His Story Doesn’t End

Todd Beamer should have turned 50 today. He should have been celebrating Thanksgiving weekend today with his wife and three children. He won’t be celebrating either, as he was a leader of the first group to give their lives while defending America as part of the war on terror. Mr. Beamer was a former baseball […]

Ralph Branca: When a Second Look Reveals a Hero

If you have seen much footage of the “Greatest moments in baseball history” or anything of the sort, you have probably watched baseball’s version of “The shot heard round the world.” It was October 3, 1951, the Giants and Dodgers were playing one final game that would decide who would represent the National League in […]

The J.F.K. Assassination and Thanksgiving: A Joint Lesson

In addition to today being Thanksgiving, it is also the 55th anniversary of the murder of President John F. Kennedy. These two occasions are quite different, as one causes to rejoice with appreciation while the other causes us to mourn about all that was robbed from us. By thinking about them together, we might […]

The MGM Fire: Learning and Adjusting Rather Than Just Offering “Thoughts and Prayers”

On this day 38 years ago, Americans peered between the fingers covering their eyes with jaws dropped. An iconic hotel in the middle of their adult playground had turned into an inferno. The MGM Grand Hotel and Casino (currently Bally’s) the middle of the Las Vegas Strip was on fire. 85 people would die, and over […]