How Not to Win a Debate (Part I of II)
February 29, 2008
On February 26th I had the pleasure of watching the final debate between Democratic presidential candidates Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton with two good friends. We planned the gathering weeks in advance, cleared our schedules, and touched base with each other early in the day (by email, text messaging, and phone calls) to confirm our plans. Read more
Separation of Church and State
February 28, 2008
As I’ve mentioned before, mixing religion and politics is not a good idea. Some things are better kept apart, like hunting and drinking. Mix the two and you’re asking for trouble. Thankfully, the U.S. has a built-in separation of church and state that keeps bad things from happening. Interestingly, the words “separation of church and state” do not appear anywhere in the U.S. Constitution. Read more
Hallelujah! The Dominican Republic gets its very own Metro
February 24, 2008
Hallelujah! The metro is here! Well, sort of. It’s not really here yet but it’s here enough for the President of the Dominican Republic to ride it this coming Wednesday, the 27th of February, which happens to be Independence Day (that would be the Dominican 4th of July for all you rednecks out there). Read more
How do Bills become Law in the United States
February 24, 2008
It’s not that John or I want to pick on poor George, it’s just that we really get a kick out of this picture of President Bush. So, in the future, when you see this picture you know the post is going to explain something complicated and, at the very least, should provide some educational value. Read more
What Party is Randall Affiliated With?
February 22, 2008
By now, if you have read our FAQ, then you know a few more things about me and this site including: Why I am not a Republican, Why I am not a Democrat, Why I am not a Libertarian, and Why Un-enrolled Voters are so Important (this should have been your first hint).
Read more
Who was Che Guevara and Why is he Famous? (Part II of II)
February 21, 2008
In part I, I explained just how popular Ernesto “Che” Guevara is around the world and especially in Latin America. Unfortunately, most of his followers’ knowledge does not extend beyond knowing his name and recognizing his image. Let me lay out the ugly truth now. Read more
Charles Sumner and his Connection to the Dominican Republic (Part III of III)
February 21, 2008
Part I briefly explained who Charles Sumner was and what he did. Part II reviewed the argument by some of my students that he is a hero. In this post, I lay out the main arguments of the other side - those who say he is a villain. Read more
Charles Sumner and his Connection to the Dominican Republic (Part II of III)
February 20, 2008
In Part I, I explained briefly who Charles Sumner was and how his actions impacted the Dominican Republic (that’s him in the picture getting caned in congress). Basically, he kept the island out of the U.S. and, depending on your perspective, either did Dominicans a great favor or a great disservice. My high school political science club students debated this point. These were the major arguments presented by each side and a quick word about each. Read more
Who is Che Guevara and Why is he Famous?
February 20, 2008
Pictures of a flag bearing the image of Che Guevara were recently taken in a Texas office of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Needless to say it caused a stir. Few images evoke such a wide range of emotions as Che’s; this post explains why. Read more
Charles Sumner and his Connection to the Dominican Republic
February 19, 2008
Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, is filled with streets named after famous political leaders from around the world. Latin American patrons Juan Pablo Duarte, Simon Bolivar, and Rómulo Betancourt share intersections with streets named after Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi and Massachusetts’ own John F. Kennedy. But there is another Massachusetts politician with a street named after him whose personal actions shaped the destiny of the Dominican Republic more than any other American. His name was Charles Sumner and he kept President Ulysses S. Grant from annexing the island. Read more
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