Every ten years, state legislatures across the United States use newly released Census data to redraw the lines that separate one Congressional district from another. Sounds easy at first blush….
Non-Lethal Policing
This week’s news is rife with headlines about killings involving our state and local police. Since we’re so inured to polarization, it’s tempting to take sides. Spirited Reasoners don’t fall…
The Right to Bear Nuclear Arms
During the heat of last year’s presidential campaign, I made the mistake of engaging in a Facebook debate with a disciple of the Second Amendment. “Surely,” I posted, “you would…
America: In Search of Our Lost Mission
As a child of the 1950s and 60s, this Spirited Reasoner recalls our nation’s collective spirit of optimism. It was perhaps best expressed by President John F. Kennedy’s strategic vision(s)…
Infrastructure and Pork
I thought long and hard before finally deciding to place the word “infrastructure” in the title of this week’s blog post. There’s nothing remotely sexy about that term, the way…
Time for a New Ellis Island
Last week, Spirited Reasoners looked at the statistical reality of immigration. We observed that despite all the shrill claims that our southern border is being “overrun” by illegal immigrants, there…
The Great American Border Challenge
“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my…
The Sweet Smell of Democracy
In the weeks since President Biden’s inauguration on January 20th, our nation’s legislative branch has approved most of his cabinet appointees and passed historic COVID-19 stimulus legislation. The manufacturing and…
Spam Risk
A couple of weeks ago my iPhone 8 decided to quit. For purposes of this blog post we can ignore the fact that I had just completed the 30th monthly…
The Return of Bull Moose
Moviegoers know that most sequels tend to be long on hype and short on substance. Thus, Spirited Reasoners can expect that any attempt by Donald Trump to reprise Teddy Roosevelt’s…