Just Wondering's Page

There is a scene in the movie Amazing Grace in which William Wilberforce tries to put forth his bill for the abolition of the slave trade in the House of Commons (yet again) and dramatically rolls out a petition signed by English subjects - over 300,000 of them. In the heat of debate, however, Wilberforce makes the mistake of referring to "the will of the people." Post American Revolution, and during a time when just across the channel a bloody Fre… Continue

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When I got back from vacation, I saw this article about 3 students suspended for refusing to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance in their classroom. The students are 8th graders in Minnesota. This case presents us with a prime example of what "freedom" is NOT. Last week, I posted a piece about the importance of dissent and how a democracy's health… Continue

A true sign that a democracy is robust and a society is thriving is whether and to what extent dissent is fostered, welcomed and heard. Be aware, however, that I'm not talking about the kind of contrarian hogwash that passes for "dissent" or "bold positions" nowadays. Contrarianism for the sake of it has taken hold (think Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter) because there's money to be made from fueling people's hate and fear. That's nothing new. What is new, though, is the extent to which we have for… Continue

(originally posted at Vim and Vinegar) I cannot seem to shake the notion that an incompetent, ragged-around-the-edges (which is not the same as "rough around the edges," which I can handle) puppet of a man was foisted on an unsuspecting, unsuspicious, American public almost 8 years ago. I now hope (and "suspect") that many voters are at least more cautious, if not suspicious, at this po… Continue