politics

Brian Kalt, Michigan State University

Public discourse is so polarized today that Americans can't even agree on certain obvious facts for fear that they may discredit "us" or lend credibility to "them."

Intellectual honesty is indispensable to self-government.  If we are honest with ourselves, we can determine what is true or factual.  However, that discernment is complicated by agenda-driven journalism that presents facts or allegations selectively and without context.

Let's consider some obvious facts: (See documentation for these facts here.)

Ian Horwood, York St John University

Senator John Sidney McCain III, who has died of brain cancer aged 81, was in many ways in a class of his own. A storied war veteran and 36-year fixture in the US Congress, he forged a career unlike any other in recent American political history.

Jeffrey Kucik, University of Arizona

President Donald Trump justifies tariffs on imports by arguing that "unfair trade policies" have harmed American workers. This has led to a trade war in which the U.S. and China have placed tit-for-tat tariffs on each other's products.

In the debates that rage after each highly-publicized mass shooting, one side claims that more restrictive gun laws could prevent future such tragedies while the other side counters that the rights of law-abiding gun owners shouldn't be sacrificed because of the horrendous act of someone who disregarded existing laws.

As we observe the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this Fourth of July, we should consider the unique form of government for which our Founding Fathers chose to risk "their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor" against the militarily-superior British.