Culture

Constructing the Common Knowledge

By Justin Katz | December 26, 2006 |

Twice in the past few weeks, I’ve felt compelled to write to the Providence Journal regarding letters that appeared on its opinion page. Both letters dealt with the abstinence versus contraception education debate, and both cited specific “scientific” studies for the pro-contraception side. And in each case, my letter specifically addressed the study in question,…

Children of “Murphy Browns” Paying the Price

By Marc Comtois | December 18, 2006 |

Dan Quayle was taken to task many years ago for his “Murphy Brown” speech, in which he said: Ultimately however, marriage is a moral issue that requires cultural consensus, and the use of social sanctions. Bearing babies irresponsibly is, simply, wrong. Failing to support children one has fathered is wrong. We must be unequivocal about…

A Statehouse Christmas — or is that a Statehouse Holiday Celebration?

By Carroll Andrew Morse | December 8, 2006 |

And while we’re on the subject of Christmas-themed posts, Jim Baron of the Pawtucket Times says if you’re going to put a Christmas tree up at the statehouse, then call it a Christmas tree. I couldn’t possbily add anything to Mr. Baron’s final line…It was quite a sight watching the lighting of the official Statehouse…

RI Approves Abstinence Education

By Marc Comtois | December 4, 2006 |

Heritage of Rhode Island has overcome intitial objections put forward by the RI Dep’t of Education and has received approval to implement it’s “Right Time, Right Place” abstinence education program in RI’s schools. The key concession seems to be that the “only” of the heretofore proposed “Abstinence-only” program has been dropped. “Heritage’s ‘Right-Time, Right-Place’ curriculum…

Citizens with Full Names of a Unique Nature Unite!

By Carroll Andrew Morse | December 4, 2006 |

Somehow the fact that Illinois Senator and potential 2008 Presidential contender Barrack Obama’s middle name is “Hussein” became a minor story this weekend. (I think Maureen Dowd is to blame). In the spirit of bi-partisanship, let me state that I believe that worrying about whether someone’s middle, first, or last names fits into certain transient…

Give Locally, it’s More Effective

By Marc Comtois | December 1, 2006 |

I posted a couple weeks ago about Arthur Brooks’ findings that conservatives are more charitable than liberals. Last night, John Stossel (via Karen Woods) looked into whether or not we are “Cheap in America” and found that it was a myth. Working off of this, Woods draws a couple conclusions: Bureaucracies, government ones and even…

Brown University Let’s the Evangelicals Back In

By Marc Comtois | November 28, 2006 |

After telling the Reformed University Fellowship that they wouldn’t be allowed on campus just, well, “because,” Brown University has had a change of heart. But they still haven’t been forthcoming as to why the RUF was banned in the first place. Yesterday, Ethan Wingfield, president of the Reformed University Fellowship, said he was pleased at…

Brown University: Not a Bastion of Free Speech

By Marc Comtois | November 21, 2006 |

Yesterday, I read in the ProJo about how Brown University had rather suspiciously banned an on-campus student evangelical group. Leaders of the group say they were given different reasons for the action. At first, they were told it was because their local sponsor, Trinity Presbyterian Church, had withdrawn its support, which it hadn’t. Then they…

I Agree with Spielberg: “I’m a parent who is very concerned.”

By Marc Comtois | November 21, 2006 |

“DON”T LOOK AT THE TV!” Exclaiming that sentence–directed to my unsuspecting daughters–is a regular occurence in my household on any given Saturday or Sunday afternoon when Dad (me) is watching “the game.” Especially now that the weather is getting colder and there’s less to do outside. On the weekend, when they are taking a break…

Heather has Two Mommies…..and Two Daddies…er Donors…or One Donor and some other Guy

By Marc Comtois | November 20, 2006 |

I urge everyone to read this NY Times Magazine piece, “Gay Donor or Gay Dad?” about the complicated nature of family relationships that can develop when two same-sex partners seek a donor to assist them in starting a family. Reading the whole thing is essential because it is a complicated piece about a new, complicated…