Nicholas Comes to America, the Story of Santa Claus (Short Story) - 12/8/2016 6:12:38 AM
I think this book is very important this time of year because so many young children get caught up in the tradition the way they see it around them and have no knowledge of why there is a Santa Claus. Every child should know that the legend of Santa Claus started with St. Nicholas. And they should also know that many countries around the world have different Christmas traditions, many of them from winter celebrations that were not Christian but adapted as part of this time of feasting and goodwill following the onset of winter.
Ron
Civics Education: A Responsibility of Citizenship (Article) - 2/21/2015 8:47:50 AM
That's a wonderful idea, but difficult in education's multiple directions and limited time with students to cover all the exploding knowledge and diverse viewpoints.
I can answer that first question easily and recently took an exam online and, partly because I guessed well, got all 21 questions right… Way above college professors, although I used to be one and taught a course called Public Policy and Private Enterprise where we discussed issues all the time without rancor or disruption.
Based on the last election (actually many elections) most of the American electorate pays little attention to politics in their daily struggle and, while they may discuss issues, simply don't vote. Many think that elections are rigged and their vote doesn't count anyway. Once in a while, like in 2008, people get energized and vote, but then they easily fall back into apathy about the whole thing and let the government run everything without them.
The problem is representative democracy. It's very easy for us to let our "representatives" and elected officials do everything for us. We need to do away with representatives who are now so dependent upon election financing and other money that they are ineffective in solving the people's problems. With the Internet, we can easily move to a full democracy where everyone is represented equally. It will take the courage of our founding fathers facing the wrath and power of the King of England, to "alter and abolish" our current government (probably through Constitutional amendments) so that everyone will have a say in policy and government programs.
Internet petitions are a good start.
Ron
The Spirit of St. Nicholas-- Week 3 (Article) - 12/4/2014 11:49:00 AM
Thank you for the interesting information on the founding of New York City and the tradition of St. Nicholas.
I think I saw him once on 54th Street. ;-)
Ron
Hello Girls! (Article) - 11/9/2014 8:41:33 AM
Thanks for this interesting bit of history. It's taken a very long time for the ability of women to be recognized by a male-dominated society.
Ron
Silent Heroes (Article) - 11/5/2014 7:18:39 AM
Thank you for revealing Mary Katherine Goddard to us. Yes, there are many unsung, often behind the scenes, heroic women in history whose stories have yet to be told. If you have more please post them for us.
Ron
Happy Halloween to You! (Article) - 10/24/2014 6:39:18 AM
Like so many holidays, Halloween stems from superstitions that go way back before recorded history. We think of the scarecrow as rather benign, but think of sacrificing a human and placing the body in a field is more macabre than any of the latest horror flicks.
Too bad these customs have become so commercialized. It would be nice if the candy was homemade, the costumes were homemade (some still are), and the decorations. Some companies would go out of business, but I think everyone would be happier and healthier as a result.
Ron
