Dakota Beacon

What is an “establishment of religion” according to the Constitution? In this article, Dr. John Sparks reviews the recent Supreme Court decision in American Legion v. American Humanist Association. The case, about a large World War I memorial, was mainly argued on the establishment clause. Sparks writes about the decision, “The decision protecting the maintenance of the monument is part of the court’s continuing effort to return sanity and clarity to church/state jurisprudence.”

A NATIONAL FARM CENSUS; BIG FARMS; A PLEASANT SURPRISE FOR SOME; OUR NORTHERN FRIEND; BUGUM MAKES HIS MARK; IS THE EMPIRE BUILDER NEARING AN END?; FARGO BOOM; KEEPING SCORE; PROVINCIAL?; IS IT ABOUT TIME TO DROP THE MIDGETS?; REGIONAL HEALTH POWER; "IT'S GOING TO BE DEVASTATING"; DON'T BECOME ALASKA; DAKTOIDS

If you’re looking for a movie with sound moral principles to share with your children or grandchildren this summer, Dr. Jason Edwards suggests not turning to Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame. Here, Edwards rebukes Marvel’s choice to shirk the responsibility of meaningfully addressing the important themes of self-sacrifice and long-term consequences of actions, opting instead to teach American youths to “be who you are, not who you are supposed to be.”

“What do Everett Dirksen, Otto von Bismark, H.L. Mencken, and “The Preacher” in the book of Ecclesiastes have in common?” Dr. Mark Hendrickson reveals that these four men share deep wisdom applicable to our national financial crisis. Here, Hendrickson reminds us that although particular circumstances and actors change, the essential problems of popular government remain constant.

No one should be gullible enough to fall for Democrat calls for slavery reparations.

Slavery has a long, sordid history. American Blacks are not alone in bearing the stigma of this vile practice. Caucasians have been sold as salves in greater numbers for centuries. There is nothing special, unique, or peculiar to any one ethnic group whose ancestors were slaves – or slave owners. Everyone’s ancestors, however far removed, were slaves at one time or another

Is student loan debt a disease in itself or the symptom of a much greater sickness? Dr. James Thrasher identifies that the cause of America’s debt-laden youth is a systemic rejection of calling development. Thrasher – the Director of the nationally-ranked Career Services Department of Grove City College for over 20 years – asserts that “helping students to establish a firm understanding of their calling and design with make a college education pay off and help solve the student debt issue.”

He has been threatened by the criminal element among Muslims and hounded by his own government.  There is not room here to list the transgressions against him. Throughout ten years of fearlessly speaking out he has been supported by vast numbers of working-class English, many of them Muslim, many of them Sikh.  He has never been a bigot or a racist and those who know him have said as much. 

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July 1, 2019 is Canada Day – the national holiday of Canada. Traditionally it was called Dominion Day. It is celebrated throughout Canada in a similar way to how the United States celebrates the 4th of July. All banks, government offices, and most businesses are closed. There are festivals, parades, concerts, and celebrations throughout the provinces. However, the patriotic aspects of the celebration are more muted in Canada than in the U.S. Although the national anthem is sung, the celebrations often focus on celebrating the diversity and multiculturalism of current-day Canada. Unfortunately Canada has developed far away from its origins.

In the end, we do get the government we deserve whether it be modeled after King George’s England or George Orwell’s “1984.” When we behave as if our rights and freedoms come from the government, then those rights and freedoms can just as easily be taken back by the same government. Alternatively, the concept of God-given inalienable rights might be a better way to go. As such, Independence Day takes on more meaning than just the celebration of Chinese fireworks.

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For those still feeling the Bern, I’ve some bad news: Bernie Sanders will never be president. This is first and foremost because he’ll never, ever be the Democrat nominee. The man who never really was yesterday’s candidate (except in Vermont) is nonetheless yesterday’s news.

Democrats’ governance by prejudice — they don’t like white men, the aged or Jews — and, hey, it’s Dead End at Bernie’s. Similar to the ’89 film that characterization is patterned after, some of Sanders’ underlings may know he’s dead, but they have reasons to pretend otherwise.

Of course, the old white male can still go back to Vermont and remain senator until he’s a dead white male. But if you’re still feeling the Bern, well, it’s probably something you ate.

Publisher’s Note: Philip Nicolaides, who was instrumental in the founding of the newsletter Sobran’s: The Real News of the Month, and Joe Sobran’s closest friend, died on June 25, 1994. Here is a column that Sobran wrote after his passing.

Summertime is outdoor time. Still, there is plenty of time to read. Idle conversation might lead to the rare question “So, what are you reading?” Don’t be caught short.

My recommendation may resonate with many readers. I recently read “Ship of Fools: How a Selfish Ruling Class is Bringing America to the Brink of Revolution” by Tucker Carlson, (New York: Free Press), 2018. Yes, this is the same Tucker Carlson who hosts the Tucker Carlson Tonight show on the Fox News Channel. His background includes hosting shows on CNN, MSNBC, and PBS. In 2010 he co-founded The Daily Caller, a conservative news website based in Washington, DC.

China’s human rights violations are numerous, but few are more sinister than its organ supply scheme. Dr. Jan Dudt details the horrors of China’s forced organ “donation” system in his reflection on the dangers of losing humanity in medical ethics. Dudt recognizes that “the official atheism of China is plainly inadequate to generate a repudiation of the nation’s transplant practices [but] the current condition of the cultural West bars it from any true moral high ground.”

“Equality” cries were cherished by feminists when they gave females entry into military academies, boardrooms and the ranks of police; prize-money parity in some sporting events; and access to boys’ athletics. But with these appeals now putting sexually confused men in women’s sports, well, feminists’ cries are a tad different. Equality can be a real downer when it’s principle and not ploy.

As for my position, I’ve devoted more ink to combating the made-up sexual status (MUSS, usually called “transgender”) agenda than most any other writer. In fact, almost first in the field — and almost alone there — inveighing against MUSS ideology 10 years ago, I was criticized for political incorrectness by conservatives (some of whom now sing my tune). It thus may be surprising that I today say to MUSSmen athletes everywhere:

Best of luck to you, lads — may the best man win!

Was President Donald Trump’s decision to call off airstrikes on Iran last week a wise one? With an eye to American military history, Dr. Earl H. Tilford analyzes the complicated relationship between the United States and Iran. Despite the economic sanctions yesterday, Tilford warns that, “If this situation continues, as is certainly possible, the increasingly-likely outcome will be war.”

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Like it or not, campaign season is upon us. Anyone who listens to the news is caught up in the season by default. Some folks do not like “politics” and will avoid the topic whenever possible.

Most people consider themselves conservative and consciously reject the liberal label. In the 1800s, liberalism stood for progress in all things democratic. Today, liberalism is synonymous with socialism, Marxism and Communism. No wonder liberalism has fallen into disrepute. In the end, it is not so much how one wears a label as how one acts on their beliefs.

How do YOU score?

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We need to halt the destruction of our visible past before it is all lost forever.  It is difficult to protect statues now that we are deep into a self-induced state of lawlessness where mobs are free to destroy things belonging to the public and to our history, but at least we can stop our public “servants” from planning us into dust.   

Contempt for individual liberty, claims to the contrary, has roots in today’s education system. Specifically, our colleges and universities have become breeding grounds of intolerance. Furthermore, the degradation of civility goes hand in hand with the squelching of free speech.

Since the 1960s, and the advent of the hippie free speech movement, individual liberty has gradually become the target of contempt and incivility. The hippie generation has come of age and now holds tenure in colleges and universities. Today, rudeness and vulgarity manifests itself in such inappropriate restrictions as speech codes and the disinviting of guest speakers ostensibly to guard against “hate” speech.

This is in no way accidental. This technique we’ve seen before under other totalitarians such as the Nazis and the Communists. Free speech is used to gain their objectives. Once achieved, free speech is shut down to protect the leftist gains. So it is in our colleges and universities today.

Orwellian double-speak on Capitol Hill could change the abortion debate in America. In this article, Dr. Joseph Horton argues that the Equality Act – which prevents discrimination from treatment of pregnancy, including abortions – “is a radical attack on freedom of conscience as well as life.” Horton shares several pro-life victories in recent months but stresses the importance of vigilance in dealing with strategically-named legislation, especially regarding issues of life and death. Click below for more.

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Every major river in plains states reached flood stage during May and will probably remain high for weeks. Much of the plains states’ acreage remain unplanted.

“Global warming! Climate Change!” cry the Chicken Littles on the left.

Not so fast. There are other reasonable explanations. What are the rational alternatives?

That very line was uttered, reflexively, by Fox News pundit Tucker Carlson Monday night while discussing how one percent of Guatemalans have left for our country in just the last year. It’s a qualifier reflecting that one has been put on the defensive — in a losing position.

No, this isn’t an attack on Carlson, who’s the best mainstream cable news and commentary host in the business. Rather, it’s a cautionary tale: That an intrepid culture warrior such as Carlson can be conditioned to behave defensively — when he should be unabashedly taking the offense (the best defense) — speaks volumes about the effectiveness of leftist conditioning.

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What distinguishes a job from a calling? As the academic year ends and millions of students find themselves asking the serious question of what to do with their lives, finding vocational role models is more critical than ever. In a touching depiction of John Urschel’s transformation from NFL starter to MIT student, Dr. James Thrasher shares the importance of being “willing to make a major change in your life to pursue your love.”

High school grads may have already learned not to express their opinions. Challenging the PC orthodoxy of affirmative action, racial and gender preferences, gay and lesbian studies, women’s studies, welfare reform, environmentalism or, of late, manmade climate change might stigmatize a college student leading them to be branded as a racist, sexist, homophobe, or worse. Challenging PC orthodoxy in the workplace may land a person in sensitivity training, hauled before an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission hearing, or otherwise jeopardize their advancement.

Only the courageous will resist the PC movement. To ridicule PC is still the most effective weapon. Given enough wisdom and courage, the use of ridicule, mockery, parody, satire, and farce is the best way to deal with the PC fallacies of bad logic and oxymoronic disconnects. Making PC advocates a laughing stock through a variety of mediums is a sure way to disarm these cultural despots. It is infinitely important to show that the emperor has no clothes.

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