Dakota Beacon

Are the days of a strong work ethic in America gone? A recent survey reports troubling data that may suggest the virtue of hard work may be rapidly fading. In this article, Dr. James Thrasher reviews the study and argues, “The initial societal effect of a disappearing work ethic is being felt, and the long-term impact could be devastating.”

President Joe Biden stands as a legend in his own mind. The phrase “a legend in his own mind” humorously describes a person who believes they are of greater importance or notoriety than they are.

In the quiet corners of his thoughts, he strides through realms unseen. He battles shadows and phantom foes. Even if the world forgets him, he will be a hero in his own dreams. So, was in the 1962 episode of CornPop. Biden challenged a tough guy named CornPop, leader of a Delaware gang called “the Romans.” As Biden tells it, CornPop backed down.

 I was born and raised in small town America.  I should say, I was raised in a small town in North Dakota which in itself is a small city with a 450-mile main street. As a youngster you could say I was introduced to “life on the farm” which consisted of being tied to a stool while my mama and big sister did the morning milking, and riding the laundry basket to the cellar in anticipation of a scene from the wizard oz (I never could open my eyes during the part where the nasty old lady was riding her bike out Dorothy’s bedroom window), and starting country school at age 4.

Europe must fully support Ukraine’s struggle for national survival in the face of attack from the evil remnants of totalitarian Soviet Communism. Israel must destroy evil terrorism that threatens its survival with as little collateral damage as possible while 100% fulfilling the mission. As proven in the entrance halls of Lakewood Church, evil must be dealt with as efficiently as possible to result in optimum community cohesion. Lastly, but most importantly, each one of us can strive to treat others as we wish to be treated.

Liberty requires vigilance. Ben Franklin knew this to be true as he answered the question posed to him at the conclusion of the Second Continental Congress debates and revisions of the Constitution. Nearly 250 years later we can see what he meant when he said: “A Republic - If you can keep it.” Not every country is up to this task.

Not every person knows what it really means to live in a free society, much less what he/she should be doing to keep the miracle of America alive and well. Much has been written on the subject. And just as much has been ignored.

Dr. James Thrasher on why Ivy League alumni and donors are disgusted and demanding change. They have had enough. The good news is that there is a way forward and it’s buried in a bit of higher education history.

Black History Month merits mention. We are halfway through February and the media falderal going with Black History Month just does not seem prevalent this year.

I call upon the wisdom of my two most edifying scholars, one white and one black. These would be historian Dr. Victor Davis Hanson and economist Dr. Thomas Sowell.

Too old? That’s ageism, you bigot! Canceled you must be.

The idea of a septuagenarian SWAT team comes to mind after watching a viral video of a Chilean all-female team’s grand failure at the recent UAE SWAT Dubai Police Challenge (yes, there is such a thing).

’Twas a sight to behold.

Embarking upon an obstacle course, all but one of the women quickly got stuck dangling on a cable above a pool of water, with one immediately splashing in. It was a scene that lit up the Internet and invited mockery, such as the comedic version of the incident below, set to Benny Hill music.

When Pope Benedict XVI wanted to lead the church into the third millennium of its existence, he turned to something termed "Ressourcement," which involves a “return to the authoritative sources” of Christian faith, for the purpose of rediscovering their truth and meaning in order to meet the critical challenges of our time.

Ressourcement is about revitalization, renewal, and in the context in which I’m using it today, memory. Just like the Pope who himself was a brilliant thinker so do we need the iconic company of thinkers who have imagined the Western world we have found ourselves in.

We, who are of an age to have learned something of history in school,  will know that WWI - which changed the world forever - did not start because someone assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne.  It began because of a web of defense alliances which dragged all of Europe into an all-out war between the great powers of the continent.  We are seeing this dynamic right now, in real time.  Maybe there is time to stop before we see WWIII.  The problem is that we are governed not by those we elect but by special interests and bureaucrats - chiefly the CIA.

There was a time when we looked at our country with a sense of pride, we believed that we were the “good guys”, the ones who supplied humanitarian aid when needed, the ones who kept an army to defend our way of life, not to create an empire, as other great powers before us have done.  Somewhere along the line we lost our way.  For a long time, now, America has been run by unelected bureaucrats and government organizations which were never supposed to be a part of our national character, such as the CIA, created following WWII.  (How many wars have we won since 1947?)  As a result we are now becoming regarded by the world as an overbearing bully and even, now, a terrorist nation.  It is a dilemma because most Americans don’t want to be this or to be seen as this.

The only sure-fire way to know if a man and woman are sufficiently compatible is cohabitation first to test the relationship and then marriage, right? A new study says: wrong. In this article, Dr. Jospeh J. Horton examines the growing number of cohabitations and how data indicates this trend leads to instability.

It is that time of year again and Valentine’s Day fast approaches! What is a lover to do when ingenuity strives to meet expectations?

Whether the man pursues the woman, or the woman leads the man unwittingly down the primrose path, eventually people face a choice. Either they muster all the creativity possible, or they walk the same old path trodden last year and the year before. The challenge: Valentine’s Day must draw out creativity beyond even that of birthdays and anniversaries.

On the material side, thoughts immediately turn to gifts, notions, and trinkets. Presents should demonstrate your knowledge of the recipient’s personality. Valentine gifts also prove whether the giver noted the hints, clues, and words provided over time.

Is it a game of 4-D chess . . . or just game over?

A synopsis of the Epoch Times Series by Rob Natelson co-written with legal scholar Andrew T. Hyman By Lynn Bergman

This weekend, the National Football League will hold the season championship game—the Super Bowl—in Las Vegas. Part of the allure of the game will be the commercials. A 30-second commercial will cost nearly $7 million. After a tumultuous 2023, one brand, Bud Light, is hoping a 60-second ad will bring back customers. In this article, Dr. Rich Kocur details the situation and what may happen if the commercial doesn’t land with the audience.

The next time you hear a journalist embracing ongoing efforts to destroy the Catholic Church from within through the incessant advertising of its internal shortcomings (we all sin, Protestants perhaps even more so), or hear those same journalists use the expression “Christian Nationalists” applied to Evangelical Christians… remember that your faith (or lack of faith) is next on the Marxist Attack List. If the term “Christian” describes most of our country, Marxists will paint us all with the same brush, whether we are also “Nationalists,” those that love our country and what it stands for, to include both the “Establishment” and “Free Exercise” clauses of our Constitution.

At times like these, we could coin the phrase written by Charles Dickens in the beginning of his novel, "A Tale of Two Cities," “It was the best of times and the worst of times.” It all depends on your perspective.

The lens through which an individual looks at life quickly affects one’s perception of what is happening in the world around him. For example: You may see the recent announcements about candidates announcing intentions to “throw their hat in the ring” for governor of North Dakota as a precursor to chaos or a chance for North Dakotans to have a real choice this election cycle.

One of the establishment narratives is that the state GOP is out of control and being run by a bunch right wing nuts. I happen to disagree.

“This long-time supporter of environmentalism has completely abandoned its modern instantiation,” writes Dr. Luke Conway in this article. Conway argues that the green movement has rapidly changed—and not for the good of the Earth. He gives five reasons why he has removed his support.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts confronted hosts at the WEF challenging claims that the WEF protects democracy and called the so-called elites “part of the problem.” “It’s laughable that you or anyone else would describe Davos as protecting democracy,” Roberts told the panel moderator. “You’re part of the problem.” He said that the next conservative American administration will “be governed by one principle, and that is destroying the grasp that political elites and unelected technocrats have over the average person.”

The next weeks will be interesting.

At the close of FY 2023, only the Marine Corps -- the smallest Defense Department service except for the Space Force -- met both active-duty and reserve recruiting goals. The Army, the largest of the services, performed the worst falling short by 15,319 (24%) of its active-duty goal even after lowering its target by 9,000. Just 9% of Americans aged 16-21 expressed a willingness to consider a military career down from the pre-pandemic norm of 13%.

However, finding enough young people qualified to serve will be a moot point if they are not willing to serve in the first place. But this reveals only half of the problem. The other half constitutes retaining good people on active duty and stopping the hemorrhaging.

(Bismarck, ND) – In its continued commitment to bring new, exciting programming to viewers, BEK TV is thrilled to announce the upcoming premiere of "Open Range," a compelling weekday program hosted by North Dakota native Gary Emineth. “Open Range” will focus on a wide variety of issues affecting North Dakotans.  Viewers can watch the premiere episode on Monday, January 22, 2024, at 9pm CT, live over-the-air on the BEK TV channel, online BEK News or on the BEK TV+ streaming app.

This week the months of speculation on the famous Iowa Caucus were settled and Trump won with results as follows:  Trump - 51%, DeSantis - 21.2%, Haley - 19.1%, Ramaswamy - 9.7(+/-)%.  In most analyses Trump did as expected while DeSantis over-performed and Haley under-performed.  Ramaswamy seriously lost.  Now it’s time to sit back and figure out what it all means at this point.

A book review by Lynn Bergman

Honorable Treason – The Declaration of Independence and the Men Who Signed It

I stumbled into this book by David Freeman Hawke in a thrift store and had no idea as to the wealth of information it contained. It came out in 1976, the year of our country’s bi-centennial.

What has so often struck me, and irked me, about the embrace of “diversity” dogma is how profoundly unintellectual it is. A wiseguy might say it’s really a simple IQ test, though a wise guy understands it’s a soul and sagacity test. To wit:

To the extent that a person accepts as imperative diversity, DEI, CRT, wokeness in general — or whatever the latest shiny anti-Truth thing is — he is a vacuous know-nothing, not just unqualified, but dangerously ignorant.

When playing with words, the rich English language lends itself to great versatility. Appropriate use of the language can be fun and rewarding ranging all the way to the serious – and ridiculous. Its flexibility inevitably enhances its value.

Take acronyms for example. “Acronym” defined: A word formed from the initial letter or letters of each successive part or major parts of a compound term. (See https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acronym). The word “acronym” typically applies when the resulting entity can be read as a word.

For decades, the federal administrative and regulatory sector has grown substantially. Has it overstepped its bounds in the fishing industry? In this article, Constitutional scholar Dr. John Sparks discusses a case that will appear before the Supreme Court this week: Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. Sparks looks at a 1984 case that has given years of bad precedence and argues, “This case and others being heard this term have to do with what is often referred to as the growth of the administrative or regulatory sector. Chevron has been a large part of the reason for that growth. After Chevron, reliance of the courts upon this doctrine of judicial deference naturally has encouraged greater regulatory boldness.”

There are a lot of agendas being served in the national and state Republican party. As you listen/read the news, social media, blogs, and radio, it is difficult to know what to think. It can be difficult to filter through the noise and bias to know what is true.

One of the establishment narratives is that the state GOP is out of control and being run by a bunch right wing nuts . I happen to disagree. I believe the party is under solid leadership. They know what they believe and actually invite serious debate, and they support the platform and ideals of the party.

I must admit my generation (including me) has not done an adequate job of translating the foundational message of freedom to our children. In fact, we have contributed to attitudes of complacency, indifference and put them in danger of “falling for the narrative.”

Recently, former South Carolina governor and presidential candidate Nikki Haley was criticized for her answer to a question about the Civil War. President Joe Biden even joined in on the criticism. In this article, historian and author Dr. Gary Scott Smith argues the answer is not simply one word. He writes, “The causes of the war, however, are much more complex than Biden and many other of Haley’s critics maintain. Historians have long argued that political, psychological, economic, social, political, moral, and religious factors all contributed to the outbreak of war.”

Is there American blood on the hands of Speaker Mike Johnson?  We could say so.  I would say so.