Dakota Beacon

To their credit, the longer people live the more experiences they accrue. Once upon a time older folks were considered wise by virtue of their accumulated experiences -- assuming they learned from their situations.

Conventional wisdom might depict the elderly at one extreme or another. Either they are incapacitated with senility or they are mild mannered grandmothers or grandfathers serving up tidbits of profound knowledge.

There is a third option, however. A fair number of these people are more apt to exhibit irascibility spawned by the foolishness incessantly displayed in today’s pop-culture. The applicable term for these folks is “curmudgeon.”

Many of Donald Trump’s supporters have compared him to President Ronald Reagan. But many longtime Reagan conservatives beg to differ. Is Donald Trump a conservative? Moreover, is Donald Trump a Reagan conservative? In this interesting article that first appeared at ConservativeReview.com, Ronald Reagan biographer and scholar Dr. Paul Kengor looks at the definition of conservatism—as given by Trump and Reagan—and compares the two. 

LOOKS LIKE A WINNER!; YOU CHOOSE; NO HELP FROM MPLS; MIND OF HIS OWN; PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK; TOUGH TIMES ON FARMS; THE “HOMELESS JESUS” STATUE; DRUGS IN INDIAN COUNTRY; MARK FOX; THE MUSIC STAR PRINCE; A MINNEAPOLIS JURY; IT’S NOT OVER; THE SOMALI COMMUNIT; DAKTOIDS

In 1945, within four months of taking office, President Harry S. Truman was faced with an incredibly tough decision: to use—or not to use—the atomic bomb against Japan. Recently, President Obama became the first sitting American president to visit the site of the atomic bomb attack in Hiroshima. In this interesting article, Dr. L. John Van Til examines the attitudes of Obama and Truman on matters of foreign policy, specifically on the use of the atomic bomb.  

We have a lot at stake in our energy industries.  We must have accountability in our oil industry.  There is evidence of widespread abuse of our laws in North Dakota.  This is a very serious concern for all North Dakotans because if we demonstrate that we are not capable of monitoring and managing or own environment and obeying our own laws, we will be inviting the EPA to do it for us.

There is definitely the potential for a conflict of interest here.

Why North Dakota should  nominate and elect Paul Sorum.

Do good fences make good neighbors? Recently this phrase has been taken to extremes by many people including Donald Trump, John Kerry, and President Barack Obama. Trump’s fence has become a large wall while Kerry and Obama discuss a future “borderless world.” In this interesting article, Dr. Andrew Mitchell examines the debate and points out that missing in the debate is the fact that sensible fences and walls all have gates. Mitchell argues, “Humanity needs walls with gates beginning with the family and the home.” 

LAGGING THE NATION; SELF-DECEPTION ENDING; OPPOSITES; WATCH OUT; MICROAGGRESSIONS; ESPN COMMENTATOR LOU HOLTZ; COLUMNIST ROB PORT; LUCKY; 
WHAT WOULD TEDDY THINK?; PROPERTY HIT AND RUN; DOWN FOR THE COUNT; SIMILAR AND UNIQUE; DAKTOIDS

A father exhorts his son, “Hush! Just listen!” A wise man, this father. He coaxed his son to listen to the conversation around them in a restaurant.

This is a firm admonition, true enough. The father encouraged his son to listen to others that he might learn something about himself. Because we are alike in so many ways the father was trying to teach his son to see himself in others. Like the exhortation “Stop - Look - Listen” it is surprising how life’s early lessons stick with us.

Father knows best, so the saying goes. In the years following the tutorial the son indeed began to see himself portrayed in others. It is curious how people are so much alike. If we would learn something about ourselves, take time to listen to others. Stop talking. Start listening. Shift the focus off ourselves.

Wednesday, June 1, Capital Electric Co-op held its annual meeting at the Ramkota Inn in Bismarck. They hosted a number of this year’s candidates for state and national office. Congressional candidate Chase Iron Eyes, incumbent Congressman Kevin Cramer, Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak, as well as Lt. Governor candidates Brent Sanford (running with Doug Burgum) and Nicole Poolman (Wayne Stenehjem) were guest speakers, as was Conservative Republican candidate for Governor, Paul Sorum. 

A few weeks ago, President Obama ended Washington’s half-century old arms embargo against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. In this interesting article, Dr. Earl Tilford suggests that one of the geo-strategic reasons more than 58,000 Americans died in the Vietnam War was to stop a perceived Chinese expansion southward. Today, however, China is expanding its influence to the south as it reaches for regional hegemony with future global geo-political aspirations. Tilford argues, “That’s why the time has come to put Vietnam in our rear view mirror.” 

A classic work this column from 2003, Educating for Damnation, Joe Sobran looks at the state religion, secular humanism, and the real purpose of schooling: that the child should learn that man is created in God's image, with an immortal soul. 

Now that Donald Trump has secured the Republican nomination it is time to begin looking at his policy proposals. In this interesting article, economist Dr. Tracy Miller examines Trump’s tax plan and argues if he demonstrates a commitment to fiscal responsibility he may “be able to earn the support of many [conservatives] if he clearly articulates economic policy proposals that distinguish him from his Democratic opponent.” 

Forty-two years ago Charles Fair (1917-2014), at that time a resident scientist with MIT’s Neuroscience Research Program, published a book titled “The New Nonsense: The End of Rational Consensus.” in his premise, Fair maintained that over the past 200 years America had digressed from an age of reason to an age of sensation. He further contended that our founders embraced reason as a fundamental element of civilized society.

When he wrote “The New Nonsense” in 1974 Fair asserted that the element of reason as a cultural prerequisite was viewed at that time with suspicion and even contempt. The high standard of reason had already given way to the intuitive, the emotional, and the gut feeling. He maintained that reason had atrophied and continues to do so.

The premise that man can change the worldwide climate for the worse is a significant departure from rationality. Belief that manmade climate change is caused by man is more a statement of faith than scientific fact. Climate change deniers are correct when they challenge President Obama’s climate change assertions as just plain false. Besides, the first and only theory derived from any recent observation seldom survives the scientific process. This is particularly true of the uncertainty of climate change theory.

Trump's friends are already suspending the First Amendment.

“You can’t legislate morality!” is a common battle cry today. It’s thought to be a quintessentially American idea, even though the Founding Fathers never expressed such a sentiment. Nor did the early Americans who would unabashedly enforce a biblically based code of morality in their localities, both via social pressure and governmental laws, with transgressors sometimes spending time in stocks — or worse. No, our common battle cry is a modern idea, and one of modernism. It also betrays a fundamental, and dangerous, misunderstanding of law’s nature.

In reality, the only thing we should legislate is morality. The only other option is legislating whims or immorality.

PESSIMISTIC; OPTIMISTIC; BOOM BROUGHT MORE THAN OIL; NO WINNERS; DOUG BURGUM’S KILBORNE GROUP; YES, IT'S A BOOGEYMAN; "UNFORTUNATELY, THESE THINGS HAPPEN"; FORMER UND PRESIDENT ROBERT KELLEY; ANOTHER DEMERIT; HAPPY HARRY’S BOTTLE SHOPS; MICROBURST THRILL; WHITE CLOUD IS LEAVING TOWN; COUNTING MINNESOTANS; THE MAYOR OF MINNEAPOLIS; DAKTOIDS

Historically, except in societies distinguished by personal liberty, gays have been discriminated against and their existence even threatened. Their best climate is one of freedom. Should they work to enhance the power of the state? Not if they are wise.

In the wake of reports that Facebook censors conservative voices, media figure Glenn Beck met with company chairman Mark Zuckerberg and emerged from the meeting, as he put it, “convinced that Facebook is behaving appropriately and trying to do the right thing.” Nothing to see here, move along. Unfortunately, this is nonsense. 

There are many “What If” experiences in American history involving the battles, agonies, and wartime hardships that American soldiers have endured on behalf of their country. To help commemorate Memorial Day, Dr. Marvin Folkertsma offers insight into a few of these scenarios and writes, “I, for one, love the America that has survived all those horrible “What Ifs” of our history. I love the America where our fallen heroes are revered and our serving men and women are held in the highest esteem.”

In our democracy the citizen has the freedom to speak with ballots even if the intellectual understanding behind the vote is vacuous. Two quotes summarize alternative views and these views are not contradictory. H. L. Mencken once quipped, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” Alternatively, Winston Churchill famously said, “Democracy is the worst form of government, except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

Caplan concludes with his own observation. “In democracies the main alternative to majority rule is not dictatorship, but markets.” If Caplan is right that the rational voter is a myth, then he admits that a great deal of published research based on a rational voter is wrong. In any case, it is the wiser choice that the ignorant refrain from voting than that they vote and imperil the culture and the rest of us with foolish policies.

“IT’S A RECESSION”; BNSF RAILROAD; POPULATION GROWTH; THE VIEW FROM TWO STATES; AN AGRICULTURE RESEARCH PROJECT; THE UND HOCKEY TEAM; WHERE ARE THE DRUNKARDS?; “THAT WOULD BE AMAZING"; A WOODEN CAR; LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES; EDGY MINNESOTA RESIDENTS; MINNESOTA DEMOGRAPHICS; THE MINNESOTA “CHARTBOOK”; “A GREAT, WONDERFUL CITY”; DAKTOIDS

Rather than looking at problems as problems requiring solutions, liberal and conservative politicians, bureaucrats, and academics seek to impose solutions that ignore fixing anything. 

Mr. Trump does seem arrogant to these folks because he looks at problems with an eye to actually fixing them. He is confident that problems can be resolved. 

Liberal and conservative political ideologues have no motivation to fix anything. Both seek to grow their political, bureaucratic, and academic kingdoms at the expense of unaware taxpayers. To do that, they need to breed more problems so they can con the public into believing that if they are given more money, they will fix what it is they have broken. 

The charade goes on. Maybe Mr. Trump can break the downward spiral. 

On Friday, President Obama’s administration issued a directive to all public schools telling them to allow transgender students to use any bathroom the student desires. Is this a power grab by the administration? Or is it a diversionary tactic during a crucial election year? In this interesting article, Dr. Mark Hendrickson examines the issues of privacy and safety and argues, “Going to the bathroom is one of the most personal and private acts a person does; it is a situation in which individuals can feel particularly vulnerable; and now the government wants to take away that feeling of personal privacy and safety.” 

Do you like your job? Is it enjoyable or just a grind that must be done? Is there a perspective on work that can produce a rare breed of people who contribute to others and who are workplace transformers? Yes.

In this must-read article, Dr. James Thrasher discusses “calling” and how it applies to everyone. Thrasher writes on the importance of calling: “The most potent and under-utilized way to enhance productivity, engagement, performance, and even personal health is having a calling perspective of work.”

For the record, I’m a traditionalist best described as Mayberry meets the Middle Ages. I believe in a papa bear, mama bear and baby bears and no mixing of roles considered unbearable in a Norman Rockwell illustration. And drafting women wouldn’t be an issue in my world because they wouldn’t be in the military in the first place. But this isn’t my world. It’s a bizarro world where we believe in Equality™. At least, that’s our story and we’re stickin’ to it. 

Other feathered families stop by. Our old friends the common House Sparrow brings young ones around to show them what fine dining is all about. Little ones, fresh from the nest, perch on the feeder with one parent perched alongside. The youngster sits there with its mouth open, squawking and waiting for a morsel. Very patiently, Mama shells a seed and places it in the youngster's craw. A quick swallow and the little one squawks for the next bite.

When will this routine end? Weeks later, what appears to be an adolescent House Sparrow still accompanies Mama or Papa to the feeder for a meal! The parent repeats the same ritual. I can imagine Papa's bird brain is processing what he sees. "When is this kid going to leave home?"

So goes the backyard entertainment. There is never a dull moment in birdland.