The Speaker of the House of Representatives performs a variety of duties.  Democrat Nancy Pelosi—our current Speaker and the first woman, Californian, and Italian American to hold the position—serves in three main roles: representing her district, leading both her party and the House as a whole, and ensuring respectful behavior on the House floor. As [...]

The Union and the Confederacy, as combatants in the Civil War, were each represented by a national flag. The Union flag—not to be mistaken for Britain’s Union Jack—featured thirteen alternating red and white stripes and a white star for each state in the Union on a field of blue.  The Union Flag of 1859 sported [...]

Refreshingly, no.  The President and First Lady appear to be working hard to insure that Malia (11) and Sasha (8) get all the grand experiences and none of the media fall-out that seem to be a part of the lives of First Children. Anyone making this argument is likely motivated by their relative youth.  Not [...]

Never mind what “works” or what “doesn’t” when it comes to sexual education.  Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.  What else do we expect our schools to teach our children? How to read?  Of course, if they can’t read a STOP sign or a warning label, they might endanger themselves.  How to do basic math?  [...]

If you find the entire realm of political discourse exhausting at best, you’re not alone.  We, as human beings, aren’t built to function in a constant state of mental and emotional extremes, and as a result our brains redirect or shut down when they’ve had enough of something. This can make keeping up with politics [...]

Watching coverage of the protesters who brought assault weapons to Health Care rallies, I found myself imagining how I might explain the choice to a child. “Why do those people have those big guns?” “Because it’s their right to have them.” “Are they mad because someone told them they couldn’t have them?” “No, they’re protesting [...]

Health Care debates have become a stage for the sob story.  People from all walks of life are coming forward to share their suffering.  It might take a while for each person to hear the case that cuts straight to their heart, but there’s no end to the variety.  It might seem full-proof, after all, [...]