Democracy | The Ben Franklin Follies

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SOPA & PIPA Blackout

January 18, 2012

I oppose the proposed SOPA & PIPA legislation currently under consideration in the U.S. Congress. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Samuel Adams and many others would also oppose this legislation. It’s the antithesis of everything our Constitution and Bill of Rights represents and protects. Resources You’ll find excellent infographics and links to ways to […]

A Piece of the Berlin Wall in Georgia

October 23, 2011

The Berlin Wall today is the symbol of the physical, cultural and social separation of the “East” and “West” during the Cold War era. From August 13, 1961 until 1989, the Berlin Wall was also the physical barricade between East and West Germany. This week’s Sunday Sign describes this small section of the Berlin Wall […]

Political Compromise: The Original, Orginalist Thinking

July 19, 2011

In 1788, we had politicians who saw the need to compromise for the future of the Republic. Today we have politicians who pledge allegiance to Grover Norquist.

Elizabeth Edwards (1949-2010)

December 7, 2010

I’m saddened by the news of the passing of Elizabeth Edwards. Can’t say it better or differently than I wrote here: From my Facebook post yesterday, Dec. 6, when I first learned of Elizabeth Edwards’ poor prognosis: Elizabeth Edwards is a woman of strength, class and grace and I hope, when faced with life’s challenges, […]

Celebrate the power of an idea made manifest

July 4, 2010

“… We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the […]

Ignite Birmingham 1: Connecting-the-dots

June 12, 2010

I am honored to have had the opportunity to participate in the inaugural Ignite Birmingham event held Thursday, April 29, 2010. As I listened to the other talks throughout the evening I began to realize that most of them featured themes or ideas that were compatible with points I planned to touch on in my […]

The importance of quality journalism

April 20, 2010

The following (shown as a quotation) is the full text of a lengthy comment I submitted to the blog, Occam’s Razr in response to Ike’s post about whether Birmingham is ready for an online newspaper. As [John] Archibald points out, a properly-functioning democracy depends on voters who are informed about issues (and, I would add, […]