Tag: Luke Kilker

Political pandering is an annoyance we have learned to live with, as nearly all who hold public office do this. After all, a politician’s only true responsibility is to win votes, and posing as a cook for the hungry, a doctor for the sick and a bed for the tired is the best way to get people on board with […]

This summer I took a cold shower, and you should do the same. As I flew over the Pacific Ocean and headed to a country I knew little about, I realized what the decisions I made had manifested. That is, discomfort in the face of the unknown. After two weeks in Central Asia, it was beginning to feel like the […]

Imagine a society that publicly demeans outcasts by broadcasting their struggles or odd fascinations, exploiting them for money. Worse, imagine a society in which millions actively support this wicked behavior. As it turns out, there is no need to imagine. In our culture, where social justice efforts are as widespread as they have ever been, reality TV shows continue to […]

The Olympics mark a time of international community and participation in friendly competition. It is an event that, in the eyes of International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, promotes worldwide solidarity.  According to the IOC website, Bach said, “Solidarity means more than just respect or non-discrimination. Solidarity means actively helping, sharing and caring for one another.” He believes the […]

A democracy rooted in freedom can only function in a virtuous society. If a nation once free becomes deeply intertwined with evil, or simply exists with a neutral behavior toward goodness, then it is destined to approach an end or a painful new beginning.  Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to […]

Jenna McKaye was in high school when she was enslaved by a fellow student. This man   subjected McKaye to prostitution, rape, beatings and online advertisements that portrayed her as a commodity. During this time, she was married to her trafficker in an unassuming community in Southern California. Who could have guessed she was a slave? Human trafficking involves the […]

Every year since 2019, Taylor Swift has released or re-released one or more studio albums, including last week’s addition, “The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology.” This 31-track album is a combination of disappointing, throw-away songwriting and messages that will outlast any mention of the singer, specifically in the track called “Peter.” Initially, I heard this song thinking that it was […]

The environmental and energy cost of electric cars is a controversial topic that is frequently debated. With such a mixed view on electric vehicles, it can be easy to not understand all the facts and go with what the mainstream media says.  Some states, such as California, have promised to require electric vehicles by 2035, which brings up the question: […]

New York City was bustling as usual on the evening of Nov. 9, 1965, until a sudden power outage caused over 30 million people to go into a panic. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, many assumed this was a Soviet attack on the U.S. power grid, with fears only calmed by reports heard from battery-powered radios. It is thought that […]

I find myself increasingly unable to identify with either of the major political parties in the U.S. When researching party alternatives, I came across the Freedom Socialist Party, a self-proclaimed “feminist, working-class organization made up of people of many races, nationalities, genders, sexual orientations and ages.” Upon further reading of their website, it became clear that one of their central […]

Sam Cooke was watching the 1963 March on Washington when a young Bob Dylan began to sing “Only a Pawn in Their Game,” a song about the assassination of civil rights activist Medgar Evers and the institutional oppression Dylan believed was responsible for weaving bigotry into the tapestry of American society. Cooke, an already successful soul musician was “inspired by […]

In an editorial for the New York Times, comedian Nimesh Patel recounted the story of his being kicked off stage at Columbia University in 2018 after telling an offensive joke. Ben Shapiro, Milo Yiannopoulos, Nicholas Dirks, Riley Gaines and Donald Trump have similar stories of either removal from a college campus or disallowance from speaking or attending many universities based […]

Recently, I was hiking in the Appalachian Mountains. As I climbed to a higher elevation, the paths became steeper, even to the point that climbing ladders was the only way I could continue upward. While restraining myself from looking down at the hundred-foot drop below me, I clung onto the ladder, praying that I wouldn’t fall, and pushed on to […]