by Dan Eichenberger, M.D. With Father’s Day approaching, the cultural conversation about men, fathers, and masculinity deserves more care than slogans usually allow. This is a season when many families pause to honor fathers, grandfathers, mentors and father figures whose steady presence has shaped lives in quiet but lasting ways. For that reason, the way society speaks about masculinity matters. The term “toxic masculinity” was never intended as a broad indictment of men. It was coined…

Alternative Families by the Numbers THE GOVERNOR is getting grief over declaring June “Nuclear Family Month.” Does he think there’s something wrong with non-nuclear families? Well, there’s a two-part answer to that, and some aren’t going to like the second part. First, let’s acknowledging that raising a family, any family, is a heroic endeavor. Raising a family as a single parent is especially so when it comes with the emotional throes of a divorce. One kind of family does not diminish another.…

by Richard McGowan, Ph.D., and Gary McGowan, Ph.D. In 1996, we presented a paper at a conference arguing that “science textbooks do not present an accurate account of how scientific inquiry was conducted and is conducted now.”  Subsequently, our paper, “Attribution, Cooperation, Science, and Girls,” was published. We focused on textbooks for chemistry, G. McGowan’s disciplinary area. Often, chemistry textbooks attributed discoveries to a single person though discovery is the result of people collaborating and…

by Maryann O. Keating, Ph.D. Democrats and Republicans tend not to discuss politics at social events. Recently, however, conversation at a local restaurant converged into two shared concerns: growing income inequality and oligarchy, the excessive influence of the wealthy.   Oligarchies concentrate power in the hands of elites who direct government policy for their own benefit, with ordinary citizens having little say. Oligarchy takes many forms: rule by royalty, religious leaders, military officers, business leaders or…

by Mark Franke I saw a recent news report of a school classroom in Tennessee that got a very practical lesson in why America has an official Pledge of Allegiance.  A substitute teacher was surprised that most students remained seated during the school’s recitation of the Pledge. Confused, he asked them why. Most couldn’t provide an answer other than some said they didn’t agree with several of the nation’s current policies. It became, as professional…

A BSU Prof’s Defense of Islam CERTAIN PUBLIC POSITIONS are so poorly reasoned that it is best to let them just sit — let them sit moldering as events unfold. Such is the widely published defense of Islam by Dr. Michael Hicks, the George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Economics at Ball State University and director of its Center for Business and Economic Research. Hicks’s view is noteworthy in that his proclamation for Islam — he relates Muslims to the Amish and thinks Thomas Jefferson would…

by Mark Franke Why has rage become the dominant form of political expression? Why has violence against persons and property become acceptable to a growing percentage of our young people? And how are these excesses against law and justice claimed to be done in the name of democracy, and with a straight face? More importantly, is democracy nothing more than the exercise of the will of the current electoral majority? Jonathan Turley’s “Rage and the…

A Teenage Work Ethic Yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yipSha-na na-na, sha-na na-na na (Ba doo)Sha-na na-na, sha-na na-na na (Ba doo)Sha-na na-na, sha-na na-na na (Ba doo)Sha-na na-na, sha-na na-na na, baYip yip yip yip yip yip yip yipMum mum mum mum mum mum, get a job. — “Get a Job,” the 1958 Doo-Wop classicby The Silhouettes  I WILL TRY to avoid one of those “good old days” screeds. It is important, though, to…

by Dan Eichenberger MD, MBA In every era, people face hardship. What changes is how societies respond. Ancient cultures — especially Greece, Rome and early Christianity — emphasized agency, resilience and personal responsibility. Today, many of our institutions promote the opposite: a victim mentality that externalizes blame, demands validation  and weakens character. History suggests that tough love — accountability, endurance and honest feedback — builds stronger individuals and societies than coddling ever could. Ancient Greece and Rome were…

by Mark Franke To listen to typical conversations these days, one can easily get the impression that most issues have simple answers. It seems that no matter the question at hand, the responses are quick in coming and declarative to the extreme. One friend of mine ends his strongly opinionated statements with “Period!”. That is what I like about my monthly Socratic discussion group. While we don’t check our personal opinions at the door, we…