Posted by daviddavenport in Radio Commentaries.
https://omny.fm/shows/townhall-review-conservative-commentary-on-todays/davenport-the-grinch-that-ate-christmas/embed?style=cover
This is David Davenport of the Hoover Institution for Townhall.com.
It happens every year. People who do not understand the First Amendment of the Constitution launch legal attacks on Christmas.
This year’s Grinch award goes to an elementary school principal in Nebraska who banned Santas on worksheets, Christmas trees in classrooms, an elf on the shelf, making ornaments, reindeer and, yes, “red/green items” since those are Christmas colors. My favorite was her ban on candy canes because they are shaped like a J for Jesus and the red is for the blood of Christ and the white for the resurrection. Who knew?
Following expressions of outrage from parents and teachers, the school district reversed the anti-Christmas policy. Strike another blow for Christmas and the First Amendment.
Yes, the First Amendment says government may not respect the establishment of religion, but that still leaves plenty of room for you—and your children—to enjoy a Merry Christmas, even at school.
I’m David Davenport.
http://www.townhallreview.com
Posted by daviddavenport in Radio Commentaries.
October 1, 2018 82 Views
National security advisor John Bolton caused a stir by announcing that the U.S. would actively oppose an investigation by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court into criminal acts by Americans in Afghanistan. Bolton said sanctions against members of the Court might be applied.
The fact is that, though the ICC was formed as a court, it is primarily a political body. Its independent prosecutor—a kind of Ken Starr or Robert Mueller with international reach—regularly makes political decisions about prosecuting war crimes and crimes against humanity. The court makes an extraordinary claim of jurisdiction over citizens of nations such as the U.S. that do not join the court.
American service members are asked to keep the peace around the world and, besides risking harm and death, they do not need to risk criminal prosecution by a political court.
Bolton’s move ought to be applauded.
http://www.townhallreview.com
Posted by daviddavenport in Radio Commentaries.
https://omny.fm/shows/townhall-review-conservative-commentary-on-todays/david-davenport-the-wars-on-our-domestic-woes/embed?style=artwork
This is David Davenport of the Hoover Institution for Townhall.com.
Perhaps you missed the memo from the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. The War on Poverty, declared by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964, is largely over, they say, and we won. Amazing, since a lot of people obviously still live in poverty.
As is often the case in government, the difference is in the definition of the problem. Historically we have defined poverty by income and the CEA defined it by a consumption test instead. Neither test is truly accurate.
No, the War on Poverty isn’t over, but presidential wars on domestic problems should be. We have lived for decades with wars on poverty, crime, drugs, terror and energy consumption, all declared by a lot of presidential speeches but with very little policy on dealing with these big problems.
It’s one more failure of big government in Washington, not a huge success.
Posted by daviddavenport in Op/Eds, Radio Commentaries.
https://omny.fm/shows/townhall-review-conservative-commentary-on-todays/david-davenport-back-to-school-needs-back-to-civic/embed?style=artwork
As America’s students go back to school this month, America’s schools need to go back to civic education. Our schools are awash in political concerns—from guns to immigration to bathrooms even—but it’s not clear that students have a good understanding of politics, history and civics.
In the last round of national testing, a pitiful 18% were found proficient in history, 23% in government. And these are the future leaders of our republic.
With the emphasis on math and science, and pervasive political correctness, schools are not teaching basic civics. Both instructional time and testing of government and history are down.
A few states are beginning to act, adding civic education course requirements and testing. But more must be done. Preparing students to become good citizens and voters is more important than ever. And that requires a major commitment to civic education.
http://www.townhallreview.com
Posted by daviddavenport in Radio Commentaries.
https://omny.fm/shows/townhall-review-conservative-commentary-on-todays/david-davenport-is-democratic-socialism-for-real-i/embed?style=artwork
One story from the 2018 primary elections is the win of candidates in Pennsylvania and New York running as democratic socialists. In the wake of a 2016 poll showing that 43 percent of millennials view socialism favorably, this has led pundits to wonder whether democratic socialism is a viable movement in America.
In short, the answer is no.
Young people are not interested in true socialism, which is the state owning the means of production and distribution.
What millennials favor is a larger welfare state. In fact, when Bernie Sanders ran for president and Denmark became a hot topic, their prime minister felt the need to clarify that it was not a socialist country, but instead an extensive welfare state.
I don’t know which is more discouraging, that young people think they are in favor of socialism or the fact that they don’t know what socialism is.
http://www.townhallreview.com
Posted by daviddavenport in Radio Commentaries.
https://omny.fm/shows/townhall-review-conservative-commentary-on-todays/david-davenport-judges-should-respect-the-constitu/embed?style=artwork
Below the surface of Senate hearings on whether Judge Brett Kavanaugh should be confirmed to the Supreme Court is a tug of war that should be brought to light. It is a battle between a judge’s commitment to follow judicial precedents versus faithfulness to the Constitution itself.
Federal courts tack right and left, as Republican and Democratic presidents appoint their judges. More liberal judges increase federal power and conservative judges restrain it. But when liberal courts take the law to the left, they set precedents that conservative judges feel obligated to follow, even when the decisions were not constitutionally sound.
There is value in precedent—without it the legal system would become unpredictable and unstable. But more important is following the Constitution itself. We need judges who will do both. But we don’t want slaves to precedent—whether or not that precedent is faithful to the Constitution.
2018-07-16
Posted by daviddavenport in Politics, Radio Commentaries.
https://omny.fm/shows/townhall-review-conservative-commentary-on-todays/david-davenport-national-lessons-from-california-e/embed?style=artwork
This is David Davenport of the Hoover Institution for Townhall.com.
California lives on the edge of change. A few years ago, the Golden State adopted two big changes to its elections: Open primaries in which voters choose candidates from any party, and a top-two primary where the top two finishers qualify for the general election, regardless of party. The idea was to elect more moderate candidates.
The results are coming in and it isn’t working. The 2018 primaries shows that Republicans still want to vote for Republicans and Democrats for Democrats. People don’t cross party lines looking for an idealized moderate candidate.
Plus: The unintended consequence is often no real choice in a general election. In 2016, two liberal Democrats ran for the Senate and in many state legislative races, there are either two Democrats or two Republicans.
Worse, candidates have gamed the system to face a weaker opponent later.
Beware election reforms from California.
I’m David Davenport.
Posted by daviddavenport in Radio Commentaries.
https://omny.fm/shows/townhall-review-conservative-commentary-on-todays/david-davenport-a-dismal-national-report-card/embed?style=artwork
The US Department of Education recently released national test scores for American 4th and 8th grade students in math and reading. They call it the “Nation’s Report Card.” I call it a dismal failure, no better than a D.
Only about a third of American 8th graders scored as proficient in reading and math, along with around 40% of fourth graders. And despite massive expenditures and countless reform efforts, there was essentially no improvement over the scores reported in the last tests 4 years ago. It’s been almost a decade since there was significant growth in the scores.
The new Secretary of Education is advocating more parental choice through charter schools and vouchers. In the face of these results, it would be hard to argue that it isn’t time to try something new. As Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
http://www.townhallreview.com
Posted by daviddavenport in Radio Commentaries.
https://omny.fm/shows/townhall-review-conservative-commentary-on-todays/david-davenport-the-senate-is-broken/embed?style=artwork
Former President James Buchanan called the United States Senate “the greatest deliberative body in the world.” But Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, recently complained that he hasn’t even been able to get a vote on a single legislative amendment in his first 15 months on the job.
The fact is that the U.S. Senate has largely quit deliberating. The Senate has voted on only 6 non-budgetary amendments so far this year and has taken only 25 roll call votes in the two-year Congress, compared with 154 at this point in the last Congress.
Bills are held in secret until 51 votes are lined up and then sprung on the Senate. Largely gone are the committee deliberations, debates and amendments.
Votes are taken largely to make statements for the next election, not to make great public policy. It’s high time Congress returned to “regular order.”
http://www.townhallreview.com
Posted by daviddavenport in Radio Commentaries.
https://omny.fm/shows/townhall-review-conservative-commentary-on-todays/david-davenport-the-coming-war-in-data-privacy-is/embed?style=artwork
While Mark Zuckerberg has been busy defending Facebook over data collection and privacy, a much more ominous threat is quietly coming from Europe. The European Union is implementing tough new standards on data privacy with stiff fines for violators. What many don’t realize is that these rules do not apply only to European companies, but to anyone who has data from Europeans.
For example, American universities enroll students from abroad and they will now be subject to this law. Complying will cost millions and those who violate the new law could be subject to fines up to $23 million dollars.
Europe’s view is that the individual controls his or her data, not companies that collect it. With an amazing overreach around the world, this now becomes a new global standard. On top of trade wars, brace yourself for a new—and costly—cold war over privacy and data.
http://www.townhallreview.com
David Davenport 
The Grinch That Ate Christmas (National radio commentary, Salem/Townhall) December 20, 2018
Posted by daviddavenport in Radio Commentaries.comments closed
https://omny.fm/shows/townhall-review-conservative-commentary-on-todays/davenport-the-grinch-that-ate-christmas/embed?style=cover
This is David Davenport of the Hoover Institution for Townhall.com.
It happens every year. People who do not understand the First Amendment of the Constitution launch legal attacks on Christmas.
This year’s Grinch award goes to an elementary school principal in Nebraska who banned Santas on worksheets, Christmas trees in classrooms, an elf on the shelf, making ornaments, reindeer and, yes, “red/green items” since those are Christmas colors. My favorite was her ban on candy canes because they are shaped like a J for Jesus and the red is for the blood of Christ and the white for the resurrection. Who knew?
Following expressions of outrage from parents and teachers, the school district reversed the anti-Christmas policy. Strike another blow for Christmas and the First Amendment.
Yes, the First Amendment says government may not respect the establishment of religion, but that still leaves plenty of room for you—and your children—to enjoy a Merry Christmas, even at school.
I’m David Davenport.
http://www.townhallreview.com