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America was never founded as Christian nation

America was not founded as a Christian nation. If you believe that it was, you have no knowledge of the history of the founding. You have never read the nation’s basic documents that testify otherwise. All you know is what other people have told you and most of them have a religious reason for believing this historic falsehood. First of all, we need to clarify who the founders were rather than let that abstract idea continue. Who were the founders? In addition to the leading contenders would be George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, George Mason, ...

‘Infinity Pool’ and accountability in Hollywood

As much fun as it is watching society crumble into the most boring dystopia imaginable, it is reassuring to know that Hollywood will always be there to showcase how much fun we could be having. If you’ve moseyed on over to your local multiplex in the last year or just booted up your favorite streaming service, you might have picked up on a running theme. So called “Eat the Rich” films were all the rage in 2022, with these projects often made and championed by people with an astounding lack of self-awareness. Not all of them were created equal. “Triangle of Sadness” and ...

Vouchers steal funds from public education

A bill introduced in the legislature by Rep. Claire Cory of Grand Forks would pave the way to diverting money away from public schools and give it to a variety of nonpublic education institutions through a voucher system. Under the voucher system, the state would give public money to individuals who wanted to send their kids to private institutions. If public education in North Dakota was adequately funded, the suggestion wouldn’t be so alarming. But local education is not adequately funded so diverting limited available funds would deprive local school districts of critical ...

An enduring legacy impacting others will live on

Raymond Cross had a long and distinguished career as an attorney and law professor, advocating for American Indian rights. He died Tuesday at his home in Tucson, Arizona. An enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes, Cross’s life took him from a youth growing up on the Fort Berthold Reservation to becoming an Indian attorney who won important victories in higher courts. He was the subject of the book, “Coyote Warrior,” by Paul Van Develder, which chronicles the history of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara people on the Fort Berthold Reservation, particularly around their ...

The controlled demolition of the Biden Presidency

If there is one word that has come to define the behavior of the permanent managerial class, it is overreach, willing as they are to stretch the limits of common decency and their supposedly strongly held democratic principles. While this willingness has had brought them great success in evading consequences electorally, they’ve only cemented their own ignominy in the history books. While there’s a whole litany of stories and narratives that fell victim to both the void of the Memory Hole and the churn of the Endless Present, there is one in particular I want to perform a ...

Visit Minot continues to tell Minot’s story

Dear Minot: We’re all familiar with Minot hosting two of the largest events in North Dakota in the North Dakota State Fair and the Norsk Hostfest. But there are countless community partners who work to help Minot expand its reach beyond our city limits and beyond the borders of our state to attract visitors to a host of events throughout the year. At the top of that community partner list is Visit Minot, where Executive Director Stephanie Schoenrock and her staff have proven time and time again that they are capable of successfully attracting a plethora of events, including a ...