Time for a 28th Amendment? Congressional Pay and Government Shutdowns

by John Ellis My wife flew out west this week for work. Over the course of her travels, she had to sit in airports due to flight delays. Since air traffic controllers are not getting paid, many are calling in sick to work causing flight delays around the country. And, really, can we blame them? … Continue reading Time for a 28th Amendment? Congressional Pay and Government Shutdowns

The Assassination of Charlie Kirk, Part 2: A House Divided Cannot Coexist

by John Ellis In 1845 the American Anti-Slavery Society published a booklet titled “The Constitution a pro-slavery compact; (vol 11) or, Extracts from the Madison papers, etc.” It’s mainly composed of selected portions from Madison’s carefully kept records of the Constitutional Convention and a few other pertinent documents from the Founding era. As the booklet’s … Continue reading The Assassination of Charlie Kirk, Part 2: A House Divided Cannot Coexist

The Assassination of Charlie Kirk, Part 1: A House Divided Leads to Political Violence

by John Ellis During my junior year of high school, Christian fundamentalist Michael Griffin shot and killed Dr. David Gunn. What makes this noteworthy, besides the murder taking place in my hometown of Pensacola, FL, is that Dr. Gunn was an abortion doctor and Griffin an anti-abortion extremist. A little over a year later, on … Continue reading The Assassination of Charlie Kirk, Part 1: A House Divided Leads to Political Violence

Donald Trump, Bob Jones University, and Fundamentalist-styled Historical Revisionism

by John Ellis Earlier today, I published a short, anti-Trump diatribe (anti-totalitarianism diatribe, to be fair) in response to the White House’s letter to the Smithsonian Institute. The letter informs the Smithsonian that the White House will be reviewing exhibits, materials, and programs to ensure that they conform to President Trump’s definition of American exceptionalism … Continue reading Donald Trump, Bob Jones University, and Fundamentalist-styled Historical Revisionism

Palestine and Israel, Chapter 4 (part 1): The Trauma of the British Mandate

by John Ellis With her imperialistic hubris bolstering her confidence in her eventual success, England embraced her role as protectorate over Palestine. As it would turn out, England was in way over her head, culminating in England dumping the problem of Palestine in the United Nation’s lap in 1947, a little over a quarter of … Continue reading Palestine and Israel, Chapter 4 (part 1): The Trauma of the British Mandate

Palestine and Israel, Chapter 2 (part 2): The Balfour Declaration’s Foundation of Deceit

“His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish People, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or … Continue reading Palestine and Israel, Chapter 2 (part 2): The Balfour Declaration’s Foundation of Deceit

Palestine and Israel, Chapter 2 (part 1): The Balfour Declaration’s Foundation of Deceit

Sharif Hussein bin Ali, King of Hejaz “His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish People, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights … Continue reading Palestine and Israel, Chapter 2 (part 1): The Balfour Declaration’s Foundation of Deceit

Palestine and Israel, Chapter 1: A Brief History of Zionism

Theodor Herzl, father of political Zionism “No one can deny the gravity of the Jews’ situation. Wherever they live in perceptible numbers, they are more or less persecuted. Their equality before the law, granted by statute, has become practically a dead letter. They are debarred from filling even moderately high positions, either in the army, … Continue reading Palestine and Israel, Chapter 1: A Brief History of Zionism

Palestine and Israel, Introduction: Justice Is Rarely a Two-Way Street

by John Ellis On April 29, 1956, Ro’i Rotberg, regional commander of the security forces for the kibbutz Nahal Oz, was killed in a planned ambush. On horseback, Rotberg attempted to chase off a group of Palestinians from Gaza who were reaping wheat from the kibbutz’s field. He was shot by hidden assailants and then … Continue reading Palestine and Israel, Introduction: Justice Is Rarely a Two-Way Street

John Fea Takes on Jack Hibbs Claim that George Washington Would be Included in the Bible if It Were Written Today

by John Ellis John Fea is an evangelical historian who is professor of history and chair of the history department at Messiah University in Pennsylvania. As an evangelical scholar, he takes flak from both his right and his left. I don't agree with everything he says (which is true of every historian I read) but … Continue reading John Fea Takes on Jack Hibbs Claim that George Washington Would be Included in the Bible if It Were Written Today