A Muslim Woman in Tennessee
May 12th, 2011 by John Creighton in Dispatches
Tags: Accidental Extremists, Diversity, Public Leaders
LONGMONT, Co., 05/12/2011 — America is exceptional, in significant part, because we open the doors of opportunity to people from all walks of life. No matter the pigment of one’s skin, the nature of one’s faith or the land of one’s origin this is a country where you may pursue your dreams and fulfill your potential. It is part of America’s history that we knock down the barriers of discrimination. We have prospered as a nation because of our tolerance [...]
Read more...‘Fahrenheit 451′: Did Ray Bradbury get it backward?
October 21st, 2010 by John Creighton in Dispatches
Tags: Accidental Extremists, Civility, Culture, Culture-Structure
LONGMONT, Colo. — Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is a cautionary tale of what could happen to a society if books and other sources of knowledge are purged — first through homogenization designed to offend no one and then through destruction. The characters in Bradbury’s narrative give up having opinions about anything consequential; are docile living at the mercy of those in power and manage their meaningless lives through excessive entertainment and self-medication. Intellectuals have no place in this society. Those [...]
Read more...Back in the Real World…
September 21st, 2010 by John Creighton in Dispatches
Tags: Accidental Extremists, Civility, Democracy, Public Values
LONGMONT, Colo. — I’m a political junkie who notices the partisan debates raging over whether Delaware Republican Christine O’Donnell is a witch or whether her Democratic opponent Chris Coons is a Marxist. I’m interested in the short term and long term affects that the Tea Party will have on politics and the Republican Party. I’m curious about the “horse race” polls predicting which party will control Congress. In the real world, where my family and friends spend their time, people [...]
Read more...Focus on Values Not Facts
December 22nd, 2009 by John Creighton in Dispatches
Tags: Accidental Extremists, Civility, Public Values
Colorado voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2000 that allows people with cancer, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, muscle spasms, severe pain, severe nausea and other medical conditions to use marijuana. People must obtain a medical marijuana registry card from a licensed Colorado doctor. Colorado’s medical marijuana industry blossomed this year. As the Denver Post reported this week, tens of thousands of patients applied for medical-marijuana cards in the past six months. And, dispensaries, shops where patients can legally purchase marijuana, are [...]
Read more...Is Sarah Palin Narrow Minded? Are You?
December 17th, 2009 by John Creighton in Dispatches
Tags: Accidental Extremists, Civility, Community
My mentor Richard Harwood has been advocating that people read Sarah Palin’s book, Going Rogue. He suggests it is especially important for people who disagree with Mrs. Palin’s politics to read the book. Here are Rich’s reasons: 1. Palin is a political phenomenon and I want to understand what she has to say; 2. More importantly, she is giving voice to a segment of America that yearns to be heard – I want to know what Palin is speaking to; [...]
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