Trump’s Christianity . . . and America’s
Donald Trump says he is a Christian—more specifically, a Presbyterian. Should we believe him? Our first answer may be, “We [...]
A Reflection on the “Selfie”
In a 1940 photo a man lay on the Coney Island beach after being pulled from the surf. The mood [...]
Who Is Responsible for Violence in America?
The cover of The Week presented a caricature of Donald Trump with his face twisted in an angry snarl and [...]
Was My Primary Vote Wasted?
I got up before dawn on March 15th to cast my vote in the Florida presidential primary. The candidate I [...]
The GOP Nightmare
To date, the race for the Republican presidential nomination may be summarized as follows: Trump blustered and bullied, onstage and [...]
The Mijas Mystery
The town of Mijas is set high up on a mountain in the Costa del Sol region of Spain. It [...]
The Unity Dilemma
Pope Francis has joined non-Catholic Christians, including Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, and Mormon, in an effort to “put aside all [...]
Leaning Toward Rubio
Like many other Americans, I have not yet decided which Republican candidate I will support. As the campaign has progressed, [...]
Obama’s Self-Deception
Since he first assumed office, President Obama has steadfastly refused to acknowledge Islamic terrorism, even when the perpetrators admit to [...]
The Spoiling of Western Civilization
One needn’t be a curmudgeon to perceive that more and more adults are behaving like spoiled children these days. Wanting [...]
Should You Trust Your Doctor?
Medicine, like other professions, has some outstanding practitioners, some incompetents, and a large number of mediocre performers. It’s especially hard [...]
Overcoming Religious Triumphalism
Religious triumphalism is the conviction that one’s religious beliefs are superior to other people’s. Ironically, triumphalism violates the virtue of [...]
The Exalting of Opinion
One of the most deeply held beliefs in American culture is that everyone has the right to his or her [...]
What Constitutes Teaching Thinking?
After publishing my recent essay titled “Whatever Became of Critical Thinking?” I received a very appropriate question from a reader: [...]
Whatever Happened to Critical Thinking?
When Arthur was in the first grade, the teacher directed the class to “think.” “Now, class,” she said, “I know [...]
Hillary’s 600 Unanswered Requests
What is most troubling about Secretary Clinton’s testimony on the Benghazi affair is the fact that 600 requests from Ambassador [...]
The Real Problem In American Education
For decades whenever American students have tested poorly in comparison with their peers in other developed countries, public outrage has [...]
Pope Francis Inspires but Oversimplifies
Pope Francis’ recent messages to the U.S. Congress and to the Catholic bishops revealed his personal goodness and his deep [...]
Capitalizing on Republican Resources
Though it’s much too early to predict the outcome of the Republican presidential sweepstakes, it’s not too early to speculate [...]
The Coming Attacks on Trump
Donald Trump has already been the subject of one attack ad by Senator Rand Paul, and other candidates are reportedly [...]
Remembering Chesterton
An American tourist remembers seeing him standing in the doorway of a pie shop, writing a poem. At 6’2” with [...]
The Elephant in the Classroom
For well over a century, the phrase “elephant in the room” has been used to denote a situation that is [...]
Donald Trump’s Favor
Donald Trump exploded onto the Republican presidential scene in July, bringing a level of excitement far beyond what the other [...]
The Decline of Common Sense
The news is filled with evidence that common sense is increasingly uncommon. Here are a few examples: “Sanctuary Cities” like [...]
Pope Francis on the Care of the Earth
Pope Francis’ latest encyclical is titled Laudato Si: On the Care of Our Common Home. In it he follows the [...]
Author Vincent Ryan Ruggiero
Since retiring from teaching, I have continued my work in promoting sound thinking in education and in the general culture. More specifically, I have kept refining my textbooks, four of which have been continuously in print for an average of 33 years. I have also continued to write books for the general public, the latest of which is Corrupted Culture: Rediscovering America’s Enduring Principles, Values, and Common Sense, and I write a weekly column for an online journal.