Author: Chuck Norris

After months of the feds doing everything they could to distance themselves from the origin and launch of the controversial Common Core State Standards, more and more of Washington’s tentacles are surfacing through public rage, implementation revelations and the White House’s own foot-in-mouth disease. After Education Secretary Arne Duncan cast bigoted blame on “white suburban […]

Last week, I explained what the Common Core State Standards are and how, despite the federal government’s saying it’s staying out of the classroom standards business, there is much evidence to show that the feds are intricately linked to them. The first way I demonstrated that was by pointing out that the feds have spent […]

In 2007, a group of governors and state education chiefs got together to try to remedy the declining and degraded U.S. public academic system. Their goal was to establish a new set of standards that better prepared kids for college, careers and their ever-changing, hyper-connected and globally competitive world. In short, as a result, the […]

In the first two parts of this series, I discussed how 10 times more U.S. minors than foreigners are trafficked in the U.S. But are many of them trafficked into the legal porn industry? A few years back, Dr. Mary Anne Layden, a sex abuse expert and psychotherapist at the University of Pennsylvania who has […]

The FBI reports on its website that “not only is human sex trafficking slavery but it is big business. It is the fastest-growing business of organized crime and the third-largest criminal enterprise in the world.” I noted in Part 1 of my series on human trafficking that ABC News reported in July on a National […]

A July USA Today article titled “Churches boost security as violent incidents grow” reported that “the number of deadly episodes at sanctuaries has soared over the last decade, and mass shootings at schools, malls and movie theaters have left Americans feeling like it could happen anywhere.” As I noted last week, there were roughly only […]

A decade ago, there were roughly only 10 incidents of church violence across the U.S. In 2007, there were 41 incidents. In 2009, there were 108. In 2012, there were more than 135. And by mid-July 2013, there were already 58. Much media attention has been given of late to the Louisiana pastor who was […]

While gridlock is the game in Washington, pilfering and degradation apparently are the pastime of some unpatriotic thugs at war memorials across the country. For me, that is about as low as a nation and its people can go. This past week in Natick, Mass., veterans and other law-abiding citizens were stunned to discover that […]

The other day, I was thinking about leaders, in everything from the White House to my own house to countries such as Syria to companies such as Apple. I was reflecting upon revolutionaries, from Nelson Mandela to Rosa Parks to the single parent of three who inspires her or his children with hard work and […]

Last week, WCSC-TV reported that after Benjamin and Hope Jordan relocated to Charleston, S.C., they needed to find a baby sitter for their 7-month-old son, Finn, but what they found was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Benjamin and Hope wanted a loving, nurturing baby sitter, just like any other concerned parents who work during the […]

While President Barack Obama and Congress pontificate over whether Syrian President Bashar Assad used chemical weapons on his own people and whether a limited U.S. attack on Syria would be justified, what Washington needs to realize is this: Assad launched sarin on its citizens in hopes of moving the U.S. like a chess piece into […]

In this last installment of my back-to-school series, I will address possibly the most controversial aspect of Thomas Jefferson and public education: Did he advocate and expect only a completely secular public education system? Rather than have it remain only in churches or private schools, Jefferson proposed that religious education be incorporated in the public […]

In the first two parts of this series, I showed how Thomas Jefferson valued education as the tool to ensure our republic’s perpetuity and Americans’ “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” But today’s public education system isn’t exactly what Jefferson had in mind for his academic reformation. Yes, Jefferson imagined schools as places that […]

A few weeks ago in Part 1, I finished by discussing how Thomas Jefferson distinguished the U.S. from other countries in asking, “What but education has advanced us beyond the condition of our indigenous neighbors?” But is today’s public education system what he and other Founding Fathers were imagining it could be back then? The […]

Well, it’s that traditional time of the year again when the president goes on vacation and the conservative world ridicules him for taking time off with his family because of the disarray of our country or the enormousness of expenditures in his doing so. But is there really nothing redeemable or commendable in a father […]

A few weeks ago, a former president and many of his Secret Service agents made a significant sacrifice on behalf of another young American that went largely unnoticed by most of the nation. Did you catch it? My friend and our 41st president, 89-year-old George H.W. Bush, in solidarity with his Secret Service detail, shaved […]

Sometimes life hits you like a roundhouse kick, reminding you about what really matters. That happened to me this past week with the life, bravery and fighting spirit of 35-year-old Jen Bulik. I was just about to continue my series on Thomas Jefferson and public education, when I read Jen’s story. (I’ll pick up that […]

Before Indiana became a state in 1816, territorial Gov. William Henry Harrison organized the Indiana Rangers in 1807 to safeguard the Buffalo Trace — the main travel route between Louisville, Ky., and Vincennes, Ind. The Indiana Rangers were a rough and tough band of men and women who were well-trained and ready to protect new […]

Over the past two weeks, I’ve highlighted eight little-known facts about the Declaration of Independence. (If you missed the first two parts of this series, you can find them at http://www.creators.com/opinion/chuck-norris.html.) Here are the last four facts in my series: 9) One of the 26 known July 1776 copies of the Declaration of Independence was […]

Last week, I highlighted four little-known facts about the Declaration of Independence (http://www.creators.com/opinion/chuck-norris/12-little-known-facts-about-the-declaration-of-independence-part-1.html). Here are a few more facts to add to those oddities:   5) There are at least 26 surviving paper copies of the Declaration of Independence of the hundreds made in July 1776 for circulation among the Colonies. After Congress adopted the […]

Being about a week away from Independence Day, I was doing a little reflecting upon the history surrounding the Declaration of Independence. And I thought it would be of equal interest to many of my readers to look at some often-overlooked aspects of the declaration’s production and legacy. Several historical websites hold some fascinating facts […]

Though deadbeat dads and high-school dropouts might pervade some communities, there are still far more models than mess-ups across our country, and some stand head and shoulders above the rest. Let me tell you about a few stellar examples. I understand that the fact that 1 in 4 U.S. students do not receive a regular […]

The Oxford English Dictionary defines “poison” as “a substance that is capable of causing the illness or death of a living organism when introduced or absorbed.” The legal definition of the term is “any product or substance that can harm someone if it is used in the wrong way, by the wrong person, or in […]

On Memorial Day weekend, 2 million people marched in protests against seed giant Monsanto for the purpose of bringing awareness to hazards from genetically modified food, which it and other companies manufacture. Organizer Tami Canal said protests were held in 436 cities in 52 countries. Genetically modified plants are grown from genetically modified, or engineered, […]

America has the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) and the UCP (ultimate clutch players). One is mixed martial artists, and the other is quarterbacks of the NFL. They all are athletic warriors who are extremely determined to win. My favorite in the UFC is Georges St-Pierre. My favorite in the UCP is Tim Tebow. I know […]

Last week, I cited my 92-year-old mother’s wisdom from her autobiography, “Acts of Kindness: My Story.” I highlighted her book’s advice for how to help my fellow Americans: –How we reawakened the American dream and spirit. –Don’t be surprised by hardship. –Fight worry. –Get back to the basics. With Mother’s Day right at our backs, […]