Texas Scorecard

By Michael Quinn Sullivan | Guest Columnist, Rocky Mountain Voice A self-governing people must be eternally vigilant. The first three words of our Constitution make it clear who is supposed to be in charge: “We the people.” Without the citizens taking an active and engaged role in civic life, the notion of self-governance collapses. In the Bible, we’re told the people of God went to the Prophet Samuel and begged for a king. Up until then, they had lived — for better and for worse — as a uniquely self-governing people under the rule of God. Things were better when they followed God’s rule and worse when they did not. Just as they had been warned by God Himself when they rejected Him, the rule of man under a king didn’t work out so well, either. Within a couple of generations, Israe...

By Michael Quinn Sullivan | Commentary, Texas Scorecard Most of what passes for “news” today is little more than warmed-over propaganda designed to serve the ruling elite. The foolishly described “mainstream” media (there is nothing “mainstream” about them) are shills for the far left. At the same time, many of the seemingly “conservative” outlets pander to whichever moderate Republican officeholder tickles their ears. Citizens deserve better. Here is how I define news: the facts of the day told in their truthful context, allowing citizens to make informed decisions. Every single citizen is, or can be, a journalist. Journalism is the purposeful activity of gathering relevant information and presenting it in a straightforward manner without deceit, manipulation, or unnecessary jarg...

By Michael Quinn Sullivan | Guest Commentary, Texas Scorecard We think we know the story of Thanksgiving: the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, faced a harsh winter, famine and disease, and then only with the help of friendly natives learned how to survive. It’s nice for bedtime stories and feel-good paintings, but it ignores the most important lessons of our early history. The pilgrims weren’t city slickers ill-prepared for wilderness life, nor were they misguided about the challenges facing them in the New World. Sadly, the travails and trials of those pilgrims weren’t merely the result of recklessness, ignorance, or chance. No, the problems the pilgrims faced — and overcame — were of their very own making through a well-intentioned, though misguided, governing ideology. ...