MINOT, N.D. — This may be the strangest Fourth of July holiday in my lifetime. As we celebrate our nation’s founding, the federal government is mobilizing the National Guard to protect monuments in Washington, D.C., many of them dedicated to our founders, from violent protests. In recent weeks memorials to numerous American luminaries have been defaced and…
North Dakota’s State Parks Are a Treasure
MINOT, N.D. — “I don’t want to leave, Daddy.” Those were the words of my 4-year-old son, Cooper. He and I were in the process of packing up our tent on a recent Sunday after a weekend at Lake Metigoshe State Park. Though it’s more accurate to say that I was packing up the tent,…
Turns Out Burgum Was Right Not to Order a Moratorium on Evictions During Pandemic
MINOT, N.D. — Earlier this year, as our society grappled with the realities of a global pandemic, the North Dakota Democratic-NPL decided it was time to leverage the situation for political gain. They joined with several left-leaning groups, including the North Dakota chapter of the ACLU, in calling on Gov. Doug Burgum to issue an…
Latest Spat in the NDGOP Has Former Chairman Planning His Own State Convention for the Party
MINOT, N.D. — There are a lot of fractures in the North Dakota Republican Party, from Gov. Doug Burgum ruffling the feathers of many lawmakers with his big-money spending in the June legislative primary campaigns to the rump caucus Bastiat faction of the Legislature, the divides in North Dakota’s dominant political party have perhaps never been more palpable.…
Why Can’t Trump’s Critics Be Better Than Him?
MINOT, N.D. — I’ll not defend President Donald J. Trump’s numerous sins against the dignity of his office, not to mention basic human dignity. Trump’s insufferable bellowing on Twitter, his smug antics in front of the television cameras, are a foghorn blaring over a nation that seems to be coming apart at the seams. I…
First They Came for the Confederates, and Then They Came for Teddy Roosevelt
MINOT, N.D. — I wonder if this era of American history will be seen as our Maoist cultural revolution. A time when dissenters and their works purged from the public eye in favor of the ascendent mob’s preferred ideology. George Floyd’s death, tragic and unnecessary as it was, has a real chance to become an…
North Dakota Judicial Candidate Attempted a Dubious Name Change in Ohio as an Apparent Campaign Gimmick
MINOT, N.D. — A candidate campaigning to sit on the judicial bench in North Dakota has a bizarre story in his background. Three candidates were on the primary ballot to replace South Central District Court Judge Thomas Schneider, who has opted to retire after serving in that office since the 1980s. Bonnie Storbakken of Bismarck…
Fargo Mayor Signs Order Allowing Weapons Ban Ahead of Expected Black Lives Matter Protest
MINOT, N.D. — As part of the preparations for an expected Black Lives Matter protest on Friday, June 19, Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney has signed an order that, among other things, prohibits the carrying of weapons. Among the justifications for the order is this passage in which the city claims to be aware of plans…
Discrimination Protections for the LGBTQ Community Should Have Been Established by Lawmakers, Not the Courts
MINOT, N.D. — This week, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down an opinion in Bostock vs. Clayton County, which expanded the protections against discrimination from the 1964 Civil Rights Act to gay and transgender Americans. Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, wrote the opinion for the 6-3 majority. He has long touted…
Law Enforcement Abuse Is a Problem for All of Us
MINOT, N.D. — The death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer has galvanized America’s debate over law enforcement’s relationship to minority communities. Particularly black communities. But it’s interesting to note that the last high-profile case of a Minneapolis cop killing someone involved a white woman, Justine Damond, who was murdered by…