By - The Washington Times
In 2010, 2,600 bureaucrats from the Internal Revenue Service attended a conference in Anaheim, Calif., home of Disneyland, at a cost to taxpayers of $4 million ("White House: Obama 'concerned' about bills from IRS conferences," Web, June 3). I guess once our taxes are paid and are in the IRS bank account, the bureaucrats figure that's their money and that they can spend it on vacations to see Mickey Mouse. Published June 6, 2013
By - The Washington Times
President Harry S. Truman once said: "The fundamental basis of this nation's laws was given to Moses on the Mount. If we don't have a proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government, which does not believe in rights for anybody except the State." The current administration has taken great strides to fulfill this forethought, as it abandons feeding hot meals to our Marines in Afghanistan while supplying the Internal Revenue Service with millions of dollars in party favors for conferences ("Marines stand back as Afghans take lead," Web, May 30). Published June 6, 2013
By - The Washington Times
With Memorial Day just passed and the Fourth of July approaching, it's a good time for Americans to review the meaning of their citizenship. The Founding Fathers disdained a monarchy and created a republic with three branches of government to ensure that none of the branches could run roughshod over the rights of the American people. Published June 4, 2013
By - The Washington Times
It has often been said that morality and politics don't mix. One of the meaningless achievements of President Obama is the "Atrocities Prevention Board." President Obama launched this board a year ago, claiming it would be a serious innovation in the fight to stop genocide and crimes against humanity. Published June 4, 2013
By - The Washington Times
There is simply no truth to Tony Sayegh's analysis of debit-card swipe-fee reform ("Three years of Dodd-Frank's broken promises," Commentary, May 31). Published June 4, 2013
By - The Washington Times
When most of us prepare to go on vacation, we focus on tidying up and leaving nothing important behind or undone. Not our national leaders. Published June 3, 2013
By - The Washington Times
Michaela Dodge's "The do's and don'ts of defense spending" (Commentary, May 30) urges Congress to shower more money on missile defense in the National Defense Authorization Act, particularly by building an East Coast site. This would be a spectacular waste of taxpayer dollars. Published June 3, 2013
By - The Washington Times
The Obama administration now has three intensifying scandals on its hands, a hat trick of corruption composed of the Benghazi cover-up, the administration's unjustified surveillance of the Associated Press and Fox News, and of course the outrageous abuse of IRS power for partisan purposes. In fact, so many tyrannical abuses are coming to light that the big three are likely only the tip of the iceberg. Published June 3, 2013
By - The Washington Times
For far too long, thousands of Virginians have been stifled in their attempt to fully rejoin society because of the stripping of certain civil rights after convictions of felony crimes. Published June 3, 2013
By - The Washington Times
To some, Commerce Secretary nominee Penny Pritzker is known as "the Bundler" of campaign cash. She is also a Hyatt hotel heiress and billionaire who was President Obama's 2008 campaign-finance manager ("Commerce nominee Pritzker downplays role in management of failed bank," Web, May 23). Published June 3, 2013
By - The Washington Times
Politicians use the term "universal background checks" like peer pressure, suggesting that reasonable people should support expanded checks. In reality, these checks are an attempt to perpetuate another gun-control myth. Background checks don't stop criminals from committing violent crimes. They certainly didn't prevent recent mass shootings, where the guns were purchased with a background check. Criminals who will steal or murder to obtain guns don't care about laws; that's why they're criminals. Published May 31, 2013
By - The Washington Times
Well, it's starting early this election cycle. Published May 31, 2013
By - The Washington Times
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals shares The Washington Times' concern about wind turbines maiming and killing birds and bats ("Windmills of death," Comment & Analysis, May 27). The rotating blades smack birds and bats out of the air at incredible speeds. Wings are severed, and bodies are mangled. The "luckier" victims are killed instantly, but many suffer immensely before finally dying from injury, stress, exposure or dehydration. The pressure created by the wind causes bats' extremely delicate lungs to burst, leaving these tiny animals to slowly bleed to death internally. Published May 31, 2013
By - The Washington Times
Contrary to Miles Yu's May 24 "Inside China" report ("Taiwan, China vie for toughness") the Republic of China (Taiwan) was not trying to send a message to the Philippines when it conducted maritime exercises in an area close to the overlapping waters of Taiwan's and the Philippines' exclusive economic zones. In fact, President Ma Ying-jeou made it very clear that Taiwan must "take measures to protect [Taiwan's] fishermen" and that "none of these actions should be misconstrued as military exercises or flexing [Taiwan's] military muscle." Published May 31, 2013
By - The Washington Times
I have been a supporter of Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, as the next leader of the Republican Party and as a candidate for the next presidential election. Since he has come out in support of this new "comprehensive immigration-reform" bill, however, I have begun to have lots of doubts about Mr. Rubio. All we hear is he would "secure the border first" and then we will give illegals a path to citizenship. This is not the case. Published May 30, 2013
By - The Washington Times
The city of Sardis was once considered one of the greatest cities in the world. It was approximately 1,500 feet above the valley, built on a mountain spur. It was considered impregnable to military assault. But the citizens of Sardis let their guard down, and Sardis fell, first to the Persians and then to the Greeks. Sardis had become overconfident and complacent. Published May 30, 2013
By - The Washington Times
Closing the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, allows terrorists into this country and makes more certain their invitation into our civil courts ("Obama's surrender," Web, May 29). This constitutionally baseless decision repudiates the moral authority of the parents and grandparents from the Greatest Generation, which subscribed to the Geneva Conventions. These people held powerful positions earning a durable morality by confronting the ultimate tragedies of two world wars. Published May 30, 2013
By - The Washington Times
Cheryl Wetzstein's article discussing Minnesota's adoption of same-sex marriage ("Minnesota becomes 12th state to pass gay marriage," Web, May 13) is an important recognition that conservatives are losing the battle to keep marriage holy. More than that, though, it could be argued that the battle is already lost. Published May 29, 2013
By - The Washington Times
"California to ban fire" (Comment and Analysis, May 24) discusses the proposed fire ban being talked about in the "eco-friendly" state of California. Under this proposed law, the South Coast Air Quality Management District is debating whether to remove 850 bonfire pits from the Los Angeles and Orange County areas in order to make the air cleaner in the state's major cities. Published May 29, 2013
By - The Washington Times
S. Rob Sobhani's May 20 opinion piece ("Standing steadfast with Bahrain") rightly notes that Bahrain needs stability, but his call for the United States to shore up the current Bahraini dictatorship is off base. Published May 29, 2013
Illustration by Dana Summers of the Tribune Media Services
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