THE WASHINGTON TIMES

35th Anniversary: Commentary — Merits of topics aired daily

No wisdom is regarded as conventional on the Commentary pages of The Washington Times, where a distinguished array of the nation's opinion leaders, commentators and scholars offer challenging, informed thoughts on a wide range of political, moral, economic and scientific issues.

October 19, 2017

35th Anniversary: A word from the editors

For 35 years, The Washington Times has stood sentinel along the banks of the Potomac River, shining a bright light into all corners of the federal government.

October 19, 2017

35 years of dedication and distinction — four from Day One

More than 50 years later, 35 of it as a driving force at The Washington Times, Mr. Pruden's wry, witty, take-no-prisoners commentary, "Pruden on Politics," remains a popular fixture in print, online and by email for a legion of loyal Times readers.

October 19, 2017

EDITORIAL: Sanctuary city laws prompt law-abiding people to flee

Defiance can be noble, and it can be merely subversive. In the case of sanctuary cities, counties and states, there's nothing noble about trashing the laws of an orderly society to shield uninvited intruders from justice. Jurisdictions that do so risk more than the loss of money. They walk a narrow path to anarchy.

October 18, 2017

EDITORIAL: Michael Bloomberg’s soda tax gets enthusiastic repeal

Michael Bloomberg, the super-rich purveyor of business news, fancies himself the Terminator. The food police took a knockdown last week in Chicago, when the Cook County board of commissioners repealed a tax on soda pop, but the former mayor of New York City promised defiantly, "I'll be back."

October 18, 2017

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: John McCain wrong to attack Donald Trump

Sen. John McCain's recent tirade makes it apparent that he is part of the old Republican establishment that supports a new world order and globalization ("Trump issues warning to McCain after senator's tough speech on 'spurious nationalism,'" Web, Oct. 17). This new order has nearly resulted in the collapse of America, as witnessed by our involvement of one war after another, our open borders, unfair trade, economic bankruptcy, loss of jobs and low wages.

October 18, 2017

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: New OMB plan helps clear the deck

The Times notes correctly that President Trump's administration is dismantling great chunks of the Obama regulatory regime of executive orders and bureaucratic dictates, some unconstitutional ("Trump dismantles Obama's 'imperial' presidency, rescinds dubious orders," Web, Oct. 16). This is a great start, yet it's just the prelude to a far more ambitious effort to roll back the administrative state.

October 18, 2017

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: United stand conservatives

A pro-gun woman has been forced by the anti-gun political left to uproot her family and move due to threats of violence owing to her views on the Second Amendment ("Dana Loesch is the latest victim of the lunatic left," Web, Oct. 16). The questions come so fast and furious that there is scarcely time to begin, but let's, shall we?

October 17, 2017

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Support independent Kurdistan

It is quite disheartening to wake up to yet another news story that covers the betrayal of Kurdistan ("Iraqi forces retake Kirkuk from Kurdish control," Web, Oct. 16). As the days go by, it seems the Kurdish people are perpetually doomed to receive the short end of the metaphorical stick It is time we help change this pattern and bring a new dawn to the Middle East. During the first Gulf War, we encouraged and enticed the Kurds with slogans about freedoms and rights. After being massacred and gassed by Saddam Hussein, the Kurds were all too eager to consume our promises. But we let them down.

October 17, 2017

EDITORIAL: Angela Merkel courted a well-meant but disastrous future for Germany

Germany has been the force for European stability and restraint in the years since World War II, but now it may be the new "sick man of Europe."

October 17, 2017

EDITORIAL: Demand for civil discourse must apply to both right and left

Returning to "civility," another word for "good manners," is a great idea, and we recommend it to one and all, with a reminder to our liberal friends that civility is not a one-way street reached only by a sharp left turn.

October 17, 2017

EDITORIAL: Kneeling NFL players take a sacking from the facts

Retaliation isn't always out of bounds. With their pre-game kneeling ritual, National Football League players have put a big hurt on their teams — and the fans — who pay their enormous salaries. Fans from coast to coast have responded with a forearm to the league's all-important TV ratings, leaving the muscled men flat on their backs, looking at the sky and wondering what hit them. The NFL is the king of sports entertainment, for now, but it's reassuring that when their favorite stars sneer at their country, Americans will still show where their hearts are.

October 16, 2017

EDITORIAL: California law would jail those who confuse a mister and a miss

There's something about the Left Coast. Maybe there's something in the salt water besides the makings of taffy. California was once derided as "the land of fruit and nuts," and the nuttiness has spread northward along the coast. Just when Gov. Jerry Brown of California had outgrown his reputation as Gov. Moonbeam, he does something to reclaim it.

October 16, 2017

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Medication ‘motive’ for shootings?

"The making of the Las Vegas murderer" (Web, Oct. 12) examines the possibility that the shooter was "radicalized." Yet earlier, the FBI, lacking any perceived motive, was asking citizens for tips that might help them find a motive. I say anyone whose mind is deranged by certain drugs doesn't need a motive. The shooter allegedly had a doctor who prescribed him Valium.

October 16, 2017

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Most crushing D.C. sports loss

In his column "Meltdown all-too-familiar for Washington fans" (Web, Oct. 13) Thom Loverro ponders where the Washington Nationals' playoff loss last Thursday to the Chicago Cubs will rank "among the D.C. Sports Hall of Failures. It's hard to judge one over the other."

October 16, 2017

EDITORIAL: Repairing Barack Obama’s legacy

Maximum hot air, minimum bottom line. That's the prospect for the world over the next few weeks in the wake of President Trump's Friday declaration that he won't certify that the Islamic mullahs in Iran are living up to their end of the deal they made with Barack Obama. This was the one-sided agreement by which the mullahs would give up their quest for nuclear weapons.

October 15, 2017

EDITORIAL: Some Harvey Weinstein outrage arrives late

Nearly a week went by before Hillary Clinton pulled together a statement about Harvey Weinstein's abuse of women. Hillary's against abusing women and it turns out that she took so long to say so because she was trying to find the words to describe how deep her outrage runs. Abuse of women, and even credible accusations of forcible rape, are not unknown in Hillaryworld. Perhaps she hoped to draft Bubba's help to describe her outrage. Bubba's good with words. Or perhaps she was so busy tabulating good ol' Harvey's contributions to various Clinton "charities" that she just didn't get around to it sooner.

October 15, 2017

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Stop ignoring founding principles

Fred Eckert's review of Charles J. Sykes' book, "How The Right Lost Its Mind" ("Conservatism betrayed," web, Oct. 9), stresses that Republicans abandoned their conservative "principles" and "truth" for "a new tribalism that valued neither." I'd say the Democrats did the same. And both parties have ignored the fundamental principles that our Declaration of Independence highlighted as "self-evident" truths 240 years ago.

October 15, 2017

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Buy your own contraception

As it rejiggers Obamacare, the Trump administration has visited anew the idea that employers opposed to contraception for recreational sex as a matter of religious belief should not be forced to pay for it. Until Obamacare was forced upon an unwelcoming public by a strict party-line vote, men and the women we dated took it upon ourselves to provide the prerequisites for such recreation, including contraception.

October 15, 2017

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: NFL players who take a knee should start foundations instead

I enjoyed reading Judge Andrew P. Napolitano's recent op-ed on the NFL and protected speech ("Taking a knee and protected speech," Web, Oct. 11). I agree with the old Beatrice Evelyn Hall quote, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." However, I feel that the taking of a knee is really just egotistical grandstanding by players who make far more money than the average citizen of any skin color.

October 15, 2017