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Home Archives for Commemorative

3/31/2009 By Ben 3 Comments

The Existential Impact of Government Motors on a Native Michigander

The whole sad affair with General Motors, the federal bailout and now the Presidentially-orchestrated dismissal of the company's CEO, strikes a little bit closer to home with me. I grew up in southeast Michigan. My dad worked more than 30 years for the automaker. Many, many people I knew worked for GM or one of the contract suppliers. GM was a significant part of a way of life. So after yesterday's announcement, please forgive me if my head is still spinning this morning. I'm not quite able to put it all into words, but thought I'd give it a first crack. Of course, the firing of CEO Rick Wagoner and the Presidential-backed car warranty are predictable outcomes of the initial bailout I have opposed from the beginning. But because of my … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Commemorative, General, liberty, My Life, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: automaker, automotive giant, bankrupt, Barack Obama, belly-up, CEO, contract suppliers, dismissal, end of America as we know it, existential impact, federal bailout, forgive, free market, General Motors, GM, Government Motors, greatly disturbing, head, healthy, home, Michigan, morning, Photoshop, predictable outcomes, President, prospect, Rick Wagoner, sad affair, signs, spinning, summer, used car salesman, warranty

3/30/2009 By Ryan 5 Comments

Hello Colorado Blogosphere!

My name is Ryan Morgan and, at the kind request of Ben, I will be guest posting from time to time on this blog.  A 21-year-old resident of Arvada, I was home educated and have a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (focus in general management) from Thomas Edison State College.  I am a developer at a small software firm. I am a Bible-believing Christian, not associated with any particular denomination, but with an experiential belief in forgiveness of sin solely through faith in Jesus Christ's blood atonement at Calvary and His resurrection from the dead. I am a conservative first and a Republican second.  I believe in limited, effective government; adequate (strong) national defense; and laws based on Biblically moral … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Christianity and Faith, Colorado Politics, Commemorative, Cultural Conservatism, General, liberty

3/16/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Colorado Well Represented Among Top Conservative Columnists

It seems Colorado's own David Harsanyi is getting some national attention for his column-writing talents. Witness "The 30 Best Conservative Columnists for 2009" list compiled by John Hawkins of Right Wing News. David breaks in at number 22. Yes, David is a native New Yorker and not really from Colorado. (Then again, few of us really are from Colorado.) But he's certainly made a name for himself while on the editorial board of the surviving Denver Post. Some of us even can say we knew him "when". You can find his columns here and his blog contributions here. Of course, Michelle Malkin - who regularly graces the lists of top conservative columnists and comes in at number 7 on the latest - is officially a Coloradan as of last … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Commemorative, Cultural Conservatism, General, Journalism, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: blog contributions, Coloradan, Colorado, column-writing, compiled, conservativce columnists, David Harsanyi, Denver Post, editorial board, John Hawkins, list, Michelle Malkin, New Yorker, officially, Right Wing News, talents, well represented, writers

3/6/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Farewell, Paul Harvey

As the weekend in which the late great news commentator Paul Harvey will be memorialized and laid in his final resting place, I wanted to offer a tiny tribute. Like anyone who turned on an AM radio in recent decades, Paul Harvey's news and "Rest of the Story" segments were almost always irresistible. I didn't get to see him speak in person until he delivered the commencement address at Hillsdale College in 2000, when I watched some of my friends graduate. About that same time, he began singing the praises of my alma mater on his radio program. Subscriptions to Hillsdale's free speech digest Imprimis have soared. Many people I've met in recent years, people of various ages and backgrounds, the only connection they have to Hillsdale … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Commemorative, General, Journalism, My Life, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: accounts, alma mater, AM radio, commencement address, condolences, connection, down to earth, example, Family, figures, final resting place, folksy charm, friendly voice, genial, Hillsdale College, Imprimis, influence, irresistible, loved ones, memorialized, microphone, missed, news, news commentator, Paul Harvey, people, praises, public statuture, quintessentially American, radio program, reassuring, rest in peace, rest of the story, subscriptions, tiny tribute, trademark, tremendous reach, vocal delivery, warm personality, weekend, widespread appreciation, work

2/12/2009 By Ben 5 Comments

After Two Centuries: Reflecting on One of History’s Great Men, Abraham Lincoln

Update: Warner Todd Huston has a lengthier, more eloquent, and thoughtful piece up for your perusal. Today is the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. And I'd be remiss not to acknowledge the moment. Ironically, even as we would honor the day of his birth, Lincoln himself would dismiss all inquiries about his youth and upbringing on the Frontier as "the short and simple annals of the poor". A man of rare ambition, savvy, and statesman-like vision, the colorful and quasi-religious mythology about our 16th President misses the mark, but not by as much as it would with most historical actors we can study. Outside the God-man Christ Jesus there have been no perfect men, no flawless or superhuman men, who have lived among us. But … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, Commemorative, History Tagged With: 1809, 1860, Abraham Lincoln, ambition, annals of the poor, anniversary, articles, birth, Black Power, books, Christ Jesus, comprehensive, Cooper Union Address, dogma, far left, far right, flawless, former Congressman, great men, historical actors, History, Illinois lawyer, insightful, logic, mythology, national eye, neo-Confederate, nominee, perfect, politically correct, Powerline, precision, President, pro-slavery, Republican, savvy, Scott Johnson, social forces, Southern faction, statesman, suggestions, superhuman, sweeping

2/6/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

Mount Virtus is Five Years Old (Please Don’t Pinch the Cheeks of my Blog)

Today is a landmark day for Mount Virtus. It was exactly five years ago that I put up my first post back on the old Blogger platform. My how it's grown: In honor of the occasion, I've created a new page that hopefully puts to rest any lingering uncertainty about the origins of the blog's name. Interestingly, today also would have been the 98th birthday of one of our greatest Presidents - and the President during my formative years, Ronald Reagan. A coincidence, no doubt. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Commemorative, General, My Life, National Politics Tagged With: birthday, blogger, five years, formative years, landmark day, Mount Virtus, name, new page, platform, President, Ronald Reagan

1/19/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

Observing MLK Day

From the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech:Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Commemorative, General, History Tagged With: birthday, federal government holiday, I have a dream, Martin Luther King, speech

1/2/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Complete Colorado Offers Up Top 10 Political (& Non-Political) Stories of 2008

On New Years Day, CompleteColorado.com's Todd Shepherd (also a colleague of mine at the Independence Institute) shared his respective lists of Colorado's Top 10 political and non-political stories of 2008 with AM 740 KVOR guest talk radio host Jeff Crank (H/T El Presidente). A few of Todd's entries may take you by surprise, or trigger something lost in the memory banks. The entire broadcast is nearly an hour long, but any time you can give will glean some interesting perspectives: And if you haven't bookmarked Complete Colorado for regular stops, now is a good time to do so. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Commemorative, General Tagged With: broadcast, colleague, Colorado, Complete Colorado, El Presidente, entries, Independence Institute, interesting perspectives, Jeff Crank, KVOR, memory banks, non-political stories, political stories, Slapstick Politics, surprise, talk radio, Todd Shepherd, Top 10

12/31/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

A Month-by-Month 2008 Stroll Down Mount Virtus Memory Lane

It's the last day of 2008, and time for a quick month-by-month retrospective. The following are posts I've selected as the best posts for each month: January: Why did Ritter Leave Worker Protections Out of His Order? February: Getting the Whole Story Behind Ritter's Climate Action Plan March: High-Ranking Democrat: Property Tax Hike Not Just for Schools April: What Was All That Money Doing in Ritter's Inaugural in the First Place? May: Colorado Dems Fail to Lead or Take Responsibility, Irony Lost on Dead Guvs June: Bill Ritter, Tax Increases, Unions, and the Colorado Supreme Court July: Majority of Coloradans Don't Think Bill Ritter is Doing a Terrible Job August: It's Official: Colorado Government 100% Unionized, Thanks to Bill … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, clean government, Climate Hysteria, Colorado Politics, Commemorative, Cultural Conservatism, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, My Life, National Politics

12/15/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Blog Silence: RIP, Jim Cannon

I'll be maintaining blog silence for a little while, having received the news earlier today of my friend Jim Cannon's premature passing. His loss is our pain, but his relief from great suffering, at home with the Savior. Speaking personally, my life is richer for having known Jim - one of the founding members of the old Rocky Mountain Alliance. He leaves me with fond memories of his courage, graciousness, and compassion, in the face of extremely trying physical struggles. Please keep Jim's family in your prayers most of all. More to come later. In the meantime, Snaggletooth also has some kind words to share. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, Commemorative, My Life Tagged With: blog silence, compassion, courage, fond memories, founding members, graciousness, Jim Cannon, kind words, news, physical struggles, premature passing, Rocky Mountain Alliance, Snaggletooth

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About Me

Ben DeGrow
Grateful and growing Christian, devoted husband and father of 3, public policy analyst, returned to Michigan by way of Colorado, conservative writer, lifelong learner, Detroit Tigers fan.

Recent Posts

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