Mount Virtus

"Happy to come back to Michigan, but I miss the mountains!"

Ben on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • About Ben
  • Mount Virtus?
  • Writer / Editor For Hire
  • What I’m Thankful For
  • Colorado Ballot Reviews
    • Colorado Ballot 2008
    • Colorado Ballot 2010
    • Colorado Ballot 2012
  • Archives
  • Passion and Purpose:
    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
  • Mary and Jacob: From the Forgotten Dust
  • The Westfield Gardener
Home Archives for Cultural Conservatism

4/30/2009 By Ben 3 Comments

GOP Needs Problems Fixed, But Arlen Specter Defection Isn’t One of Them

I will not deny that the Republican Party (nationally and locally) has had its share of problems and dysfunctions in the recent past. My purpose here is not to write an in-depth treatise analyzing the causes, suffice it to say that a gross lack of fiscal responsibility and a glaring absence of fealty to other mainstream conservative ideas played major roles. But let's be honest: the Party deserves little if any of the blame for the Arlen Specter defection. The man is far less principled than the average member of Congress, and that's saying a lot. Specter's party switch (and his ham-handed, self-serving approach in doing so) showed a lack of respect to the voters of Pennsylvania, and to the intelligence of the average American. That … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, liberty, National Politics Tagged With: absence, add people, American, Arlen Specter, average, beating heart, blame, causes, Congress, conservativce base, conservative, defection, deny, dysfunctions, explanations, fealty, fired up, fiscal responsibility, GOP, ham-handed, hands-off, honest, ideas, intelligence, John Hawkins, Joshua Sharf, jump ship, lack, lack of respect, left-wing radical, livelong day, mainstream, major roles, member, moderates, out-of-whack, party leaders, party switch, Pennsylvania, Porkulus, primaried, problems, psychologically, recent past, Republican Party, Right Wing News, self-serving, slack, status, suggestion, Tea Party movement, tolerant, treatise, voters, White House

4/27/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Limited Government Week: An Awareness Raiser To Rally Behind

No day, week, or month passes that isn't officially commemorated for some reason. Take April, the month we're in for a few more days: What have you done the last 27 days to honor National Poetry Month, Stress Awareness Month, or even Fresh Florida Tomato Month? That's what I thought ... In the meantime, there are important causes that definitely deserve greater awareness, like this one: Limited Government Week. If you can get down to Colorado Springs anytime in the next few days, you may find one or more valuable events to attend. The highlight is a Tuesday dinner with keynote speaker Amity Shlaes, author of The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression (an excellent book). For more details on the week's activities, go … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Commemorative, Cultural Conservatism, General, liberty, PPC Tagged With: Amity Shlaes, angels, April, assessment, author, Barack Obama, believe, CASE, causes, Colorado Springs, commemorated, controls, crowd, devout, dinner, elements, Federalist Papers, Fresh Florida Tomato Month, greater awareness, highlight, honest, hopey-changey, human nature, important, James Madison, Limited Government Week, men, National Poetry Month, principle, Stress Awareness Month, The Forgotten Man, Tuesday, understanding

4/23/2009 By Ben 7 Comments

On Socialism and Ron Paul: Two Timely Essays for Lovers of Liberty

A quick-hit double-link in the form of two recent essays I recommend as timely and relevant reading for thoughtful lovers of liberty: "The Welfare State and the Meaning of Life" by Greg Forster, whose work I have come to know through his excellent research and analysis of school choice issues, but in this case makes a strong moral case against socialism "Ron Paul's Secession Lies on Video" by libertarian lawyer and thinker Tim Sandefur, a college classmate of mine who delivers a remedial lesson in United States history and the Constitution to the Congressman and former presidential candidate ... It's one thing to speak up loudly against federal overreaches and for a renewed respect of the 10th Amendment, it's quite another to call for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, clean government, Cultural Conservatism, General, History, liberty, National Politics, PPC, property rights Tagged With: 10th Amendment, analysis, articulate, critical times, discerning, essays, federal overreaches, Greg Forster, History, lawyer, lesson, libertarian, lovers of liberty, moral case, reading, recommend, remedial, research, Ron Paul, school, secession, socialism, Texas, thinker, thoughtful, Tim Sandefur, U.S. Constitution, unilateral, union, welfare state

4/13/2009 By Ben 3 Comments

Penn State’s “The Veteran” Training Video Brings Back Ironic Memories

I couldn't resist commenting on this one - from the Wall Street Journal's Best of the Web:"What if it was 'Oh, the gay one,' or 'Oh, the Asian kid?' " asks Maggie Kwok, head of the Penn State Veterans Organization in an interview with the Daily Collegian, PSU's student newspaper. She is referring to a "training video," prepared by the university's Counseling and Psychological Services office, depicting "worrisome student behavior." The office swiftly removed the video when it prompted a kerfuffle, but the PSU College Republicans preserved it on YouTube. It's a fascinating documentation of academic prejudice. Why bring this one up? I find the video not only bizarrely condescending in the generic sense, and for all the cogent reasons … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, clean government, Cultural Conservatism, Education, General, My Life, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: analysis, Best of the Web, bizarrely, blue book exams, cogent reasons, College Republicans, complain, condescending, Counseling and Psychological Services, courteous, Daily Collegian, different era, diligent, engaged, essays, female, generic, generous, graduate students, hardest-working, honest, James Taranto, kerfuffle, Maggie Kwok, mature, office hours, Penn State University, personal connection, polite, privilege, razzed, recitations, room, ROTC, stood my ground, student, student newspaper, sympathy factor, teaching assistant, training video, university, veterans, Wall Street Journal, whole experience, worrisome student behavior

4/8/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

Thanks to What?: Posing a Clear Litmus Test Between Left and Right

Blogging for the Heritage Foundation, Conn Carroll points readers to a clear litmus test between the Left and the Right. If you followed that link and said, "Hey, that's not a bad idea, why didn't I think of that?" -- it's pretty safe to say you're on the Left. On the other hand, if you laughed out loud and/or your stomach turned upon reading it, you must be on the Right. But here's my thought: If we're going to be showing our gratitude for painful certainties that show no sign of abating, why not a campaign to get people to say Thanks for this? … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: abating, campaign, certainty, clear, Conn Carroll, death, gratitude, Heritage Foundation, laugh, Left, link, litmus test, Right, stomach, taxes, thanks, turned

4/8/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Is It Time to Step Up Advertising on Colorado Conservative Blogs?

Over at RedState, Erick Erickson makes a great point about rebuilding the conservative movement that can be applied to Colorado:In the past few years, SEIU, AFL-CIO, NEA, DCCC, and a host of other left-wing organizations have been buying ads on left of center blogs keeping those blogs going — allowing the bloggers on the left some financial incentive to keep blogging for the left.... In addition to all of that, you’ve got the Soros gang and SEIU engaging in a host of left-wing activities online that recruit and fund online writers — bloggers, journalists, etc.... Every day in Washington, there is some right-wing group somewhere bemoaning the efforts of the right online. Sadly, for them and the rest of the right, their first … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, General, Labor, liberty, My Life, PPC Tagged With: advertisers, bloggers, businesses, Colorado, conservative movement, Erick Erickson, existing talent, George Soros, great point, ineffectiveness, journalists, labor unions, left-wing organizations, members, modest rate, operators, owners, Peoples Press Collective, rebuilding, RedState, Rocky Mountain Alliance, SEIU, take heed

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

3/11/2009 By Ben 3 Comments

The Colorado Blogosphere is on a Roll … and It’s Only Wednesday

Too much good stuff out there, too little time. Here's a quick Wednesday morning roundup of the best from the Colorado blogs (in no particular order): Rocky Mountain Right brings attention to Governor Bill Ritter's lavish overseas business trip on Colorado taxpayers' dime during a very tight budget situation Now your 10 dollars (or more) can go a lot further in helping the Independence Institute promote transparent government in ColoradoRossputin points to a hilarious Scott Ott spoof on embryonic stem cell research and global warming (did he read yesterday's post?) Michael at Best Destiny observes some irony from Al Gore concerning global warming and moon landings Rossputin also points to Gateway Pundit's detailed litany of the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, clean government, Climate Hysteria, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Energy, Fiscal Policy, General, Journalism, liberty, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous

3/10/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Forget Stem Cell Ethics Debate, What About Diana DeGette’s Political Career?

This morning you can read the Denver Post's glowing "DeGette relishes stem-cell research triumph" by Michael Riley - in which the only dilemma is not the ethics of harvesting cells from dead unborn babies (or now, thanks to President Obama, spending taxpayer money to do so) but to what extent Denver's liberal Congresswoman will have a successful political career now that her pet issue has been passed into law. Or, if you actually want a thoughtful and critical approach to the issue, you can go back and refresh yourself with Yuval Levin's masterful deconstruction of Diana DeGette's book Sex, Science, and Stem Cells (H/T David Harsanyi). I hope that the Post isn't trying to imply from Riley's article today that the ethical debate … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, clean government, Climate Hysteria, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, Journalism Tagged With: adult stem cells, anthropogenic global warming, approach, Barack Obama, book, breakthroughs, Congresswoman, critical, cultural elite, David Harsanyi, deconstruction, Democrat, Denver, Denver Post, Diana Degette, dilemma, embryonic, ethical debate, ethics, harvesting, liberal, media elite, Michael Riley, political career, political elite, President, refresh, representative, stem-cell research, taxpayer money, thoughtful, unborn babies, Yuval Levin

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • …
  • 11
  • Next Page »

Inside

  • About Ben
  • Archives
  • Colorado Ballot Reviews
    • Colorado Ballot 2008
    • Colorado Ballot 2010
    • Colorado Ballot 2012
    • Colorado Ballot 2014
  • Mary and Jacob: From the Forgotten Dust
  • Mount Virtus?
  • Passion and Purpose:
    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
  • The Westfield Gardener
  • What I’m Thankful For
  • Writer / Editor For Hire

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

  • AI-Enhanced Cyberbullying: The Dark Side of Teen Innovation
  • My Baker’s Dozen of Top 2023 Reads
  • Common Learning Disabilities in Children
  • Tips to Teach Kids to Set and Achieve Goals
  • The Christmas Music Countdown You’ve Been Looking For: 2022 Edition

Colorado News

  • Colorado Senate News
  • Complete Colorado
  • Independence Institute
  • Loveland Politics
  • The Colorado Observer

National News and Politics

  • Drudge Report
  • Hot Air
  • National Review
  • Politico
  • Real Clear Politics
  • Reason
  • The Washington Times
  • TownHall
  • Wall Street Journal
  • Weekly Standard
  • World Magazine

Blogs Extraordinaire

  • American Thinker
  • David Harsanyi’s Blog
  • E!! The True Conservative Story
  • EIA Intercepts
  • Evangelical Outpost
  • Hugh Hewitt
  • Instapundit
  • LaShawn Barber
  • Lileks
  • Little Green Footballs
  • Michelle Malkin
  • NRO's The Corner
  • Power Line
  • Red State

Completing the Blogroll

  • Alarming News
  • Black Five
  • Blogs of War
  • Eduwonk
  • Flypaper
  • Fraters Libertas
  • Historical Conversations
  • IMAO
  • Jay P. Greene
  • Mike Anderson
  • Mullings
  • Professor Bainbridge
  • Right Thinking
  • Right Wing News
  • Right Wing Nuthouse
  • Shot in the Dark
  • Talking Points Memo
  • Virginia Postrel
  • Volokh Conspiracy

Christian Commentary et al.

  • Kevin Pierpont
  • Sharper Iron

Conservative and GOP Sites

  • Backbone America
  • Cal Thomas
  • Colorado Republican Party
  • Colorado Republican Study Committee
  • Dennis Prager
  • Denver Metro Young Republicans
  • Free Republic
  • Heritage Foundation
  • Jefferson County Republican Party
  • Mackinac Center for Public Policy
  • Mark Steyn
  • Michael Medved
  • Rush Limbaugh

Colorado Blogs

  • American Kestrel
  • Bob Agard
  • Colorado Charter Schools
  • Colorado Peak Politics
  • Colorado Pols
  • Colorado Right
  • Conservative Libertarian Outpost
  • Coyote Gulch
  • Ed Is Watching
  • Free Colorado
  • Jeff Crank Show
  • Mark Hillman
  • Patient Power
  • PirateBallerina
  • Protein Wisdom
  • Reagan Girl
  • Rocky Mountain Alliance 1.0 (Archive)
  • Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0 (Archive)
  • Rossputin
  • Stop the ACLU Blog
  • The Spot (Denver Post)
  • We Stand Firm

Other Sites

  • Technorati
  • Word Press

Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

  • Reclaim the Blue
  • The Business Word
  • The Daily Blogster
  • View from a Height

To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com

Copyright © 2025 RSS Feed · WordPress · Log in