About three-fourths of abortions committed in North Carolina are by chemicals. Propagandists for the abortion industry claim mifepristone is “safer than Tylenol.” Really? This drug is 99.9% fatal to the unborn child. It is many times more dangerous to the mother than a surgical abortion. Why is that so? What is the evidence? There is […]

Friends and clients have asked questions about the Republican National Committee (RNC)  2024 Platform. For context, I attach the entire RNC platform. Excerpts from the RNC platform are in quotation marks. My comments are in green italics. “President Trump’s economic policy to end Inflation” The primary cause of inflation is large annual budget deficits ($1.7 […]

To the Chairs and ranking Members of the House Property Tax Study Committee, Earlier this year I had fun teaching a course in advanced civics at Bob Luddy’s three Thales High Schools. I had to bone up on my notes on all types of taxation. Here are some points that I hope the Study Committee […]

A few years ago Wake County Public Schools cancelled classes for two days because of a threatened hurricane. Total rainfall at Raleigh-Durham Airport was one inch. Pandemic instruction by Zoom was in vogue. One day there was actual rain. Wake County told its 150,000 students to study on their own. I protested to the school […]

House and Senate leaders say they will not take up the state budget again until 2026, leaving North Carolina as the only state in the nation without a budget at this point. Here are some suggestions to help resolve the big issues. Corporate Income Tax I applaud the Senate and the House for continuing to […]

On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade. Effective July 1, 2023, the NC General Assembly passed SB20 to protect women and some unborn children. Immediately a legislative leader began raising money on the assertion that the U.S. Supreme Court took away a constitutional right after 49 ½ years and that […]

How can you tell when you hear or see propaganda instead of reasoned debate or analysis on the subject of abortion? If a reporter or politician refers to North Carolina’s 2023 Abortion Law as a “ban,” it is propaganda. “Ban” rhymes with “Taliban” and means a total prohibition. I have never seen a “ban.” An […]

How can you tell if you are hearing or seeing propaganda instead of reasoned debate or analysis? If there is no mention of the child at all, not even a mention of a “fetus” or “embryo,” or if there is no photo of the unborn child, or even a written description of her appearance, that […]

Here are 10 sets of questions that may help us think this practice through and through. Let me close with a musing from John Donne. Please imagine the cloner absorbing these thoughts from her patient. Muse not that by thy mind my body’s ledFor by thy mind my mind’s distempered. So thy cares live long, […]

“DEI” is commonly and carelessly used as if its three components were equivalent. They are not the same. This three-part series of essays explains and distinguishes among the three terms: diversity, equity, and inclusion. These terms would never have been used if there were not some sense in which each has a positive meaning. This first […]

“DEI” is commonly and carelessly used as if its three components were equivalent. They are not the same. This three-part series of essays explains and distinguishes among the three terms: diversity, equity, and inclusion. These terms would never have been used if there were not some sense in which each has a positive meaning. This first […]

“DEI” is commonly and carelessly used as if its three components were equivalent. They are not the same. This three-part series of essays explains and distinguishes among the three terms: diversity, equity, and inclusion. These terms would never have been used if there were not some sense in which each has a positive meaning. This […]

I have been confused about the details of immigration and deportation. What makes an “illegal alien” a “criminal illegal alien”? I recently read a helpful article in the Deseret News, entitled, “Is it a crime to be in the country illegally? We answer your questions.” It discusses many categories of those who are here illegally. The […]

Matthew 5 and Job 31 ESVWake County CLS – July 18, 2025 What does it really mean when Jesus says, “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”? This teaching explores the surprising depth of that command through the lens of Matthew 5 and Job 31. Far from demanding sinless perfection, Scripture paints a picture […]

In 1799, Napoleon seized power from the French Directory, a five-member governing body, through a coup d’état known as the Coup of 18 Brumaire. Following this, Napoleon made himself Emperor Napoleon I, in 1804. Legend has it that during his coronation, he took the crown from Pope Pius VII and crowned himself, demonstrating his rejection of any authority […]

The following is the full text of a letter written by Paul Stam to several members of the North Carolina General Assembly. The letter was addressed to State Representatives Donny Lambeth, Dean Arp, Larry Strickland, Kyle Hall, Erin Paré, Hugh Blackwell, and William Brisson, as well as State Senators Brent Jackson, Ralph Hise, and Michael […]

Do we talk past each other because we use different language, even when we all use English? The same sound may have four different meanings in Chinese — depending on the tone of voice. In English a “sound” may have different meanings, depending on the context or the spelling. We should use words in ways […]

The same sound may have four different meanings in Chinese — depending on the tone of voice. In English a “sound” may have different meanings, depending on the context or the spelling. We should use words in ways that are understandable and fair. Do we talk past each other because we use different language, even […]

In the days of Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, Maid Marian, and the Sheriff of Nottingham, there was a very bad English King. He took charge while his brother was off to the Crusades. So naturally the question came up: WHAT PROCESS IS DUE TO WHOM, WHEN, WHY? Magna Carta (1215 AD) was a deal between […]

Alice laughed. ‘There’s no use trying,’ she said. ‘One can’t believe impossible things.’ I daresay you haven’t had much practice,’ said the Queen. ‘When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast – Lewis Carroll King Canute of England […]

We often talk past each other because we use different language, even if we all use English. In Chinese the same sounds may have at least four different meanings — depending on the tone of voice. In English a “sound” may have different meanings, depending on the context or the spelling. Pundits and politicians should […]

In Chinese the same “word” may have four different meanings – depending on the tone of voice. In English a “sound” may have different meanings, depending on the context or the spelling. Pundits, and politicians should use words in ways that are understandable and fair. We often talk past each other because we use different […]

In Chinese the same “word” may have four different meanings – depending on the tone of voice. In English a “sound” may have different meanings, depending on the context or the spelling. Fair-minded reporters, pundits, and politicians should use words and phrases in ways that are understandable and fair. We often talk past each other […]

We are waiting for protests to be determined on the State Supreme Court election. It is time to remind ourselves how Justice Riggs ran 2% ahead of the three statewide Court of Appeals Democratic candidates who lost. Justice Riggs also ran ahead of Justice Sam Ervin IV and Judge Lucy Inman in 2022. They also […]

Here is the big picture at the local, state, and national level. For 2020 and 2022, I provided a similar scorecard. Local level. Before the election, Republicans controlled 67 county commissions. The GOP now controls 71 county commissions. Republicans flipped Martin, Perquimans, Scotland, and Watauga counties. Democrats control 24 counties, five have no majority. Democrats […]