Permanent Daylight Saving Time: The Wrong Solution for the Problem

A bill to place America on Daylight Saving Time permanently has passed the United States House of Representatives with bipartisan support and the support of Donald Trump. But the proposal has attracted bipartisan opposition in the Senate, especially from northern States. Congress is right to resolve the problem of having to change the clocks twice a year by switching back and forth from Daylight Saving Time, and the problems it causes, but it is the wrong solution. Springing ahead and falling back annually are unpopular. Not only are they inconvenient and commercially costly, but the loss of an hour of sleep when switching from Standard to Daylight Saving Time causes accidents and impairs physical and mental health, as I have posted. But permanently switching to Daylight Saving Time, instead of remaining permanently on Standard Time, as Hawaii and Arizona already do, would cause its own set of problems. It would be dark for an hour longer in the mornings in the wintertime, which is dangerous for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians, and especially for schoolchildren walking to bus stops or school. But the main problem, as I have posted, is that moving the time zone an hour back would adversely affect sleep because it would misalign our circadian rhythm, the body’s natural cycle that relies on sunlight cues for its wake response. Therefore, it would cause accidents and physical and mental health problems, such as exacerbating seasonal affect disorder. We can learn from history not to repeat this mistake. The U.S. switched to permanent Daylight Saving Time in 1974 to try to save energy during the oil crisis. The move at first was popular because of the extra hour of daylight in the afternoon, but soon became unpopular because of the safety problems for parents taking their children to school and schoolchildren walking to school. Congress repealed the law soon after. Switching permanently to Daylight Saving Time thus proved the law of unintended consequences. Most of the rest of the world does not have any daylight saving time, and the international trend among those foreign States that do has been to eliminate it. Instead of permanent Daylight Saving Time, I urge Congress to consider the optimal solution for the problem it is rightly trying to solve: switch permanently to Standard Time.

Foreign Digest: Ukraine and Nicaragua

Ukraine:Ukraine formed a coalition with nine European States to defend against ballistic missiles. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Sweden signed an agreement with Ukraine. The former Soviet Republic has been under Russian invasion since 2014. Ukraine has skillfully been developing defenses against Russia that it has increasingly been making available to friendly States. It had also negotiated security deals for drone and missile defense with several Arab States to defend against attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran which has targeted them during the terrorist-sponsoring theocracy's war with Israel and the United States, as I had posted. Iran is complicit in the Russian aggression against Ukraine, supplying the Russian Federation with missiles. Nicaragua: Nicaragua’s Marxist Sandinista dictatorship broke off diplomatic relations with Italy after the Italian Republic criticized the Central American State’s refusal to extradite a convicted Red Brigades militant who was part of the gang who kidnapped and murdered former Prime Minister and Christian Democratic Party leader Aldo Moro in 1978. The Communist Red Brigades terrorized Italy from the 1960s to 80s during the “Years of Lead,” when the Southern European State was plagued by political violence. As I have posted, Nicaragua has become increasingly authoritarian since electing former dictator Daniel Ortega, who had promised to respect liberty, but who has instead violently suppressed dissent, repressed all independent organizations, and prevented free and fair elections.

Follow Up on The Birthday of the United States of America versus Independence Day

I write to follow up on my post from June 21,The Birthday of the United States of America versus Independence Day, in which I observed that many Americans have been referring to Independence Day as the “birthday” or “anniversary” “of the United States” or some similar expression, even though the U.S. was not formed until thirteen years later in 1789. It is part of an overall pattern that stood out this year, of references to the birthday or anniversary of “the country,” or “nation,” even though America is neither a nation, nor a nation-state, but a union of States, none of which are nation-states, and not a country. These examples are part of a pattern of references to the birthday or anniversary or founding of “America,” as if the declaration of the independence of the thirteen British American Colonies was about the formation of some kind of political entity, instead of simply the change of status of the former Colonies as independent sovereign States. The Second Continental Congress, which had approved the resolution declaring the independence of the Colonies from the United Kingdom, some of which had already declared their independence, was no more a central government than before the declaration, or than the First Continental Congress in 1774, or the Stamp Act Congress of 1765. The States were only loosely tied together through the Congress, which was an interstate organization, much like the international organizations of today. It is only in some general sense that 1776 marked the beginning of “America” in the sense of American independence, i.e. of the several American States. Americans today, as I noted, seem to view their origin through the lens of the federal Union of States formed by the Constitution. Furthermore, they wrongly regard States as administrative provinces of some superstate, instead of as the sovereign entities they are, albeit ones that have loaned some of their powers to the Union of States, known as the United States. The widespread ignorance of the basic meaning of independence and the purpose of the American Revolution, which was for equality, liberty and representative government, leaves Americans vulnerable to the threats to independence and freedom today. I urge Americans to learn more about the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence, as well as the Constitution.

Pope Leo XIV Is Awarded the Medal of Freedom for His Teaching on Freedom and Migrants

The American-born Pope Leo XIV accepted the Medal of Freedom that is awarded annually by the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before Independence Day. The Bishop of Rome acknowledged through an online ceremony the promise of freedom expressed in the Declaration of Independence that 250 years ago explained the separation of the original Thirteen British Colonies in America from the United Kingdom and their declaration of independence as sovereign States. Leo, a United States citizen descended from immigrants from several countries who was born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago Illinois, observed how liberty attracted people from around the world to America, whom Americans welcomed out of love for freedom, and who contributed to America. Leo, like his predecessor Francis, whose parents had emigrated from Italy to Argentina, has spoken out against the xenophobia prevalent in Europe and America that prejudges every migrant as a threat, including refugees fleeing persecution, war, terrorism, or disaster. The American Pontiff, instead of visiting the land of his birth for its semi-quincentennial of independence, at the anti-migrant Trump Administration’s invitation, visited the Italian island of Lampedusa, off the southern coast of Sicily, which is a hotspot for refugees and immigrants from nearby North Africa and beyond to emphasize pointedly his consistent teaching on the dignity of all human beings and the Christian duty to love and welcome refugees.

Over 100 cases of Measles in Pennsylvania's Latest Outbreak

In the latest outbreak of measles in Pennsylvania, the total number of cases has exceeded 100. The outbreak is amongst the unvaccinated and is centered in Lancaster County. The County is the heart of “Pennsylvania Dutch (German) Country,” including the Anabaptists (Amish, Mennonite, etc.) who tend not to vaccinate, just like the outbreak in Texas over a year ago had spread from a Mennonite community from Mexico. That outbreak sickened well over a thousand Americans (not only Mennonites) across several States and killed two children. As I have posted, measles, the most contagious disease, is a virus that was the leading cause of deafness and that can be deadly, but is preventable by safe and effective vaccines. It was eradicated across America by the early 2000s, but increased vaccine hesitancy has decreased the herd immunity necessary to prevent contagion from spreading, just as with other preventable diseases, especially because not everyone has a sufficient immune system to allow vaccination to be effective. Therefore, measles has been spreading in America and Europe. Far-left, far-right and extreme libertarian conspiracy theories, amplified by Russian disinformation, have contributed to vaccine hesitancy, despite numerous clinical studies disproving the alleged dangers of vaccination. The rare risks of vaccination are far outweighed by the harms of the diseases they prevent or lessen the severity of. Americans should follow vaccine recommendations to prevent and eradicate preventable diseases like measles, mumps, dipthereia, etc. to protect themselves and their children, in addition to helping to keep those who are immune compromised safe from dangerous illness.

Underappreciated Founding Fathers

Americans usually understand at least some of the most significant contributions to American independence and its ideals of equality, liberty and representative republican government of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Marshall. They might know only a little or at least have only heard of Patrick Henry, George Mason and John Jay, but Americans hardly know some of the most significant Founding Fathers who ought to be better known and appreciated, not only for their patriotism during the American Revolution and the Revolutionary War, but for their significant lasting contributions to the American Revolution and its ideals, and to the republican federal Union of States. I have listed in this post the most underappreciated Founders and their most significant and enduring contributions to America. Patrick Henry of Virginia: Famous for his speech against George II in the Virginia assembly, he was also the leader of the anti-Federalists, whose concerns about the proposed Constitution led to the adoption of the Bill of Rights George Mason of Virginia: He was another key anti-Federalist and author of Virginia’s Declaration of Rights and its state Constitution, both of which became the basis for Madison's federal Bill of Rights, which became the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. John Jay of New York: Together with Madison and Hamilton, he was the author of Federalist Papers that explained the proposed Constitution and responded to objections against it, which greatly influenced the ratification of the federal charter. Jay contributed diplomatically to the independence of the federal union with the treaty named for him that removed British troops from American soil and settled other matters. He helped establish important judicial precedents as the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Richard Henry Lee of Virginia: His resolution declaring the Thirteen original British Colonies Independent sovereign States was approved by the Second Continental Congress on July 2, 1776, thereby establishing American independence, based, as the Declaration of Independence explained two days later, on equality, liberty, and consent of the governed through their representatives, and their right to take up arms to defend their freedom. Charles Carroll of Maryland: The only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence, his principled arguments not only against British tyranny, but for religious liberty against the established church that repressed freedom, even in Maryland. His proposal for Maryland's State Constitution of an electoral college, based on the College of Cardinals that elects the Bishop of Rome, for the election of the State Senate, became the inspiration at the federal Constitutional Convention for the Electoral College that elects the President and Vice President. Thomas Mifflin of Pennsylvania: As President of the Second Continental Congress in 1784, he persuaded enough of the members who had returned home after the Revolutionary War had ended, to return to Philadelphia to ratify the Treaty of Paris of 1783, the peace treaty he signed as the presiding officer of the assembly that legally ended the war, in which the British recognized American Independence and the sovereignty of the American States over the territory that extended to the Mississippi River. Edmund Randolph of Virginia: At the Constitutional Convention that was intended to strengthen the Articles of Confederation that had weakly united the States, he proposed an entirely new plan of union, which, together with other proposals, led the Delegates to consider only the formation of the Union of States under a new Constitution, instead of modifying the Articles of Confederation. Although he first opposed the Constitution, the proposed Bill of Rights encouarged him to support the document, which was a key development in its ratification. James Wilson of Pennsylvania: He had argued against British Parliamentary authority over the unrepresented Colonies. As a Delegate to the Constitutional Convention, advocated successfully for the power of the people through a popularly elected legislature and against an executive appointed by Congress, as well as for each State to ratify the Constitution by an elected convention of delegates; Wilson also insisted on a single chief executive, proposed the Electoral College to give the power to the people (through their State Legislatures or by electing Electors) to choose the President, and the three-fifths rule that drastically reduced the representation of slave States in the House of Representatives; his draft of the Constitution became the basis of the final draft. He persuaded his state convention to ratify the document in a speech that was more influential in America than the Federalist Papers. Roger Sherman of Connecticut: His compromise at the Constitutional Convention between Randolph’s Virginia Plan of Union and the New Jersey Plan of Union balanced the interests of large and small States by establishing a lower chamber of the federal Legislature based on population and an upper chamber based on the equal representation of States. Charles Pinckney of South Carolina: He contributed numerous provisions to the Constitution as a Delegate to the Constitutional Convention. Gouverneur Morris of New York and Pennsylvania: The Constitutional Convention Delegate who spoke the most often, he chaired the Committee on Style at the Constitutional Convention that finalized its draft and authored its Preamble. “The Penman of the Constitution” gave an impassioned speech at the Convention answering Randolph’s ojbections. There are other Founding Fathers who also made significant contributions to America in the Revolutionary period and the early Federal period. These men and those I have listed also influenced their States greatly during that critical period. Americans would benefit from better knowledge and appreciation of the Founding Fathers, at least of the above-listed figures, and of the Patriots and Founding generation overall. May the Founders continue to inspire Americans to cherish and defend their independence and liberty.

The 250th Anniversary of American Independence and Liberty amidst Challenges to Both

Two Hundred Fifty years ago today, on July 2, 1776 in Philadelphia’s State House (now “Independence Hall”) the Second Continental Congress approved a resolution declaring the thirteen British Colonies represented at the body to be sovereign States independent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. As they later explained in the Declaration of Independence, they were no longer loyal to the British Crown because King George II had violated their God-given rights and because the British had treated them unequally by imposing taxes and laws over them while denying them representation in Parliament. The American States, which later formed a federal union based on a republican representative government called the United States of America, have enjoyed a quarter century of independence and liberty. But it would be misleading to celebrate the anniversary while ignoring the serious challenges that undermine our enjoyment of freedom. As I have posted, our independence is challenged by foreign influence in American politics, both in terms of propaganda and disinformation to various methods of election interference, that have produced election results that have been tolerated, as well as by commercial temptations from foreign governments. And the principles of equality, liberty and representative government have been under threat not only from the Left, but increasingly from the far Right, both of which have been backed by hostile foreign powers, as I have also posted. There have been some limits of and public resistance to the slide toward authoritarianism, but not as much as needed at this critical moment in history. May Americans rediscover the causes of the American Revolution and consider the meaning of independence, and be inspired to defend their freedom. May new Patriots, in the “Spirit of 1776,” rise up to stand for independence and liberty.