Author Archive for Marybeth Hicks

Tip Furor Shows Christians Have Their Failings
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Tip Furor Shows Christians Have Their Failings

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It’s hard to decide whether this story should be filed under “The Lord works in mysterious ways” or “Be careful what you wish for; you may get it.” A woman who goes by Pastor Alois Bell of Truth in the Word Deliverance Ministries, a storefront ministry in downtown St. Louis, claims she uses social media […]

Child Raised Well is Notable Achievement
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Child Raised Well is Notable Achievement

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Last week at a speaking engagement in Illinois, I asked my audience of parents to tell me about their kids. Not just “tell” me about them, but brag. I gave them permission to boast. Pull out the smartphone, if they wanted, to show off the photos. I had to cajole them into doing it. Hard […]

Abortion Remains a Big Deal 40 years After Roe
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Abortion Remains a Big Deal 40 years After Roe

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In this, 40th year of legalized abortion in America, Hollywood and Planned Parenthood want you to know abortion is no big deal. That’s the message we’re to infer from the recent episode of NBC’s hit show “Parenthood” titled “Small Victories,” in which the teen character Amy casually decides to abort her baby because, as she […]

"Gay Sin" Survey Reveals We’re Playing God
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“Gay Sin” Survey Reveals We’re Playing God

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I’m always on the hunt for positive news, there being such consistent media focus on the bad stuff. Most days, headlines essentially read, “Handbasket full; hell in sight.” So a recent headline caught my eye because of its positive tone: “Survey: Big drop in those who say being gay’s a sin.” According to Lifeway Research, […]

Five Steps to Take This Year to Become a Better Parent
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Five Steps to Take This Year to Become a Better Parent

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This year, rather than making resolutions to lose weight, read more books and floss for more than just the few weeks after a dental cleaning, America’s mothers and fathers should resolve to do better to raise our next generation of citizens. The result? A resurgence of skilled and solid parenting could be the key to […]

The Character of Our Culture Defines Our Children
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The Character of Our Culture Defines Our Children

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If you have access to the Internet, you likely have read a viral blog post by single mother of four Liza Long titled “I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother.” The piece has had millions of hits on the various sites on which it has been published. If you haven’t seen it, check your email. Someone has […]

With Right to Work, Hell Freezes Over in Michigan
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With Right to Work, Hell Freezes Over in Michigan

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This just in: Hell freezes over, pigs fly, Jimmy Hoffa rises from the dead, joins labor protests at state capital. I’m just kidding. We all know pigs can’t fly. The fact, however, that the Legislature of my home state of Michigan has just voted to become the nation’s 24th right-to-work state is nothing short of […]

"Two and a Half Men" Teen is the Real Grown-Up
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“Two and a Half Men” Teen is the Real Grown-Up

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Another of the stars of the hit CBS comedy “Two and a Half Men” has imploded, metaphorically speaking, but this time I’m betting the damage to the actor’s career is beyond repair. Recall that in March 2011, Charlie Sheen’s erratic behavior on the set and off finally resulted in his being canned by the producers […]

Civic Illiteracy Won the White House for Obama
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Civic Illiteracy Won the White House for Obama

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It was only 7:15 last Tuesday evening when my daughter, who works in conservative journalism, texted me to say the election was lost. For a painful four hours, I watched the results confirm her early analysis. When it was clear the president would be re-elected and Republican challenger Mitt Romney had lost, I took an […]

Time to Temper the Political Discourse
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Time to Temper the Political Discourse

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Someone should take a poll asking Americans how they feel about polling. I’m pretty sure our shared distaste for it is one thing about which nearly all of us would agree. Of all the polling data released in the week leading up to Tuesday’s election, the one that struck me as most revealing came from […]

Unmusical Pro-Obama Ditty is Seriously Laughable
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Unmusical Pro-Obama Ditty is Seriously Laughable

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About the new video from a group that calls itself the Future Children Project, which promotes its pro-Obama message in a song performed by a children’s choir: You people must be joking. Really. This agitprop is so bad I thought it was political satire. It didn’t seem possible that anyone would seriously expect American voters […]

LSU Grabs Tiger by Tail in Altering ‘Posse’ Picture
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LSU Grabs Tiger by Tail in Altering ‘Posse’ Picture

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You would think that, with Louisiana State University’s 7-1 overall record and 3-1 Southeastern Conference record, fans of the No. 6-ranked college football team would focus all their attention on the upcoming game against No. 1-ranked Alabama. Face it, this will be a big game. But seriously, folks. An interesting issue has risen out of […]

Economic Issues, Not Abortion, Worry Women Most
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Economic Issues, Not Abortion, Worry Women Most

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If it weren’t so obvious, it might be ironic. On Monday, a USA Today/Gallup poll among likely voters in the top 12 battleground states revealed a startling demographic shift: Women are moving toward Republican Mitt Romney, thanks in large measure to the candidates’ respective performances in the first presidential debate earlier this month in Denver. […]

Philadelphia Teacher Turned Citizen Mission into a Joke
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Philadelphia Teacher Turned Citizen Mission into a Joke

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The mission statement of Philadelphia’s Charles Carroll High School, displayed prominently on its website, offers a hopeful vision of an educational institution: “Providing all students with the academic, technological & social skills needed to be productive & contributing citizens in our society.” This week, the specific mention of “social skills” and citizenship likely sounds like […]

It’s Up to Parents to Pull Plug on Internet
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It’s Up to Parents to Pull Plug on Internet

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A week ago, after I gave a speech to a parent group, a mother with a difficult issue approached me. It was something she didn’t want to discuss in front of her school community during the question-and-answer session. “Basically,” she whispered, “my daughter is totally addicted to Facebook. She is on it all the time […]

Look Out for Eroding of Parental Authority
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Look Out for Eroding of Parental Authority

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It’s been an eventful week at the intersection of parenting and politics, that busy corner where decision-making often is affected by the onslaught of traffic from social engineers, liberal educators, public health experts, and civil rights activists who know better than parents what’s best for their kids. Several news stories seem to indicate that America’s […]

Academic Liberalism Replaced with Leftism
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Academic Liberalism Replaced with Leftism

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The Twitter exchange between my son and me captures the frustration of college students (and parents) all across America: Jimmy: “Teacher just suggested that we read The People’s History of America. Who doesn’t love biased liberal opinions to start the mornin #shootme” Me: “Howard Zinn!? Awesome! Your indoctrination has begun. #soproud #occupyyourliberalcollegeeducation” From the elite, […]

A Miracle Pearl
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A Miracle Pearl

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Ruth and Eric Brown didn’t expect anything to be wrong. At 20 weeks pregnant, Ruth had no indications her baby was anything but perfect. So they were completely unprepared for what they learned at a routine obstetrical ultrasound: Their third child, daughter Pearl Joy, was profoundly underdeveloped. Pearl was diagnosed in utero with alobar holoprosencephaly […]

CodePink Won’t Make Me Blush or See Red
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CodePink Won’t Make Me Blush or See Red

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A costume party at the GOP convention? Among those protesting this week at the Republican National Convention, representatives from the radical feminist group CodePink are making a strong statement for women (or is that “womyn”?) by dressing up as vaginas to oppose what they’re calling the Republican “war on women.” Talk about a powerful statement. […]

Selfish Akin Bringing GOP Down With Him
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Selfish Akin Bringing GOP Down With Him

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If “all politics is local politics,” it must be said: This is a bad week to be a Missourian. No, I don’t live in Missouri. But I’m a conservative and a pro-life advocate, so thanks to Rep. W. Todd Akin, I must necessarily worry about the U.S. Senate race in Missouri, a contest that should […]

Newswoman’s Analysis Betrays Bias … Or is it Ignorance?
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Newswoman’s Analysis Betrays Bias … Or is it Ignorance?

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It must be said: What NBC newswoman Andrea Mitchell knows about suburban moms would fit on the back of a postage stamp. Ms. Mitchell, reporting from Virginia at the Saturday rally where Mitt Romney introduced Rep. Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential running mate, announced with authority that Mr. Ryan was “not a pick for suburban […]

Mayors Chicken Out of True Family Values
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Mayors Chicken Out of True Family Values

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A chicken, a big-city mayor and a duck walk into a bar. The bartender looks up and says, “What is this, a joke?” Ba-da-bum. Unfortunately, last week’s brouhaha over remarks made by Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy is not a joke, nor is the bullying his company is experiencing at the hands of Boston Mayor Thomas […]

Penn State Penalty Unfair, but the Right Thing
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Penn State Penalty Unfair, but the Right Thing

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Every parent worth his or her salt at one time or another has done what the NCAA did this week when sanctioning Penn State University. Confronted with the misdeeds of our children, we parents often are forced to act in a manner that quickly and emphatically sends a message: Your actions have consequences, not only […]

"Story of Stuff" Videos Aim Stealth Indoctrination at Students
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“Story of Stuff” Videos Aim Stealth Indoctrination at Students

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Yesterday, I noted a sure sign that summer is nearly over: There were commercials on TV for ingredients to make school lunches. Already, the folks at Oscar Mayer are offering suggestions for how to make a lunch that kids will find nutritious and delicious, though they don’t offer any advice in the ads on how […]