Conservative talk

By Bryan Hyde COMMENTARY -- Do those who are willing to suffer for taking a stand have more credibility than those who are not?  The willingness to be publicly misunderstood, misrepresented or falsely accused is among the most selfless things a person can do. Kn ...

By Bryan Hyde COMMENTARY -- There is a growing need for a return to civility, not just in politics, but also in virtually every area of modern life. Whether it’s demonizing those who hold a different point of view or an angry middle finger salute from a passing motorist, rudeness and contempt for one another appear to be on the increase.  Le ...

By Bryan Hyde COMMENTARY -- Ever stop to consider how much politics can drive our daily decisions, if we allow it to do so? For instance, do we only drive a certain type of car because it reflects where we stand? We all know people who will only drive American-made automobiles, or green vehicles, or cars made by manufacturers that never took bailout money or tried to cheat on emissions tests ... R

By Bryan Hyde Thanks to the negative connotation of a cigar-chomping gunslinger, few of us would aspire to be remembered as an outlaw.  But the truth is that not all outlaws are bad guys. What is the right kind of outlaw? Writer Claire Wolfe answered this question several years ago when she described “freedom outlaws.”  She sa ...

By Bryan Hyde COMMENTARY -- Would you rather be known for what you stand for or known by what you’re against? Being against something or someone is almost always the path of least resistance. It is depressingly easy to define ourselves by enemy-driven thinking. But ...

By Bryan Hyde COMMENTARY -- Our society is currently seeing a growing loss of empathy – the ability to put ourselves in the other guy’s shoes.  A friend once shared an incident from early in his career as a police officer when he was called to a homeless shelter where a parking enforcement officer was preparing to have a man’s van towed away for unpaid parking tickets. The meter maid smile ... Rea

By Bryan Hyde COMMENTARY -- Anyone who brags about having no enemies is most likely a person who is having very little impact on the world. No one likes to be attacked, smeared or disparaged, yet the greatest measure of the kind of impact we’re having can be found in the opposition we face. Elb ...

By Bryan Hyde COMMENTARY -- For much of human history, knowledge was very difficult to obtain. Most people spent the great bulk of their lives simply working to survive. Education was reserved for the elite. The Industrial Age ushered in schooling for the masses, but it wasn’t until just a few generations ago that higher learning became a possibility for almost everyone.  Ev ...

By Bryan Hyde Commentary -- The past couple of years have provided many examples of what dissent looks like. As may be expected, it can take many different forms -- not all of them pleasing to everyone. As much as we may try to convince ourselves that unity should be prized above all, dissenting voices can bring much needed perspective and ideas to counter the herd mentality ...

By Bryan Hyde Commentary -- If we’re serious about promoting racial harmony, here’s an example we might consider following.  Blues musician Daryl Davis has persuaded no less than 200 individuals to leave the Ku Klux Klan. One or two might have been an aberration. Scores of succe ...