“Ideas that matter,
since 1965.”

Ripon Forum
Vol. 42, No. 2

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A Note From the Chairman Emeritus

When George H.W. Bush took office as President in 1989, he inherited a country that stood atop the world stage. Economically, the nation was prosperous. Globally, the fall of the Berlin Wall was less than a year away. Times were good.

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Service and Sacrifice: What We Honor on Memorial Day

As we approach Memorial Day, we remind ourselves that there are times when duty will require sacrifice.

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Should the Unthinkable Occur:

Through the Probability of a successful nuclear-terror attack may be low, such an operation is possible and would fulfill Al Qaeda’s goal of a “spectacular” attack.

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Meeting America’s Energy Needs

It is time that we begin saying yes to American energy.

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A Thousand Points of Light

Two decades after he first spoke to the Nation about people giving something back to their communities, the former President comments on the continuing importance of volunteerism in America.

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National Service for the 21st Century

National Chief Executive Congressman from Connecticut, the presumptive Republican nominee for President not only exemplifies public service, but has a long record of encouraging it in others.

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John McCain and National Service

According to his Congressman from Connecticut, the presumptive Republican nominee for President not only exemplifies public service, but has a long record of encouraging it in others.

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The National Service Illusion

No other federal agency has better intentions than Americorps. Unfortunately its good intentions have come with a high cost and produced some questionable results.

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The Faith-Based Initiative

The Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives was established with much fanfare in 2001. Seven years later is it achieving its mission.

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How a Draft would Harm our Military

Warfare has become so complex and demanding that just two years of short service is not enough to make a competent soldier.

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Rounding Out the Ticket

… one of the best things about john McCain is his disdain for political orthodoxy.

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Ike, War and Peace in Korea

Eisenhower was a shrewd strategist who knew that U.S. success in the Cold War required a careful calibration of ends and means that preserved a winning asset- the formidable power of the American economy.

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Ripon Profile of Michael Steele

As the party of Lincoln stood with those whose hands and feet were shackled over a century ago, today we must stand with those who are shackled by a poor education, the corrosive effects of addiction and the hopelessness of lost opportunity at the hands of an opportunistic government.

By Ripon Society

Ripon Profile of Michael Steele

Name: Michael Steele
Hometown: Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Occupation: Partner, Dewey & LeBoeuf, LLP and Chairman, GOPAC
Previous Jobs: Lt. Governor of Maryland, 2003-2007
Individual(s) who inspired me as a child: My mother, Maebell, who was a sharecropper’s daughter with only a fifth grade education. As a mother, she raised her children to believe in the American Dream even though much of that dream had been denied to her. She also taught the lesson of legacy and the value of having one.
Historical figure(s) I would most like to meet: Abraham Lincoln, because the unfolding of his views on race, war and the union are a lesson in self-awareness, political gamesmanship and  perseverance.
Issue facing America that no one is talking about: Education. It’s not so much that we aren’t talking about it, we are. It’s that we’re not doing anything about it! Graduation rates, test scores, school management, teacher training, “teaching to the test” among other issues confront not just school boards and superintendents, but most especially parents and students. While principals must be empowered to manage their schools and teachers empowered to teach their students, it is the parent who must be reengaged in the education of their children. Children need many kinds of support as they mature, but parental support is the most important.
What the GOP must do to reclaim its congressional majority: As the party of Lincoln stood with those whose hands and feet were shackled over a century ago, today we must stand with those who are shackled by a poor education, the corrosive effects of addiction and the hopelessness of lost opportunity at the hands of an opportunistic government. For Republicans, the promise of America is the promise of endless possibilities; the promise of limited government so that it never becomes powerful enough to infringe on the rights of the individual and lower taxes so that individuals might keep more of their own money. Through our words and deeds, we must show them we are leaders who are in touch with the values of their community; leaders who will bring us together; leaders who will turn hope into action.

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