“Reading a Book is Like Life:
You Live it One Page at a Time.” (Ron Yates)
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About Ronald E. Yates
Author, former foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, and Dean & Professor Emeritus of the College of Media at the University of Illinois, his acclaimed works are now available through this site.
The Latest From My Blog
FINDING BILLY BATTLES: An Account of Peril, Transgression, And Redemption
And now for something completely different, as they used to say on the old Monty Python show. It occurred to me that some of my followers may not have read my Finding Billy Battles trilogy, so I thought I would introduce those folks to Billy Battles—the main character in the …
Old Hairy Legs Rides Again
Today, I am reposting a perceptive commentary that appeared yesterday in the blog produced by former Chicago Tribune colleague John Kass. It is by Marie T. Sullivan and posits that e-devices such as the iPhone, iPad, etc., may be Satan’s latest attempt to corrupt us humans and drive us mad …
Some Inconvenient Truths about Slavery & Reparations in America
A few weeks ago, a committee in San Francisco released a proposal for reparations that includes a one-time payment of $5 million to each eligible Black resident. If enacted, the proposal could cost the city, which has a 2022-2023 budget of $14 billion, roughly $50 billion. I’m a poor mathematician, …
“Given ’em Hell Harry:” Reflections on Plain Speaking President Harry S Truman
Today I am posting about one of my favorite presidents: Harry S. Truman. And I’m not even a Democrat. Of course, I doubt if Truman would even recognize today’s Democrat Party. It has moved so near to socialism as to be almost undistinguishable from that habitually failed governmental system and …
Aphorisms and Adages to Help You Get Through the Day
A friend sent me this list of aphorisms and adages the other day, and each one had such a ring of truth about it that I decided to share it with my followers and others who read my blog. But just what is an aphorism? And what’s an adage? Well, …
One person’s “hate speech” is another person’s “free speech”
Let me say right off: I do not believe in the idea of hate speech. One person’s “hate speech” is another person’s “free speech.” In that regard, the American Civil Liberties Union and I are in 100 percent agreement. More on the ACLU later. In a previous post, I talked …
Can America Survive Our Snowflake Population?
Today I am sharing a post by John Green, a fellow columnist at the America Free News Network. He examines America’s burgeoning “snowflake” population—mostly young men and boys who he says are “weak of body, mind, and spirit.” The fact that 71 percent of America’s 17- to 24-year-olds were ineligible for military service due to lack of education, …
Gallup: Americans gloomy about 2023! Are you surprised?
Today I am reprinting a Gallup poll that shows most Americans have a pessimistic and gloomy outlook about 2023. Why am I not surprised by that? What is there to be optimistic about? Inflation continues unabated; our border is a sieve, with millions of people flooding into our country illegally …
It’s 2023 & Time to Challenge Incessant COVID Lies
For almost three years, we have been bombarded with misinformation, misperception, and one lie after another when it comes to our seemingly never-ending battle with the COVID-19 virus and its apparently endless variants. First, we were told cloth face masks didn’t work when it comes to avoiding infection from COVID. …
16 numbers that shaped 2022
I am sharing this look back at 2022 that I received from USAFacts. It is a numbers-driven, all-angles look back at 2022. Here are some highlights. This has been a year of rising prices, the war in Ukraine, landmark Supreme Court decisions, and delayed flights. The nation still averages thousands …
How the Media are Brainwashing Us to Believe the “Woke New Normal”
There is an old maxim that goes: “Figures lie, and liars figure.” What follows is an excellent example of that adage. We are constantly bombarded by images, commentaries, and dodgy statistics about our nation that do not reflect demographic or social reality. Watch movies, TV series, and television commercials critically …
A Lesson on Gun Control from Wounded Knee
Recently I received an e-mail reminding me that December 29 will be the 131st Anniversary of the murder of 297 Lakota Sioux at Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. These Native Americans, in their winter camp, were murdered on Dec. 29, 1891, by federal …
