Home of Today's Common Sense

Published Brownsville Herald Sept. 27 2010

October is “Filipino American History Month” .
I have lived and worked in the Philippines and married one of these wonderful people. I found that most were very family oriented and genuinely decent folks.
Here in the Rio Grande Valley there is a substantial community of “Filipinos” contributing to Valley progress.
The Filipino-American History like the appearance of the people, is very similar to their cousins in the rest of “Spanish” America especially Mexico. I would like to submit a few snap-shots of the Filipino-American History.
Unknown to many people, Filipino American history began on October
18,1587 with a landing party consisting of Filipino seamen, sent to the California shore to claim the land for the Spanish king. They arrived in an area known as Morro Bay, California. It is also recorded in the ship manifests that there may have been Japanese and Chinese passengers on board as well.
From 1565 to 1815, during the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade, Filipinos were forced to work as sailors and navigators on board Spanish Galleons and were probably the first Asians to cross the Pacific Ocean, fifty years before the first English settlement of Jamestown was established. I wonder if there is a Filipino community in Acapulco. More »

Published Brownsville Herald 9/13/2010

Freedom is a word that is in the media with regularity. We use it in many contexts usually describing something we either claim we have or hope we recover from some lost place.
My associates and I recently sponsored an essay competition related to freedoms and rights and Glen Beck led a Rally on the National Mall to “recover freedom” that attracted perhaps 500,000 or more attendees. We Libertarians claim that Freedom is the foundation on which our party stands.
What is this concept that is credited with being the moving force that is responsible for the birth of the United States?
How often have we heard, “I got my rights” Or “We are free people in the United States”. Where do our rights and freedoms come from and how are they assured to us year after year; has the nations concept changed over the last two hundred fifty plus years?
The first thirteen colonies were first settled primarily by people from England that wanted to be able to practice their religion without interference from the national religion “The Church of England”. As time went on the colonists established profitable businesses that sometimes became competitive with those in England or other enterprises owned by prominent friends of the Royalty. This resulted in extraordinary taxes and business concessions to benefit the friends of the politically powerful. We have similar circumstances today that Thomas Jefferson foresaw. He gave us an ominous warning in the form of suggestions which our politicians have ignored and for that we are now paying, More »