Author Archives: hessd

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About hessd

Here is all you need to know to follow this blog. I am an old man and I love to think about why we say the things we do. I've taught at the elementary, secondary, collegiate, and doctoral levels. I don't think one is easier than another. They are hard in different ways. I have taught political science for a long time and have practiced politics in and around the Oregon Legislature. I don't think one is easier than another. They are hard in different ways. You'll be seeing a lot about my favorite topics here. There will be religious reflections (I'm a Christian) and political reflections (I'm a Democrat) and a good deal of whimsy. I'm a dilettante.

The Five Big Issues in Supreme Court’s Current Term: Affirmative Action

Posted on October 13, 2013 by hessd

This is the third of five posts.  I covered the Court’s opportunity to deal with campaign reform the day before yesterday; yesterday it was abortion; today it is affirmative action.  All five issues and the associated cases are drawn from … Continue reading →

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The Five Big Issues of the Supreme Court’s Current Term: Abortion

Posted on October 12, 2013 by hessd

This is the second of five posts.  I covered the Court’s opportunity to deal with campaign reform yesterday; today, it is abortion’s turn.  All five issues and the associated cases are drawn from this article by Alan Liptak in the New … Continue reading →

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The Five Big Issues in the Supreme Court’s Current Term: Campaign Finance

Posted on October 11, 2013 by hessd

This is the first of five posts.  Each of the five issues gives you an opportunity to ask yourself, “Just what do I mean when I say I am a liberal or a conservative (or whatever designation you use for … Continue reading →

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God Loves the U. S. Senate

Posted on October 8, 2013 by hessd

What if the way out of the political crisis turns out to have nothing at all to do with character?  Would that be embarrassing?  Would God be surprised? Dr. Barry C. Black is the Chaplain of the U. S. Senate … Continue reading →

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Still a Family

Posted on October 7, 2013 by hessd

The men in this picture are the family among whom I grew up.  Our parents died nearly thirty years ago, and we have related to each other differently since then.  We have been much closer since then.  I think there … Continue reading →

Posted in Living My Life | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Why We Shut the Government Down

Posted on October 3, 2013 by hessd

Today is the third day of the shutdown of the federal government.  This would be the result of a tantrum on the order of “I’m going to hold my breath until I turn blue” if there were only one government … Continue reading →

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I’m Either Sleepy or Angry

Posted on September 22, 2013 by hessd

This is an honest dilemma.  We’ll talk about what a lemma is in just a moment.  It may not be a dilemma for this particular child, whom Bette says is about 8 months old.  And even if it were a … Continue reading →

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Why I Became a Political Psychologist

Posted on September 21, 2013 by hessd

I didn’t know it at the time, but I became a political psychologist so I could study stories like this from all different angles.  The top of this story is how the City of Portland (Oregon) is handling the question … Continue reading →

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The Putin Critique

Posted on September 16, 2013 by hessd

Every time I taught P.S. 102 at Portland State University, we studied the effect of the electronic media on American politics.  And every time we studied that, we discovered that “bias” was everywhere.  Everyone who cared enough about an issue … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Psychology, Politics | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

With Your Eyes So Blue (not Green, but Blue)

Posted on September 13, 2013 by hessd

Today, I want to think a little about one of the densest and most debated texts I know.  It is the Prologue to the Gospel of John, found in Chapter 1, verses 1—18.  These verses have made and ruined academic … Continue reading →

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