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.

“Next to our liberties, most dear”

Posted on November 11, 2012 by hessd

Here’s the way I picture it.  It is April 13, 1830.  President Andrew Jackson and his Vice President, John C. Calhoun were attending a Jefferson Day dinner.  Jackson was a proponent of national dominance; Calhoun of the states’ right to … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

What Was It All About?

Posted on November 8, 2012 by hessd

The recently concluded—mostly concluded—election of 2012 is over.  What was it about?  As I look at the results and the arguments that led to them, it seems to me there are really only two questions involved.  The first is a … Continue reading →

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

Church and State

Posted on October 29, 2012 by hessd

Bette and I sat down recently with a couple we had not yet met, but with whom we would be spending the next two weeks on a bike and barge trip.  The conversation turned political fairly quickly—no surprise in an … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Gospel According to Gupta

Posted on October 23, 2012 by hessd

The question that has been on my mind for the last several weeks is this: “What do we mean when we say that a story is true?”  Is it just an old-fashioned way of saying that it is accurate?  I … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical Studies, Movies, ways of knowing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Cheating at Harvard

Posted on October 18, 2012 by hessd

I wasn’t surprised to learn that they cheat at Harvard.  I actually was surprised that some of the cheating students are suing the university, claiming that their future job prospects would be jeopardized.  Here’s the account from The Harvard Crimson. … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Tagged , | 3 Comments

No Tickee, No Shirtee

Posted on October 7, 2012 by hessd

This title represents a respected—I am fighting the urge to say “hallowed”—maxim in American life.  The phrasing is taken from the stereotypical “Chinaman” who did the laundry and gave you a ticket that would allow you to identify the laundry … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Psychology, Politics | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Cheating

Posted on September 30, 2012 by hessd

I am a teacher, so “cheating” seems like a bad idea to me, however it is justified.  On the other hand, I am a teacher of political psychology, so the way a cheater explains why he is cheating is of … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Political Psychology | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

The Battle of Favorite Aunts

Posted on August 26, 2012 by hessd

David Brooks and Paul Krugman are at it again.  I’m not as surprised as I was the first time I noticed it. This is an odd kind of disagreement.  Imagine that you and your wife are visiting the home of … Continue reading →

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Deathbed Confessions

Posted on August 22, 2012 by hessd

I’ve been thinking about deathbed confessions.  I’m feeling fine, thank you for asking, but I’ve begun to wonder what such a thing might mean.  The game, as I have heard it described in a hundred bad novels and maybe a … Continue reading →

Posted in Living My Life | Tagged | Leave a comment

Walter Possum’s Apprenticeship

Posted on August 20, 2012 by hessd

If our fathers are around, we learn from them.  That’s pretty much how it goes.  We learn good things and bad things.  We learn character and settled habits and gestures and verbal tics the father himself doesn’t even know about. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Political Psychology, ways of knowing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment