by Mike Pyatt

French philosopher Rene Descarte is known for this Latin proposition “Cogito ergo sum,” usually translated into English, “I think, therefore I am.” A fundamental element of Western philosophy, circa 1644, as it appeared in his Principles of Philosophy. Translated into French, “je sense, done je suit,” he asserted that the very act of considering one’s thought served, at a minimum, as proof of one’s own existence. In a similar vein, the Scriptures posited, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” The former is the existential validation of one’s self: The latter’s a validation of internal authenticity. It doesn’t mean, as one duped California junior college student described himself, “An overweight five-foot-two, white male. But today, I’m a six-foot-five, svelte female from Senegal.” Feelings and severely compromised intuition are prized over rational thought and biological facts. Modernity’s proposition, “I feel, therefore, I am.” read more

by Mike Pyatt

Since our Founders framed this Republic, the notion of patriot citizens serving honorably and briefly, with rare exceptions, has diminished with the passage of time. There’s been a load of self serving. Unfortunately, the constituency being served is too often large donors, money bundlers, political strategist, and a myriad of “invisible hands.” Much like the wind, we don’t see it, but we surely feel it. A gentle breeze has turned into a raging destructive force as voters once again fail to understand the precarious nature of campaigns and political outcomes. “Draining the swamp” has been easier to say than to carry it out. Those creatures aren’t easily eradicated anywhere. Whether it’s D.C. or Cheyenne. read more