Ron Miller's Blog: Ron's Reflections, page 3

Make God Big Again

I was drifting off to sleep for a Sunday afternoon nap when my phone and smartwatch buzzed with a notification. I was jolted awake by the news that President Biden had announced on Twitter/X that he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsing his running mate and the nation’s vice president, Kamala Harris. I wrote last time that the parallels between this election year and the 1968 presidential campaign were striking and worrying, given that year's turbulent nature. I mentioned ...

The aftermath

It has been an extraordinary week in American politics, and my prediction that 2024 would be a challenging year for our nation has come to pass, and we’re barely halfway through it. I watched last week’s events from an unusual vantage point; I was with my wife in the Dominican Republic, celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. The balmy but breezy tropical setting and the break from the routine left me more relaxed than ever but also gave me time to think and reflect on current events and what ...

The chill of a "Second American Revolution"

As we commemorate the 248th birthday of the United States of America, some news items caught my attention and disturbed me greatly because they represent the potential for a violent end to the American experiment as we know it.

The first of these news items revolves around Steve Bannon, who envisions himself, as New York Times columnist David Brooks puts it, “as populism’s grand strategist, its propagandist, its bad-boy visionary.” Bannon uses his podcast, “War Room,” to promote his vision for A...

Whose responsibility is it to "disagree better?"

Gov. Cox,

First of all, congratulations on your victory over a MAGA-endorsed Republican in the gubernatorial primary. Brigham Young University political science professor Chris Karpowitz observed, “Utah continues to be reticent to fully adopt MAGA-style politics.” Given that the MAGA takeover of the 170-year-old Grand Old Party has been swift, sweeping, and without precedent, that is a notable achievement.

Part of the reason for Utah’s unique posture may be its deeply rooted Mormon faith, which Pr...

What manner of man?

If you are not familiar with American evangelical culture, you would probably look upon the spectacle of a Christian men’s conference with some puzzlement and maybe even some alarm. Events like axe throwing, boxing matches, hunting and fishing seminars, monster truck or motocross racing, and even sword swallowing are mixed in with bearded or burly guest speakers, current and former professional athletes or coaches prominent among them, and music performers; the louder, the better. Here is a typi...

War of Words

I imagine that Americans who keep to themselves and don’t raise their voices are covering their eyes and ears to shield themselves from the name “Harrison Butker.” The Kansas City Chiefs kicker is currently at the center of the American culture wars because of his commencement speech at Benedictine College earlier this month, and neither his defenders nor his critics will be swayed from their positions on what he said. Mr. Butker, as prideful as the man in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax...

Understanding the times

When I set out to write this piece, I thought I’d discuss what has probably become the most infamous commencement speech in recent memory. I certainly have some thoughts on it, although my view is relatively nuanced and not inflammatory—at least, I think so. However, it feels like piling on to devote an entire article to the topic, especially since an order of nuns rebuked him. Being scolded by nuns from an order called Mt. Saint Scholastica, the perfect designation for an order that founded and...

'Manhunt,' 'Civil War,' and Faux Patriots

My daughter and I watched the Apple TV+ series Manhunt, which centers around the search for John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. In the same week, we saw the film Civil War. The juxtaposition of these two media events was quite disturbing, and it got me thinking about where history has brought us and where it might be leading us.

Manhunt is a sensationalized account based on history, so some liberties were taken in telling the story. However, it was factual and unfl...

The news that's fit

The Atlantic recently published an article chastising news outlets for putting their reporting behind paywalls during the 2024 presidential campaign in the U.S. The writer acknowledged the irony that his article was probably behind a paywall, and, as a subscriber to The Atlantic, I can attest to that. His point is that people will seek out free and less reliable sources of information if they cannot access credible news reports without paying for them.

Paywalls create a two-tiered system: credib...

A housekeeping note

I want to thank my subscribers from the bottom of my heart for your interest in Ron’s Reflections! When I started this journey, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve tried other writing platforms and had a personal website for a while, but the response to my Substack articles has exceeded my expectations. I hope I continue to provide content that keeps you reading and motivates you to share my work with others.

To that end, I significantly revised the About page of Ron’s Reflections, adding my bio a...