May 20
We drive by them daily, maybe thousands of times, but don’t even know what they say or why they are there. As a culture we place value on marking graves with marble headstones as memorials to our loved ones. We visit battlefields that are covered with memorials honoring valiant soldiers. We go to church and …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/what-is-the-purpose-of-memorials/
Oct 29
It is election time across our nation. Most of our focus goes to the executive and legislative branches of our government. But there is a third branch of government that has great influence and power in our nation. While I am aware that many judges are elected too, for the most part our national dialogue …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/our-neglected-leaders/
Sep 11
I write these words on September 11, 2019. My Facebook news feed is filled with posts about 9/11. Most of the posts say something like . . . “Don’t Forget,” “Remember 9/11,” “Never Forgotten,” or “Always in Our Hearts.” All of these expressions of remembrance caused me to reflect on the importance of remembering. Remembering …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/never-forget/
Jul 02
“We the people” is how our founding fathers chose to open the Constitution. These three words appear in large font on the opening Preamble. For years children across America memorized the Preamble. It speaks to the true authority and power behind the Constitution. Lincoln would stand on the hallowed grounds of Gettysburg shortly after that …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/we-the-people-must-guard-freedom/
Oct 24
Christians value courage. Americans esteem courage. We seek to be courageous and teach our kids to be courageous. So this has formed a natural link in our minds that courage is always right and good. Being courageous isn’t necessarily right or good. Just because someone has courage, in the sense that they do something that …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/dont-equate-courage-with-righteousness/
May 26
Our freedoms have not come without a cost! John Quincy Adams who was President from 1825-29 said this . . . “Posterity–you will never know how much it has cost my generation to persevere your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it.” What would he think now? Consider that word “cost” …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/are-we-making-good-use-of-our-freedom/
Jun 26
Since the terrible tragedy in Charleston, South Carolina where a murderous hate crime was committed against a historically African-American church killing 9 worshippers the Confederate flag has come under attack. There has been a desire to take it down from the state grounds where it flies over a Confederate memorial in Charleston. This subject is …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/handling-our-historic-failures-should-we-remove-history/
Sep 11
This is the solemn anniversary of one of our great national tragedies. It has come to be represented with three numerals – 9-1-1. It is hard to believe it has been 13 years since that terrible September morning. Yet here in 2014, we continue to see more terroristic threats. Recently we have all been appalled at …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/because-of-who-their-god-is/
Jul 04
One of the best history books you can read is the book “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand which tells the unbelievable story of Louis Zamperini. The story is coming out in movie form soon. He survived incredible horrors at sea, and then in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. It is a great story of survival, …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/in-honor-of-zamperini-and-happy-4th-of-july/
Oct 22
Author’s Note: The following is a much longer post than I typically write, but I think it well worth your time to read. I wrote this article for the June 2009 issue of Think Magazine. George Washington has long been a personal hero. The below article shares one of my favorite stories from his life. …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/the-character-of-george-washington/
