Onkar Ghate

The Twilight of Freedom of Speech
March 1, 2006
To fathom our government's contemptible treatment of a handful of unbowed journalists, you must see the roots of that treatment in the moral ideal Christianity bequeathed the West.
Say No to the "Self-Esteem" Pushers
July 20, 2005
A recent article in USA Today ("Enough Already With Kid Gloves," June 1) exposes some of the absurdities committed by the self-esteem movement in education, such as the prohibiting of red correction marks. It seems the color is "frightening" to students, and teachers should use more "pleasant-feeling tones." But it is dangerous to dismiss such policies as overprotective and to downplay the importance of self-esteem, as the article does. The subject requires a deeper and more philosophical analysis.
The Appeal of Ayn Rand
April 9, 2005
February 2nd marked the hundredth anniversary of the birth of one of America's most controversial and inspiring writers, Ayn Rand. She continues to be wildly popular among the young: some 14,000 high school students per year submit entries to essay contests on her novels and, in the past two years alone, high school teachers have requested over 130,000 copies of Anthem and The Fountainhead to use in their classrooms.