Dr. Tony Beam

: By Tony Beam; Published: 26 October 2009

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity....” The opening lines of Charles Dickens classic, A Tale of Two Cities, serve as a reminder of the social parallels that existed between France and London in the years leading up to the French Revolution. Dickens original work was not published as a complete novel but was revealed through weekly installments in the Dickens’ literary periodical All the Year Round. Readers who were hooked by the story line had to patiently wait as the drama of Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton unfolded from week to week.

: By Tony Beam; Published: 28 July 2009

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, the movie version of the novel by John Godey is currently enjoying a cinematic revival at the American Box Office. Modern moviegoers are once again thrilling to the story of armed men who hijack a New York City subway train, holding the passengers hostage in return for ransom. The original film premiered in November of 1974 with Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw in the starring roles. The present incarnation of the film features John Travolta as the just-released-from-prison, mastermind felon named Ryder, who engineers the hijacking. Denzel Washington plays the part of Walter Garber, an everyday dispatcher who is drawn into the drama by chance and is forced by Ryder to play a pivotal role in the chaos.

: By Tony Beam; Published: 14 July 2009

Americans love liberty. Dissect the heart of a patriot and you will find the DNA of freedom. Listen closely to a patriot as he or she reveals the musings of their mind and you will hear a fixation on personal liberty. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, so a true American patriot abhors the thought of chains.

That is why tears well up in our eyes when we see the image and hear the voice of Ronald Reagan standing at the Berlin Wall telling Mr. Gobachev to tear it down. It is why we resonate with the words of Thomas Jefferson who said, “Liberty is to the collective body what health is to every individual body. Without health, no pleasure can be tasted by man; without liberty, no happiness can be enjoyed by society.”

: By Tony Beam; Published: 14 July 2009

I need to put all my cards on the table. I am a huge supporter of Governor Mark Sanford. For six and a half years he has tried to hold the line on the growth of government in South Carolina. You have to love a guy who brings pigs into the legislature to make a point about pork. His methods of communication may seem eccentric but his unyielding commitment to fiscal responsibility has won him a broad majority of support in South Carolina.

He has said “no” to government spending in every way imaginable. He has vetoed the entire state budget and he has vetoed the budget one line at a time. Regardless of the method, the legislature always had the votes to override the vetoes or otherwise defeat Sanford’s attempts at fiscal restraint.

: By Dr. Tony Beam; Published: 15 June 2009

Since the election of President Obama, marriage has been under a relentless assault as proponents of same-sex marriage sense the tide of public opinion turning in their favor. The new White House website, which was posted on the day of President Obama’s inauguration, calls for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. In relatively quick succession, the Iowa and Connecticut state supreme courts declared same-sex marriage legal and Vermont became the first state to pass same-sex marriage through their legislature. The people of Iowa have yet to have their say in the matter and it is likely, if the legislature will allow it, there will be a constitutional amendment protecting marriage on a future Iowa ballot that will pass with plenty of votes to spare.