Essays and Speeches

First Speech Presented to the Dearborn Board of Education

In 1998, the Clinton administration was actively promoting "volunteerism" and was using political office as a bully pulpit to get local communities to adopt various compulsory means to "encourage" people, especially students, to "volunteer" in their communities. Upon hearing that the Dearborn Board of Education was one such local institution, a group of us drafted some speeches and led a charge to halt their efforts. We appeared at three such meetings. This is the first speech that I gave.

Second Speech Presented to the Dearborn Board of Education

My second speech is just a slightly modified version of my first speech in which I include a quotation from The Constitution of The United States of America.

Third Speech Presented to the Dearborn Board of Education

I really let the members of the board have it in my third speech! After attempting to reason with them twice before, it is obvious that they are not interested in hearing our side, nor that of the very angry and vocal parents who also opposed this measure. I don't hold back in this one! They actually left the room and ordered the cameras to stop rolling (local public broadcast TV covers all of their meetings).

Life and Value, by Eric J. Lakits

This is an essay that I wrote to explain why choosing to live is neither subjective nor intrinsic. I attempt to demonstrate that one's own life is an "axiomatic value" since life is the source of all values.

The Psycho-Epistemological Connection Between the Foreign and Domestic Policies of the Bush Administration, by Eric J. Lakits

In this essay, I analyze and compare the way President Bush is handling foreign and domestic affairs and offer an explanation into his psychology. He refuses to wage the war he must against Iran, and he even appeases some of our other enemies. On the home front, he is attacking corporate America and greating greater government beauracracies in the interest of "national security." How can we explain this? Find out by clicking on this link.

Death of the Automotive Industry, by Eric J. Lakits

In this essay, I demonstrate how the automotive companies are in jeopardy because rather than defend themselves against environmentalism, they are taking a suicidal approach by embracing this irrational philosophy and adopting a pragmatism as their only defense.

The Unpleasantness of Pleasantville, by Eric J. Lakits

This essay was an exercise I gave myself after coming back from seeing the movie Pleasantville. I decided to try my hand a being a philosophical movie critic. I couldn't help by notice that the movie expects the heros to choose between the equally false alternatives of intrinsicism and subjectivism.

Men Are Gods, by Eric J. Lakits

In 2002, my good friend Andrew Bernstein published his book Heart of a Pagan. A celebration was announced that would involve hiking up a small mountain to match the spirit of the book's hero. This became known as the first Hero's hike. I was living in Germany at the time and decided to fly in for the event. At the top of the mountain, 40+ people were gathered around to hear him talk about his book. Andy jokingly referred to this as his "sermon on the mount." When I got back home I was inspired to write this. This essay is slightly tongue-in-cheek, so I hope you read it in the spirit that was intended!