“And I’ll have to say this: This was the worst job I ever had, but it was one of the best things I’ve ever done.”
Rep. Denver Riggleman: Reflecting on His Two Years in D.C.
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Erich J. Prince
Erich J. Prince is the editor at Merion West. Erich has contributed to a variety of publications including The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Hartford Courant, The News & Observer, the Orlando Sentinel, and The Hill. His opinion writing has been honored with two awards from the Columbia University School of Journalism. He studied political science at Yale, completing his thesis on the history of polarization in the United States Congress.
Author: Erich J. Prince
Erich J. Prince is the editor at Merion West. Erich has contributed to a variety of publications including The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Hartford Courant, The News & Observer, the Orlando Sentinel, and The Hill. His opinion writing has been honored with two awards from the Columbia University School of Journalism. He studied political science at Yale, completing his thesis on the history of polarization in the United States Congress.
“The American People”—a Phrase Worth Discarding
“…there are perhaps a few other aspects of the phrase that ought to make it first on the chopping block when considering which expressions really out to be expunged immediately from our national discourse.”
Rep. Susan Wild’s Bipartisan Initiative for Pandemic-related Child Care
“For Rep. Wild, this bill might also provide a foundation for downstream economic normalization; if child care is more accessible, the argument goes, then it becomes less burdensome for parents to return to work, seek out new potential employment, or continue their own education.”
“Holding the Powerful Accountable”—Empty Words?
“The holding the powerful accountable phrase resonates as it does—and, presumably, is chosen by the news media’s back-patters—because it is, indeed, precisely what a news media should be doing.”
Interview: Rep. Susan Wild on How Congress Can Respond to the Pandemic
“The problem is, though, we can’t rely on volunteerism, donations, and gifts for much longer because—quite frankly—most of these places are getting pretty tapped out.”
Interview: Rep. Jody Hice on “Defund the Police” and Big Tech Censorship
“But there is no question that we’ve got some major issues, and free speech is so dependent these days on these big tech companies, so they have to be very careful that free speech is protected. And, of course, there’s a pattern now that shows otherwise…”
And They’ve Come for the Founders
“However, as one watches the Founders find their way into the crosshairs of so many, perhaps the obvious needs to be restated.”
Columbus Belongs Not Only to History
“And one example of this—among others—is how prominently he features in a particular tradition of philosophy: that of philosophical pessimism.”
Going Deeper Than a Famous Quotation or Two
“By inviting further exploration of a quotation’s origin, we might re-discover great and complicated thinkers, who, it turns out, have far more to offer than a single phrase.”
Interview: “Trump Wins in 2020: (With the Popular Vote)”
“So over the holidays, I’ve visited several people in the Black community, and they have been very impressed with what they see Trump do.”
Merion West: Why We Do What We Do
“Just as some married couples renew their vows, we, as a publication, will take a moment to do the same and explain why we’re still doing what we’re doing.”
Editor’s Choice: The Best Interviews of 2019
As is tradition at Merion West, here are the editor’s choices for our favorite Merion West interviews of 2019.
Editor’s Choice: The Best Articles of 2019
As is tradition at Merion West, here are the editor’s choices for our favorite Merion West articles of 2019.
Why Yasmine Mohammed Is Speaking out Against Islam (Part II)
“Actually, the two things that ex-Muslims let go of—the very last two things that they let go of—are eating pork and anti-Semitism. It’s because both of these things are so ingrained in us from such a young age.”
Why Yasmine Mohammed Is Speaking out Against Islam
“What I was not prepared for was the tsunami of just hate and pushback and disdain that would come from people I thought were my people: people that believed in enlightenment values, Western values, and liberal values.”