2005 | 2004 | 2003

John Leo is a contributing editor for U.S.News & World Report, and his column on the state of our culture appears weekly in 140 newspapers across the country. Leo has covered the social sciences and intellectual trends for Time magazine and the New York Times. He is also the author of two books: Two Steps Ahead of the Thought Police and a book of humor, How the Russians Invented Baseball and Other Essays of Enlightenment.

2003 Columns

Foiling those evil Grinches: Some spoilsports want to ban Christmas carols and Hanukkah songs from schools. (12/29/03)

The extreme sport of insult: So if you feel like calling somebody a fascist, go right ahead. (12/22/03)

Splitting society, not hairs: The title of the study said it all: 'Evenly Divided and Increasingly Polarized.' (12/15/03)

Hey, we're all victims here: A "Dignity in Law" campaign is working to stamp out lawyer jokes. (12/8/03)

Supreme arrogance at work: 'Do it our way, or we'll do it ourselves' was the clear message. (12/1/03)

A surprising jog to the right: The antiliberals are brash…and cool. Who would have thought? (11/24/03)

Script doctors wanted: How the TV series about the Gipper succumbed to self-righteousness. (11/17/03)

The Sheldon–it's baaack: President Turner declined to intervene, letting the censors win. (11/10/03)

The good-news generation: Gen Y is not turning out to be the edgy, cynical, ironic cohort many expected. (11/3/03)

Trouble at Guantánamo: Ahmad al-Halabi, a U.S. Air Force interpreter, is accused of espionage. (10/27/03)

The recycling of reputations: We are not supposed to recall that Sharpton was an unprincipled racial agitator. (10/20/03)

Some thoughts on scandal: The real problem is that Limbaugh's comment was so wrongheaded. (10/13/03)

The truth, the whole truth: The countryside is getting more safe by the day despite all the attacks you are hearing about. (10/6/03)

Citizenship on the cheap: Compassionate incoherence on this issue is politically mandatory because the Latino vote is in play. (9/22/03)

Ignoring radical racialism: Defenders of MEChA portray it as a benign social group now distant from its radical roots. (9/15/03)

The high and the mighty: Depicting tallness as evil may be the last safe prejudice to have. (8/18/03)

Playing diversity football: The diversity rule requires elaborate charades to be played out in public. (8/11/03)

A case of stacking the deck: Are things in Iraq really as bad as the media say, or are reporters merely pushing their own agendas? (7/28/03)

Creeping transnationalism: When American courts start looking abroad for guidance, expect trouble. (7/21/03)

The Supremes' sophistry : Decisions designed to delight the elites. (7/14/03)

Now cut that out!: The "language police" should leave schools alone. (6/30/03)

Pushing the bias button: American Muslims need to begin an honest dialogue. (6/9/03)

Graduation daze: Students react quickly to gassy speakers. (6/2/03)

Black, white, and red-faced: Diversity-mongers tend to disregard standards. (5/26/03)

Trouble at the Times: Are racial preferences to blame for what went wrong? (5/19/03)

Taking it off the streets: Increasingly, protesters are being banished to faraway sites. (5/12/03)

Anger mismanagement: Will the Supreme Court defend sexual privacy? (5/5/03)

Wonders of the war: The freedom of one Arab nation could have an impact on others. (4/28/03)

Befuddled in Baghdad: War critics gloss over Saddam's cruelty to young and old alike. (4/21/03)

Antiwar mongering: The Hitlerization of Bush is particularly outlandish. (4/7/03)

The truth about casualties: The Iraqi regime, of course, is eager for high numbers. (3/31/03)

A time for certainty: While some waver, Bush is set to meet the threat. (3/24/03)

Springtime for Saddam: There is no longer any point to play the U.N. game of delay. (3/17/03)

Protection for protesters: RICO was used to smear activists as racketeers. (3/10/03)

Heat from the street: What are Americans really thinking? Check out the Web. (2/24/03)

Nanny boo-boos: Someday soon, being a bully could get you a ticket. (2/17/03)

That flailing feeling: A new study shows the ill effects of racial preferences. (2/10/03)

Sins of admission: The American people support diversity—but not preferences. (1/27/03)

Lament of the liberals: The left-leaning press feels battered by conservative radio. (1/20/03)

Playing the bias card: Campuses target evangelicals for their views on homosexuality. (1/13/03)