Articles written by Tom Ontis - Page 2

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About me - Tom Ontis

I am a retired social studies teacher. I attended San Francisco State University, graduating with a Bachelor's of Arts in Political Science in 1976. Subsequently I obtained my teaching credential from Califoria State University, Sacramento in 1989.

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Arts & Humanities > Colonial & Early American History The presidency of Thomas Jefferson: 1 of 4
Thomas Jefferson, out third president, is considered by many historians to have been our most intelligent president, only even closely equaled by Abraham Lincoln. We know that Jefferson was the main author of the Declaration of Independence. He had a long career as a politician, an educator, an architect and an inventor. He f... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Party Politics & Ideology Choosing a political party: 12 of 38
My father was truly a blue collar worker. He drove a truck, picked up and delivered equipment to job sites, painted equipment as needed. For all this he brought home less than $10K per year and managed to raise a family on it. My parents bought some acreage, built two houses, (which I now own because of my mother's death,) bo... More..
Sports & Recreation > Baseball History The best managers in the history of baseball: 3 of 9
I grew up in the Bay Area. Though mainly a Giants fan, I too have followed the Oakland A's, which, much to my dismay, have been in the post season way more than the Giants. The A's seem to play exciting balk and in many of their 40 years in Oakland have been in the thick of competition.For a few years in the 80's, we had the ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Leaders (Other) Top ten presidents in American history: 7 of 19
As a student/teacher/observer of American History and Government, it is always fun (some of my friends think my mind is warped when I call history 'fun') to consider just who were the greatest presidents in the 208 years since the office was created by the Constitution. Everyone has their own list based upon many different cr... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Politics (Other) Michael Moore: His contributions to film and politics: 4 of 10
Seems the movies made by Michael Moore over the past decade have always have the word controversial attached to them. He thrashed the auto industry in 'Roger & Me,' questioned the need for guns in 'Bowling for Columbine,' and took on the Bush Administration in 'Fahrenheit 911.' For the films he has been called unpatriotic and... More..
Politics, News & Issues > War & Peace Will there ever be a chance for world peace?: 44 of 109
One of the constants in the history of our world is war. I have a book at home that details many of the wars that have been fought in this world. The big ones like the two world wars and the Spanish-American War get the most play, but some of the lesser known ones show up also.Firstly and I have told my school kids this: Ther... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Party Politics & Ideology Third-party politics in America: History and future: 6 of 14
After the 1864 Presidential election, in which Abraham Lincoln was re-elected and Andrew Johnson was elected as his Vice President as members of the Union Party, there has never been a president that has not been either a Democrat or Republican. A number have tried: Norman Thomas ran as a Socialist six times from 1928 to 1948... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Government & Policies The duties of the United States Congress: 5 of 11
In a representative democracy, such as ours, Congress is meant to represent the views of the people that elected them. Members of both the House of Representatives and the United States Senate are elected by popular vote of the districts and states they represent. A little known provision for those running for House seats: Th... More..
Jobs & Careers > Education Jobs What you need to know before you become a teacher: 7 of 15
By practice, teachers are dreamers. They dream of a classroom that is well behaved, is eager to learn and will always be nice to one another. But the hard, cold realities are all the opposite. I know, because I am a teacher. Despite all of these factors, rolled in with thousands of others, I still like my job and it is not ju... More..
Hobbies & Games > Hobbies & Games (Other) Reading as a hobby: Escape in a good book: 36 of 75
When I am asked what hobbies I have, reading is always on the top of my list. As a history teacher, I read mainly non-fiction. Once in a while,I might throw in some fiction, like something from Louis L'Amour. I consider reading a pure pleasure and I like to block out some time during the day for the expressed purpose of readi... More..