Category: Politics and Government

About Those Monuments (and Streets, and Entryways, and Schools…)

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The Drive to Correct Old Wrongs is Exactly Right – But Expect Problems

Will We, at Last, Do the Right Thing?

It seems that most, if not almost all, confederate monuments are coming down. Most by formal governmental action, almost all by citizen demand, some by mob action. More on that last category in a moment.

The discussion of why these things need to come down has taken root. The most recent poll shows that a majority of Americans (52%) agree they should come down. That percentage will continue to grow. In my own home area,

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Yes, I Hear What You are Saying, But…

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There are Difficult but Promising Conversations Going on Now. Here, Some Help in Having Them

I have been fascinated, and often encouraged, by the conversations going on right now in our country about who we are and who we want to be as a nation. Some of these are really tough and awkward. Some of the toughest ones are in our own heads. People are asking themselves if they are as open minded as they thought. Am I as unbiased as I think I am? I sympathize with others, but have I really been listening? Do I have any grasp of what others are living and thinking?

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READ THIS DOCUMENT

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For the First Time in this Blog I am Linking a Single Document – Read It

I Have Something for You

Regular readers know that I often make reference to other articles, documents, and videos, encouraging you to read them to learn more about the topic at hand. Today we take that a step further.

I am going to say very little about this document, except to say that I think it is extraordinary and well worth your time to peruse.  We are in a time of great turmoil and challenge in our country.

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Loose Odds and Ends

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We Have Discussed Some Big Issues of Late – Let’s Revisit a Few with New Inputs                      

 

Let’s See – Where DID I Put that?

Almost everyone I know has “the drawer” in their home. You know, the one that seems to be the catch-all for everything that does not have a place to go. I regret to say I have 2-3 of these around my home. My whole garage may qualify for that status.

Writing a blog inevitably creates a digital drawer in this same tradition.

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The Movement for Racial Justice is at a Crossroads – Which Model Will It Chose?

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This is a Singular Moment – Two Earlier Movements Offer Encouragement and Risk

 

We Have Been Here Before – or Have We?

As Condoleezza Rice recently noted,

“In the wake of Floyd’s death, Americans and people around the world are experiencing shock, grief, outrage — a set of emotions that too often are repeated. If the past is a guide, these feelings will fade, and we will return to our lives. But something tells me — not this time. Floyd’s horrific death should be enough to finally move us to positive action.”

Maybe.

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A To Do List for January 21st – Part II

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A Wish List for the Day After the Inauguration

Where are We?

I hope you had a pleasant Memorial Day, and that you reflected on what that day means. A lot of what we talk about rests on that foundation of dedication and sacrifice.

Last week I shared with you five of my top ten goals for the Biden administration to pursue. Most of the big items are likely to get done in the first 12-18 months, and not many thereafter. Because of that political reality, setting priorities and timing is essential.

Keep in mind what order all these come in depends on how the election turns out all the way down the ticket.

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A To Do List for January 21, 2021– Part I

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A Wish List for the Day After the Inauguration

 

History teaches that caution is the prognosticator’s watch word when calling elections. For all the reasons one can think of, Joe Biden should be taking the oath of office next January. But we don’t know that. We will know in about 165 days, but not today. Still, let us surmise for the purposes of our conversation, that Biden does win. Not only does he win, but his party holds the House. Thanks to Donald Trump and friends for showing voters what they were. The Democrats win the Senate as well.

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What’s the Big Deal About Inspectors General?

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This is Not Just Garden Varity Corruption- It’s a Core Evil

 

What is an Inspector General?

I suspect that not all that many people know much about inspectors general (IG) – their purpose, their history, how they normally operate. That’s too bad. Because few institutions are more important to good governance and accountability. Thanks to Trumps latest attempt to block independent investigations, many of us are about to learn about IGs.

There are variants all around. Some corporate Compliance Officers function much like IGs. Ombudsmen for news organizations also fill similar functions.

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Last Time Out We Shared Some Laughs. Now the Other Side

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Two Articles Broke My Heart but They Need to Be Read. Our Friends are Worried About Us.

On my last posting, earlier this week, I shared some editorial cartoons that, as I noted, gave me some laughs, made me angry, made me think. Exactly what such a thing should accomplish. And it seems you agreed. We got a few comments and lots of email about how much we all enjoyed the change and a bit of light heartedness. Goodness knows we could all use a bit of that.

Today, I regret to say I cannot be so lighthearted,

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OK, America. Who are We?

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We Looked at Me/We and Freedom/Community. Where Did We End Up?

Earlier this week, we looked at sometimes competing values as we fight the pandemic. We have been in this thing long enough now to come to some conclusions. But before we do that, a slight diversion. Let’s talk about dreams.

Dreams About the Pandemic

Others have noted that more frequent and more vivid dreams seem to be a byproduct of all this isolation. It appears I have succumbed to this symptom. I have recently had two dreams on judging how we are doing as a people.

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