Category: Society

This is a Blog Post I Never Thought I Would Have to Make

8 Comments on This is a Blog Post I Never Thought I Would Have to Make

And I Hate Doing It

 

What It Means to Be an American Military Officer

I spent much of my adult life in the US Army. It is an institution I love and respect, and by extension, I feel the same about all the armed services and the civilians that support them. One of the things that has always been most meaningful to me is that every member of every armed force, no matter their rank, takes the same oath of allegiance. It is to the constitution. Not to the government, certainly not to the president,

Join the discussion at: This is a Blog Post I Never Thought I Would Have to Make

The Problem with Policing Is Even Worse Than You Think

8 Comments on The Problem with Policing Is Even Worse Than You Think

If We Cannot Make Progress on This, Much Else Will Never Get Right

 

 

Here We Are

Once again, we sit in front of our TVs and watch our nation burn. We have been here before, and surely will again. This time has some important differences, as well as some timeless evil.

That there are racial disparities in the dispensing of law enforcement and justice should not be a surprise to anyone by now. Although some resisted the terminology and the messaging, the Black Lives Matter movement has done much to educate the rest of us in preparation for this moment.

Join the discussion at: The Problem with Policing Is Even Worse Than You Think

It’s Friday! How About Something a Little Lighter Today?

2 Comments on It’s Friday! How About Something a Little Lighter Today?

Take a Relook at Some Great Commercials

 

TV Commercials are a Part of American Life

They reflect our culture. Sometimes they shape our culture. This is true as well in other countries (we will do a blog on these soon), but the whole idea of a commercial becoming an icon started here.

It is not hard to come up with a Best Of list. The internet has hundreds of such lists. And I would agree with most of them. They are entertaining and memorable. We all have some permanently in our memory,

Join the discussion at: It’s Friday! How About Something a Little Lighter Today?

A To Do List for January 21st – Part II

3 Comments on A To Do List for January 21st – Part II

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.

Join the discussion at: A To Do List for January 21st – Part II

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

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

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,

Join the discussion at: Last Time Out We Shared Some Laughs. Now the Other Side

Let’s Share a Few Laughs

1 Comment on Let’s Share a Few Laughs

Because These Days, If You Can’t Laugh, You Might Cry Instead

The Sword Disguised as Pen

The art of the political or editorial cartoon is a fine and long-standing tradition. It has been a mainstay of American politics since our founding days. This art form actually predates this country by a long time. It seems that the ability to make fun of the high and mighty is a cherished tradition going back centuries.

We have been dealing with some pretty grim circumstances of late. And that was before the pandemic! Today, we will take a break and enjoy some of the better cartoons I have seen in recent weeks.

Join the discussion at: Let’s Share a Few Laughs

OK, America. Who are We?

6 Comments on OK, America. Who are We?

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.

Join the discussion at: OK, America. Who are We?

Is it Me or is it We? Is it Freedom or is it Community? All of the Above?

Leave a Comment on Is it Me or is it We? Is it Freedom or is it Community? All of the Above?

America is Having an Internal Search. Who are we? What Do We Value?

America Looks for Itself, in Itself

As the pandemic rolls through America, interesting characteristics are arising. They are arising for individuals and collectively. We find ourselves highlighting sometimes very different aspects of our values. Some are just different; some are in conflict.

This is not a new phenomenon. Like a collective Diogenes, we periodically seek to define who we are and what we stand for. But it is more important than ever this time. We must decide what are our national values and priorities going forward.

Join the discussion at: Is it Me or is it We? Is it Freedom or is it Community? All of the Above?

Good Reading to Share, Just for You

2 Comments on Good Reading to Share, Just for You

 

We All Have More Time to Read, in This Isolation. I Have Some Goodies to Share

Catching Up on Our Back Reading

Like many of you, I seem to always have a stack of magazines lying about that I am behind in reading. If I could sell al the Atlantics and New Yorkers I have lying about, I could probably make up most of the beating the stock market is inflicting on me just now.

But there is good news. As our splendid isolation continues, we get caught up on such things.

Join the discussion at: Good Reading to Share, Just for You

We Need a BIG Recovery- Here are 3 Pillars to Building Solutions

2 Comments on We Need a BIG Recovery- Here are 3 Pillars to Building Solutions

Trying to Get Well from the Pandemic Offers a Golden Opportunity to Advance

 

This country is going to spend a lot of money trying to restart our economy. That is a given, a necessary action. Whether we do so intelligently or not is another question.

Infrastructure Investments, Wherefore Art Thou?

This feeds into our so far, fruitless national discussion about infrastructure. We are about $13 TRILLION behind in our infrastructure investments. That includes not doing new work or maintaining what we have. Remember collapsing bridge stories? We still have thousands of unsafe bridges all over this country.

Join the discussion at: We Need a BIG Recovery- Here are 3 Pillars to Building Solutions