Category: Society

The Question of the Day: WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!

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In Case You Missed Them, a Few Indications This Week That Our Species Has a Bell Curve

What a Week That Was

I generally have the next 2-3 blogs outlined a few days ahead of time. On occasion, events cause me to bump the order of things, but for the most part, the system allows me to give some time and thought to what shows up in your inbox. That was the plan for today.

I have indeed given much thought to this posting, but it is not the one I started with originally.

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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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In the End, It’s All About the Air

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How Managing the Air We Breathe is the Pandemic End Game

We are all, logically, concentrating these days on social distancing, proper wearing of masks, and testing. We hope that not too much further down the road there will be a vaccination, even though that will take some time to be fully distributed.

But at the end of it all, public confidence, and our ability to manage not only this pandemic but the next one (and there will be a next one) will depend on how well the air we breathe can be cleaned in a wide variety of settings.

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

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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,

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The Problem with Policing Is Even Worse Than You Think

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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.

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

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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,

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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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