Category: Society

Think Trump Respects the Military? Think Again

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No President in History Has Done So Much to Harm the Military. And Trump is Just Beginning.

 

Our Military

The American military is an amazing institution. It’s ability to adapt, persevere, and win is nothing short of awesome. The people who are the armed forces and their families are among the best our nation has ever been privileged to have protecting us. If you watched the impeachment hearings last week, you got a taste of the ethos. The military and civil servants who testified made us all proud to be Americans.

But a military is always a force at risk.

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A Funny Thing About This Republic

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We are Linked in Ways That Make Us Count on Others to Do the Right Thing

Clever folks, Those Founding Fathers

They gave us a republic. That republic operates, for the most part, as a representative democracy. And that is where things get tricky.

Under our system, we all get to elect our own senators and representatives. They, hopefully, go to represent us and are accountable to us. In theory, at least. To make the point a bit more clearly, they are electorally responsible only to us. People in other states don’t get a vote on their continuing in office.

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There, but for Grace, Go I

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There are life lessons and humbling experiences to be found at homeless facilities

 

Like many of you, I spend some time at homeless shelters, food banks, and feeding facilities. A lot of people do not do so, but they think about such places at this time of year. Kitchens that feed the needy and shelters that house them can go all year hurting for volunteers. Then, they are inundated with offers to serve on Thanksgiving or around Christmas.

I confess to my own biases about such places.

I am grateful for those that open their doors to all – men,

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Wait! How Many Candidates are Running for President?

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Take a Deep Breath, Democrats. Time to Settle In

Hark! Who Is That Yonder?

Michael Bloomberg and Duvall Patrick find the current Democratic field lacking. But fortunately, they are willing to come to the rescue. I think not, but thanks for the offer. Oh, and former Attorney General Eric Holder is also resurrecting his potential campaign. At least this last one is more rumor than fact – for now. So, no further discussion here of Holder today.

Let me say at the outset that there is a lot to like about both of these other gentlemen.

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Reflections on Veterans Day – For Vets and Non-Vets Alike

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Occasions Like Veterans Day Offer a Much Needed Opportunity to Reflect

I had the good fortune to participate yesterday in a Veterans Day commemoration in our community.  I don’t often attend or provide part of the program at such gatherings. Yesterday reminded me why that is an error on my part. These are important reaffirmations of community on a very fundamental level.

I’d like to share with you a few observations that came out of the day for me that reflect the value of such gatherings. I hope they will encourage you to seek out such opportunities,

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The Conversation on Medical Care for All Comes into Focus

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We are Having Both the Right Conversation and the Wrong Conversation

Medical Care Front and Center

Among the more viable Democratic candidates for president, there are few differences on key issues. At least not in terms of priorities and goals. There are differences in how those goals can best be achieved. I start out with that statement to warn Democrats. Intertribal warfare over How should not lead to the What getting lost in the battle. As President Obama recently said, let’s not get too insistent on ideological purity.

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Go Fund Me and Go *X@! You!

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A Proposal for Taking Care of Important Parts of American Life

 

I had the great pleasure recently of attending the annual fundraiser for our regional Planned Parenthood team. It was a joyous, committed group that celebrated real values and gave a ton of their hard-earned money. The event brought to mind an idea that occurred to me a while back. It’s an idea I would love to see us carry out.

Running the Gauntlet

Every year four great institutions get drug through the political mud. This is done by people who have no interest in them except as punching bags.

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It’s Time for a Free for All Friday

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Enjoy a Grab Bag of Interesting Articles and Notes Found Around the Internet. Trick or Treat!

Every so often in this space, we round up short, interesting articles to share. Today is such a day. This collection deals with science, medicine, society, and a dash of humor. There are links provided for each article mentioned.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.

Just When You Thought You Had Heard All the Amazing Things About Nature

A wonderful article in the Atlantic details how spiders can fly hundreds of miles using electricity.

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Do You Hear What I Hear?

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In the Middle of All the Political News This week, I hear a Christmas Carol in My Head

 

The last few days have been dizzying in the speed and complexity of revelations about the Trump administration. To say anything less would be the Mother of All Understatements. It is coming fast and furious now, from all directions. More – much more – to follow, and at an increasing pace, I would wager.

I was trying to sort through the latest batch of all this a couple of days ago. Suddenly, in the back of my head (kind of an echo chamber effect – apparently,

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Tell Me a Story and I Will Tell You Mine

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Nothing Comes Close to the Power of Storytelling for Human Communication

 

This time of political divisiveness and isolation reminds me of the power and grace of storytelling. It is, at once, a social convention and an art form. We need it now more than ever.

Like most people, I have always enjoyed a good story. I am fortunate at this point in life to live in an area that revers good storytelling. Here in Appalachia, storytelling is celebratedand practiced widely. It is still a primary means of communication and of social bonding.

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