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Mixed Emotions on the 4th of July? That is Very American

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The Fourth is More Than Our National Holiday. It’s Our National Mirror

Reflections on the Fourth of July, 2021

You and I are probably like most Americans on this Fourth of July. In looking back over the past year, over the past 245 years, and over the years to come, we feel a wide range of thoughts and emotions. As well we should.

I decided a long time ago that anything less than conflicting feelings would be a waste – and lazy. This country has always been a mix of hope and despair,

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Psst! Hey, Catholic Bishops – Can We Talk?

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I have a Question

 

You May Have Heard What the Bishops are Up to of Late

American Catholic bishops recently took a drastic step. They went on record, by a hefty margin, recommending that local catholic authorities withhold the sacrament of the Eucharist for President Biden. The wording is more general, but everyone recognizes Biden is the target. They will decide in November on doing this or not.

Just to remind, the Eucharist (Communion) is ritual the church believes channels divine grace. It takes inspiration from the Last Supper. Participants consume bread and wine.

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About That Bipartisan Goal – Forget it

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The Republicans Have Made Their Stance Clear – And the Clock is Ticking

 

How Important is Bipartisanship?

Well, that is an interesting question – depends on who you ask. Generically, most people would, in a neutral setting, say it counts and they would like to see it as a part of governance. Makes sense in a complex society, doesn’t it? But we are not in a neutral environment and have not been for some time.

Joe Biden certainly thinks it is important. It is in his DNA. Decades of experience tell him big things can be done in a solid manner when bipartisan legislation is passed.

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This Blog Began Because of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

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How NOT to Solve a Problem – And Lessons for the Rest of Us

 

Why Comment on This Now?

Goodness knows, everyone has a column about the conflict in recent days, but I felt compelled to add my two cents worth for a number of reasons. This has major moral, political, and security implications for a lot of people, including us. And lessons to be learned, if we will.

I visited Israel and Lebanon some years ago. I came back more depressed and worried than when I arrived. What I saw,

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A Year Ago, We Set Out Benchmarks for a New Administration

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So, How are They Measuring Up on Our To-Do List?

 

Our Hopes in Early 2020

We had no idea in the JAN-MAR 2020 timeframe who would be the US President by this time. We hoped it would be just about anyone except He Whose Name Shall Not Be Spoken. With that hope in mind, this blog listed, over a period of the first quarter of 2020, a set of goals that we hoped a new administration would pursue. One list was of legislative goals, the other a list of political reforms.

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Bipartisanship is Dead! Long Live Bipartisanship!

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Redefining Bipartisanship Could Revolutionize America’s Politics

Biden’s Hope and Toolkit

If anyone believes in and can make bipartisanship work, its Joe Biden. This approach is deeply embedded in his DNA. And just for the record, he is right – as a general guideline, better to get a 90% solution with bipartisan support than a 100% solution supported only by one party.

True to his word, he has been working this from the outset. SN Collins of Maine noted last week that she has spoken with the president four times in his first month in office.

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Water – Essence of Life, Destroyer of Life

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Nothing is So Pervasive, So Important to Life, and So Challenging as Water

A Change of Pace

We have focused on political issues for the last six months. As well we should have. We will continue that path often in the months ahead, for obvious reasons. But this blog was always meant to be about more. We have spent time together reflecting on science, the arts, comedy, and more. Time to do a bit of that now.

We have earned a bit of a break from politics, starting today. Let us reflect a bit on something all around us and in us.

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Pillars for a Better America: The Final Chapter

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A Series on Priorities for the Biden Administration

Joe Biden and company start work at noon tomorrow. Not that they have been idle in the runup. This is a team that is ready to hit the ground running. Good thing. There is so much to be done.  As this blog mentioned last week, pay attention – history is unrolling before us, in very big and unpredictable ways. Dramatic and dangerous times are ahead.

Pillars for a Better America – Pillars 19-21

Today’s entries complete the Pillars list. It certainly is not all inclusive, nor is it in any priority – all of it is Category A priority.

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It Was the Best of Days, It Was the Worst of Days

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From the Miracle in Georgia to the Travesty in the Capitol

Tuesday Night – Wednesday Night

Well, we certainly saw the best of America and the worst of it within 24 hours, didn’t we? It was a lot to absorb either event. Having both within about 24 hours induced political and emotional whip lash. So much to celebrate, so much to mourn. So much to learn.

Georgia

What a shame. This spectacular political wizardry was quickly eclipsed by the obscenity on the Capitol. For this trulywas a spectacular act of political will, skill, and determination.

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The Pick of the Litter for 2020 – Useful for 2021, Too

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You and I Shared 141 (!) Blogs This Year – Here are My Favorites (and maybe yours, too)

The Tradition of the Year End Review

Many writers and publishers do a Best of the Year publication at the end of every year. It’s a normal response to the turning of the calendar page into a new year. I have often suspected they did this to save the work of writing yet one more blog on the day the review is published. Having done this a couple of times now, I know better. It’s more work than one might expect going through your own work with an eye toward grading the outcomes.

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