Today, OXFAM mailed a plea to its members and supporters to contact our Congresspeople with a message opposing a military strike on Syria. Their message consisted mainly of a few questions they have been consistently asked, with answers. I found I was in complete agreement with their position, and I welcomed it as a bell … [read more]
King and Hoover: Idealism meets Fascism
Tuesday, the Washington Post published a Bloomberg piece on Martin Luther King and the FBI’s wiretapping, surveillance and paranoia around a man they dubbed “The Most Dangerous Negro”. Certainly, in those years, rampant racism was the norm, and the expression of it, even in the crudest terms, barely raised an eyebrow in “polite society”. But … [read more]
Black and White: Fifty Years Later
In the fifty years since Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, DC, African Americans have made some great strides in education, political representation, and voter turnout. In other areas, it’s like nothing has changed. Sadly, I hear white people occasionally voicing frustration over continued discussions of discrimination, opportunity, or racism in America. … [read more]
How far We Have Not Come
I am troubled this week. Troubled about war and needless death. But troubled all the more by the “civilized” world’s lack of any new perspective on what to do when we have major conflicts. I see us acting out ancient and very fundamentalist reactions on a global scale, that still don’t work. Recently the notion … [read more]
More powerful than any president…
J Edgar Hoover was one of the most divisive and anti-American figures in our history. It would be difficult to find someone who did more to subvert the Constitution, break the law at the highest governmental levels, and strip citizens of their rights, than Hoover. Don’t take my word for it. Read his story. It … [read more]
What is lost (and gained) when the traveler settles down
Friends, Please take note of my friend Nikki’s most recent post…this coming from a well-seasoned traveler, who has chosen safe harbor. For now, at least. Happily, that harbor is the same one I enjoy. I used to refer to Nikki as Michael’s daughter who happens to be a great writer. Now. I say Michael … [read more]