We have a president who calls half of the country “evil.” He calls Democrats evil because they don’t like him. They were predisposed not to vote for him because he isn’t a Democrat, but that should not come as shocking news. Republicans don’t vote for many Democrats, either, right? But this president is brand new…
I’ll take “Patriotism” for the win, please
Let’s be very clear. What President Trump calls for, particularly with respect to our flag and standing during the National Anthem, is not “patriotism” but “nationalism.” Both are concerned with individual relationships towards nations, but nationalism is defined as our interest in the unification of a nation based on cultural and linguistic equanimity. Patriotism is…
Pro Rights
There is a subject that holds the attention of our political divide where politicians swivel around its substantive reality: the Right to Choose versus Pro-Life. I will begin by being clear: No “Right to Choose” advocate is saying that continuiing an unplanned pregnancy should never be an option. My personal opinion is that the continuation…
“In My Life” by Chris Kroeger
I was born into a love for The Beatles through my father’s love for the band. But over the years as I’ve come to refine my taste in music, I can proudly say that my love for this band isn’t just a hand me down from my dad. The beauty of the progression, the timelessness of songs, the…
Finkenauer is what is right
It is time to get behind Abby Finkenauer who is defending her Congressional seat in Iowa’s 1st District. The race with her challenger, Ashley Hinson, is closer than it should be as a recent poll only separated them by one percentage point in favor of Finkenauer. I will go on record to say that Ashley…
The Body Politic
I am a Democrat but I’m not anti-Republican. I am a Liberal but I am not anti-Conservative. What I believe is that liberalism is necessary to move our conservative nature in the direction of progress. Believe me, I have as many friends on the right side of the aisle as on the left and they…
A Casual Reply…
Boy, can I step into a fire, or what? I probably use Facebook too much and lose sight of my own dictum that social media does not contain nuance and tends to absolve false premises but I enjoy the laughs it provides and posts that stimulate debate. Sometimes I will repost a meme that I…
Doggone it! People LIKE me!
It occurred to me….I’m not helping. I’m not calming anyone’s nerves, I’m not making fewer people angry, and I’m not convincing anyone who didn’t already agree with me to listen or, God forbid, change their mind. When I was door knocking as a candidate for the Iowa House, 4 years ago, I often joined a…
The Wrath of God
Whenever there is a disaster, natural or human-caused, it seems that an evangelical will make a statement that it confirms God’s wrath. And each time I hear a new pontification regarding Holy punishment due to gay marriage, legalizing pot, or for debunking trickle-down economics, I am compelled to look critically at their religious cause. Evangelicals…
“Put your bodies upon the gears…”
There sure is a lot of talk lately about that venerable old document we call the “Constitution.” There’s a lot of disagreement over how it is to be interpreted, and the intentions of the original Framers, but one thing everyone seems to agree on is that no one is getting it right. Except for ourselves,…