In the aftermath of two more mass shootings last Saturday, I read a number of well-intentioned posts and tweets on social media saying something along the lines of “We are better than this” and “This is not who we are.” With all due respect, let me counter that we are not better than this, and this is exactly who we are. Until we recognize what we have become, rather than pretending that we are what we wish or hope we... Read more
I was reminded when I visited the MLK Memorial in Washington DC a couple of days ago of a hopeful statement from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that former President Barack Obama quoted frequently, one of the many MLK statements carved into the walls of the memorial: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it tends toward justice.” The quote was so important to the former President that he had it woven into a rug in the Oval... Read more
“Christians Tired of Being Misrepresented.” “I’m Not That Kind of Christian.” “The Christian Left.” These are the names of a few of the Facebook pages on which I am grateful that my blog posts regularly get shared. The names of these sites raise important questions. What kind of Christian are you not? In what ways have Christians been misrepresented? The answers to such questions all point in the same direction. A certain Christian demographic has, over the past few decades,... Read more
Have you never felt like one of those pawns forgotten in a corner of the board, with the sounds of battle fading behind them? They try to stand straight but wonder if they still have a king to serve. Arturo Pérez-Reverte I am a great lover of mysteries. Arturo Pérez-Reverte, an internationally acclaimed Spanish author of mysteries and thrillers notable for their intricate and labyrinthine plots, is a favorite. He’s good—not at the top of my list of mystery authors with... Read more
Another Saturday morning, another vile stream of racist and/or misogynistic tweets from the President. This past Saturday, Trump turned his attention toward Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland. I suppose that it was entirely predictable that this would happen eventually. Rep. Cummings chairs the important House Oversight Committee that has all sorts of things in its sights that the President would just as soon we ignore, Cummings has been a frequent and vocal critic of the tragedies that continue to unfold... Read more
As millions of other Americans, I awoke last Wednesday intending to binge watch the Mueller Congressional hearings. I confess that I didn’t last that long. After a bit over a half hour, I found myself muting the Republicans when it was their turn, wishing that Mueller was a bit more telegenic and “Hollywood” in his answers, and deciding to spend my day doing other things. As I ran errands, I did listen on Sirius, and I did listen carefully to... Read more
The stereotype of the Type A personality has become an entrenched part of cultural lore. Originally described by two cardiologists in the 1950s as the type of person who is most likely to experience cardiac arrest, Type As are familiar to everyone. Competitive, short-fused, action oriented, no nonsense, humorless, deadline driven, boundless in energy—these are people who not only don’t stop to smell the roses, but tend not even to notice the existence of the roses as they plow through... Read more
My childhood was filled with unusual characters, all products of my father’s fertile imagination. A Freudian would probably say that each was a projection of a different aspect of my father’s personality—all I know is that their appearances were both unpredictable and entertaining. The “Flying Gynzbyrd,” for instance, was a heavy bird who liked to land with a thud on the breakfast table and stomp through either my brother’s or my toast, leaving imprints the size of the tips of my... Read more
Three days after the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT in December 2012, an influential Christian leader–the founder of a large conservative, faith-based conglomerate focused on the preservation of family values, a group which serves as the moral guide and voice for thousands, perhaps millions of people—made the following comments: Millions of people have decided that God doesn’t exist, or he’s irrelevant to me and we have killed 54 million babies and the institution of marriage... Read more
Last Monday, as everyone’s heads were exploding over Donald Trump’s racist tweets targeting four Congresswomen of color, I posted this on my Facebook page: Trump is a racist. He’s open about it because he thinks it will work with his base. If you are part of that base, if his racist and xenophobic tweets and comments over the past 48 hours are “working” for you–if you are applauding and nodding in approval–you are a racist too. One guy wanted me... Read more
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