History
WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN CONCERNS IN 2024
Recently, I asked family members and friends: What are your main concerns in 2024?
The responses centered around: climate change and the environment; unions; supporting public schools with additional funds to counter the taxpayer money going to unaccountable private schools; gerrymandering and redistricting; the slaughter of children by high-powered rifles; Social Security and Medicare; raising the minimum wage; increase the number of charging stations for vehicles; use money from the military budget for people programs—education, healthcare, childcare; as our local ...
We Share the Blame…
“Is it for freedom or our comfort and convenience?
Is it to profit for big business we pledge our allegiance?
Are we prisoners in the land of the brave and the bold?
Held by indifference, our hearts grown hard and cold?
From Sara Thomsen's song “Is It For Freedom.”
As a nation, our hearts have become hard and cold to the killing of innocent people all over the world. We are so accustomed to our government constantly bombing someone, somewhere that we can not see the humanity of the victims. Claiming to be defending freedom, democracy or ...
Spiritual Fruit Not Religious Nuts
“Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them.” Barry Goldwater, former Republican Senator (1909 – 1998).
Mixing religion, politics and government is bad. This has been proven many times, in many places, over the history of the world. One need ...
Walt Bresette, Ojibwe leader and environmental hero, in Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame
Ojibwe environmental and treaty rights activist Walt Bresette will be inducted posthumously into the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame (WCHF) in a virtual ceremony on April 17, 2024. Bresette will join over 100 members inducted since the Hall of Fame's inception, including Aldo Leopold, Nina Leopold Bradley, John Muir, Gaylord Nelson and Menominee Nation environmentalist Hilary Waukau, Sr.
Sandy Lyon and Walt Bresette at the acid train blockade on the Bad River Ojibwe reservation. | Photo by Kathy Olson, published with permission.
Ojibwe environmental ...
Moderate/Extremist? Left/Right
Words, and their meanings, matter. Words are not vessels that can be filled with whatever meaning one wants. Kung Fu-tzu, who lived 500 years before Christ, said that before a debate begins, the participants should participate in “rectification of terms.” What he meant was that the participants in the debate should agree on the definitions of the key words to be used. After rectification of terms, many points of dispute disappear. In the US today, we need a rectification of terms, especially in politics and media news. Opposing sides use the same words in disputation, ...
Tiffany’s Foreign Policy Foolishness
“... when confronted by small men doing big and stupid things, we need to resist with all the wit and creativity we can muster...” Bill McKibben, environmentalist and author
“Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservative.” John Stuart Mill (1806 – 1873), an influential British political and economic thinker.
It would be impolite for me to suggest that Wisconsin Rep. Tom Tiffany, being extremely conservative, might fit J.S. Mills famous maxim. It would not be inappropriate, however, to point ...
Bill Franks’ Take on Martin Luther King, Jr. – MLK Day
When my now adult son was in Middle School in Waunakee Wisconsin,(where we live) I gave talks at the School on the significance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. The Waunakee Community is, like most communities in Wisconsin, an extremely melanin deficient community for Black Kids to receive education. It also is one of the highest rated School Districts in the State when it comes to the quality of its educational instruction, the quality of its Educational Professionals (including Teachers) and the intelligence and Curricular Policies of its School Board. A ...
Say Their Names…Tell Their Stories
“'I hope that we’ll stay alive, not because I want life, but because I want to tell our stories, the stories of our people,' says 21-year-old Tala Herzallah, a student in Gaza.” From the Time magazine article listed below.
The death toll in Gaza is now over 22,000. One in every 100 residents has been killed. In November the United Nations said two thirds of the dead were women and children. Other sources say about 9000 of the deaths have been children.
Who are the dead in Gaza? Were they terrorists? Did they hate Jews or want to destroy Israel? Or are they ...
QUOTATIONS THAT FIT
“But there is a far deeper problem with the framing of these concerns. The critical problem is not “global inaction” over mass atrocities. It is the opposite: intense western – chiefly US – support for, and complicity in, such atrocities.”
“The US is not helpless in the unfolding genocide. It is actively facilitating it. In fact, Israel’s genocide and ethnic cleansing would be impossible without not just US collusion but active participation.”
“It’s intense US and UK support for atrocities so long as they bolster their global power.”
Jona...
Voices for Palestine
In this time of, again, great turmoil in the Middle East, we look to those who have the knowledge and the wisdom to share with us so that we too may begin to try to make sense of the recent violence and loss of life in southern Israel and Gaza. We were so fortunate to present an informed discussion at UU Wausau this month.
Dr. Edgar Francis shared with our audience the historical perspective on the Middle East. For those of us trying to learn more and understand that history, Dr. Francis has taught Middle Eastern History at UWSP for sixteen years, including ...