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Category Archives: politics
Even at the grave we make our song . . .
. . . but not during the Paschal celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ–at least in the Episcopal Church.
A Hot Dog Is a Sandwich
Every semester, staff and instructors at FTCC are allowed to take one class free of charge, and I almost always try to take advantage of that wonderful opportunity. This semester I am taking a class in critical thinking offered by … Continue reading
Posted in critical thinking, education, freedom, language, literature, politics, totalitarianism, word, writing
Tagged definition, language, literature, mot juste, Orwell, politics, word, writing
3 Comments
What We Have Lost: Our Stories Make Us One
“Thanksgiving lessons jettison pilgrim hats, welcome truth” This headline from the Associated Press exploded inside my skull when I saw it three days ago, and in the dust that settled, I read an important lesson about what has been lost as … Continue reading
Posted in culture, current events, divisiveness, education, freedom, history, language, literature, narrative, politics, story
Tagged culture, education, history, identity, language, literature, narrative, story
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Dostoevsky in Beulah Land
Despite the glorious, almost too-warm temperatures for a day six weeks into autumn, I took off for my late-morning walk with a heavy heart. I was depressed, outraged, and frightened over lost hopes for a return to American values, a … Continue reading
Posted in current events, divisiveness, hope, photography, politics
Tagged hope, meaning, photography, politics
3 Comments
My #WalkAway Story
As I write, the Presidential election of 2020 is ten days away. I agree with those on both sides of the aisle that it is the most important election at least in my lifetime (which is long); I will not, … Continue reading
Posted in Bill of Rights, critical thinking, current events, divisiveness, education, First Amendment, free speech, freedom, history, politics
Tagged #WalkAway, conservative, education, election, First Amendment, free speech, history, liberal, politics, Trump, Trump/Pence, voting
9 Comments
Everything Not Forbidden Is Compulsory
When I first passed this sign yesterday morning on the way to class, I thought it was an instruction in etiquette: “Don’t sit here because this is a table, and sitting on tables is rude.” Silly me.
Posted in Bill of Rights, books, COVID-19, critical thinking, current events, divisiveness, education, First Amendment, free speech, freedom, history, language, literature, news, novel coronavirus, politics, society, totalitarianism
Tagged books, COVID-19, education, etymology, First Amendment, free speech, history, language, literature, meaning, novel coronavirus, Orwell, politics, social distancing, word, writing
2 Comments
The First Casualty?
The question mark in my title was well and thoroughly considered. I actually have no idea which was the first of the constantly rising number of casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic. But I am aware of many. And no, my title … Continue reading
Misinterpreting Emerson: A Meditation on Consistency, the Constitution, and American Exceptionalism
When I first started working as a disability examiner for Social Security, we had no desktop computers, just Wang terminals; nor could we communicate via email, just intraoffice messaging whose default was “reply all.” Hence, I established a wide reputation … Continue reading
Sloganeering: Fake Language Is the Problem–Not Fake News
I have not posted anything on my blog since September 21–over a month ago, my longest dry spell since I began it in May of 2016. Significantly, this hiatus coincides quite neatly with the weeks that have elapsed since the … Continue reading
Posted in critical thinking, current events, language, politics
Tagged definition, language, politics, semantics, word
2 Comments