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Religion
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What I Believe
The Jewish tradition believed in a wrathful God (like most early religions of the time) that required a sacrifice to appease him. Jesus taught a different version of a Loving God. Of course, when we try to apply personifications to describe God, we go off track.... Because we can’t agree on the minor details and get lost in the weeds. We are part of organizations comprised of humans, who are fallible....
Public Policy
Gun Violence in America
People misquote the 2nd Amendment, which declared the right to bear arms for the 18th Century equivalent of the National Guard. That was in response to when British troops were forcibly placed in American homes.... Fortifying our schools to make them protected from assault is not the solution. Restricting access may be necessary, but arming teachers only adds to the risks. Armed officers also have limits as was the example in Uvalde, Texas. There is something seriously wrong with America when parents worry about the safety of their children when they send them to school.
Politics
The Election of 2024
A great cloud has descended upon our nation, and the storms are sure to follow. We only thought we knew chaos, but that will pale with what there is to come. Some of you will think my forecast of gloom and doom is overwrought, but I think you underestimate the hatred that Trump has and how vindictive he will be....
LGBTQ+
Transgender Troubles
It appears that the infamous “bathroom bill” that cost North Carolina millions in business and tourist dollars is about to be repeated in the Congress. The incoming administration already has announced that transgender and gender fluid people will have a target on their back. The anxiety of the LGBTQ+ community about trends in 2025 is not paranoia; it is a realistic assessment of the threats they will face. Just how far the incoming administration will push ahead of public opinion remains to be seen. Will the progress of the past 50 years be reversed...?
Travel
Fayetteville
Growth in Fayetteville came slowly until WWII with what then was known as Fort Bragg, now known as Fort Liberty. Some small industries, Fort Liberty and Pope Army Airfield and eight defense contractors provide most of the employment in the county. They pump about $4.5 billions a year into the regional economy. The economy rises and falls with the deployment of the military. Some 200,000 trained at the Fort in WWII and Vietnam before deployment overseas...
General
Thanksgiving Gratitude
Thanksgiving is known primarily as a gathering of extended family around a feast. It is a family holiday more than a celebration of an event. It prompted me to more carefully consider the benefits of gratitude. Speaking in a positive frame of reference helps you feel good. It becomes a virtuous circle....