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 ...
‘Coordination’ meetings in Northern Wisconsin
‘Coordination’ meetings in Northern Wisconsin – Land & Water Conservation being targeted
A Texas-based group called the American Stewards of Liberty (https://americanstewards.us/about/ is orchestrating an effort to influence northern Wisconsin politicians to adopt their agenda. Those politicians are in-turn exerting their influence on local units of government (Town, Village, & County Boards) and promoting the Texas-based group’s agenda. This group is against land and water conservation. Instead, they advocate for natural resource exploitation. They ...
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 ...
Genuflecting In The Forest
Bearing witness to the carnage we of the Homo Sapiens lineage inflict on one another sours even the most optimistic of souls. What thoughtful person among us is not dragged inexorably down the dark whirlpool when confronted by yet another mother ravaged by the violent destruction of her dearly beloved, big eyed child? We use the language of hatred, spraying out machine gun words like terrorist, demon, migrant rapist, left wing thugs and countless others to make righteous our own terrorism and salve our night time pangs of guilt with their soothing unguent. Sad ...
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 ...
Ruminations On A Happy New Year
“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.” Tom Bodett, author and NPR personality.
“Christmas is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate a religious holiday than with a month of frenzied consumerism.” Calvin, a cartoon character from Calvin and Hobbs
“Happy New Year” is one of the meaningless Hallmark platitudes of the season. You hear the greeting from friends and strangers. It is in the shopping mall Christmas music tape loop. The cards you ...