What's on my mind
In the June Atlantic there is an article by Mathew Stewart, “The Birth of a New American Aristocracy." Stewart points out that the popular description of our society as split between the super rich and the rest of us is missing an important point. A large and very wealthy group of people, 9.9% of the… Continue reading The 9.9
This letter appeared in the Albany Times Union, April 29, 2018: I read the Religion News Service interview “Evolution is science, not philosophy,” April 21, with Kenneth Miller. Miller emphasizes the unique position of our species. “Ultimately, there is a niche, and we’re the only species to date that has come to occupy… Continue reading The Good Shepherd
Every now and then a new species is discovered. So it seems today with an article by Brian Nearing in the Albany Times Union (February 19, 2018). He tells of Bob Inglis, who has been trying to persuade his fellow Republicans that they have it all wrong in denying the reality of climate change. Inglis came… Continue reading A Conservative Who Admits Climate Change is Real and Due to Human Activity
In 2015 we went for a January vacation at a rental house with two friends on Sullivan's Island, near Charleston, South Carolina. We had good weather, although it was not very warm. Our friends Fran and Mike were at the house when we arrived by taxi. The house was built on stilts to protect the living quarters from high seas… Continue reading Reminiscences of Sullivan’s Island
A number of friends, as well as our son and his wife, traveled to Costa Rica, all giving very favorable reports. We decided to take a Road Scholar tour “A Taste of Costa Rica” in January. Our early morning plane out of Albany was a little twin engine jet, but it only took about half an… Continue reading A Trip to Costa Rica
December 18, 2017 Michael Gerson writes today in the Albany Times Union that the Republican Party will have to lose before it can recover from Trumpism. He looks forward to a day when the party can once again stand for its old principles. And he says: “The ultimate goal is not the victory of Democrats,… Continue reading Why Republicans Need to Lose
Just a little note about this. I contributed to Doug Jones' campaign. It is hard to imagine a Democrat winning in Alabama, but there it is. His opponent, the odious Roy Moore, who, although conservative, refused to go along with the plain intent of the US Constitution when he insisted on keeping a monument inscribed… Continue reading Doug Jones Wins in Alabama
An article by Max Fisher and Josh Keller appeared in the November 7 New York Times that explains convincingly why the US has so many mass shootings: A graphic at the top of the article points out that "The United States has 270 million guns and had 90 mass shooters from 1966 to 2012;… Continue reading Yes, Mass Shootings Are Caused by Guns
The headlines about Las Vegas had barely subsided when we were assaulted by yet another mass shooting. Once again, Trump made sure to place his political spin on it, characterizing the killer as mentally disturbed without waiting for a police investigation. The man has no conception of his proper role in government. He is a… Continue reading Yet Another Mass Shooting
I just read the column by Paul Krugman in the New York Times: "The G.O.P. Is No Party for Honest Men", October 16, 2016. The so-called tax reform plan the Republicans are cooking up is nothing but a tax cut for the wealthiest 1% of Americans. Krugman points to outside nonpartisan evaluators: "Over all,… Continue reading Tax Reform?
