Posted June 13, 2022in Stray Thoughts
What is happening to us? What passes for public discussion these days certainly is not civil or thoughtful. Nor is it really much of a discussion. If you read the comments from some supposed leaders, you find references to the members of the other political party being our enemies. It’s
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Posted June 06, 2022in Stray Thoughts
Middle ground seems to have disappeared in the United States, and that’s unfortunate. These days, there’s no appetite for the give-and-take that leads to compromise. Regardless of the side you are on, it’s pretty much “my way or the highway.” Speaking of highways, in 1973, Congress and President Richard Nixon
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Posted May 23, 2022in Stray Thoughts
Officially, bishops and archbishops in the Roman Catholic Church have one boss, the pope. Of course, their ultimate authority figure is Jesus. That’s why many Catholics and non-Catholics have been asking a very simple question in recent days: W.W.J.D.? What would Jesus do? The question has been circulating since the
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Posted May 16, 2022in Stray Thoughts
Aaron Salter Jr., 55, was on duty at the security job that supplemented his retirement income. Ruth Whitfield, 86, was buying groceries. Celestine Chaney, 65, stopped in for strawberries for the shortcake she and her sister were eager to enjoy. But their plans went awry Saturday afternoon. Salter’s work shift
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Posted May 09, 2022in Stray Thoughts
Irony has been so deep in recent days that we shouldn’t be surprised if people start walking around with their chore boots on or with the cuffs on their pants rolled up to avoid the mess. Consider: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas made an observation Friday that caused some
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Posted May 02, 2022in Stray Thoughts
The legendary U.S. Supreme Court justice Louis Brandeis once observed, “Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.”Brandeis was not talking about everyday cleaning around the home. He was concerned about the importance of transparency in rooting out or preventing corruption or abuses in the workings of a program,
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Posted April 29, 2022in Stray Thoughts
A common refrain from Democrats during Donald Trump’s years in the presidency was that he was undermining public trust and confidence in our courts with his talk of judges being biased and having political motives when they ruled against him. Trump’s comments were a bunch of hooey — and it
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Posted April 29, 2022in Stray Thoughts
I’m confused. Some of our political leaders seemed to be talking out of both sides of their mouths about why it is wrong for public school employees to engage in what the leaders think is pushing a point of view onto students. These leaders need to figure out whether it
Read More →By Randy Evans This is one of those times when people who have little appetite for politics need to pay attention — because a big change is coming that many folks won’t agree with. When the U.S. Mint asked each state to pick an image to represent the state on
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Posted April 06, 2022in Stray Thoughts
Des Moines Superintendent Thomas Ahart has been a lightning rod during the past three years over the way Iowa’s public schools have responded to the COVID pandemic. Ahart announced in recent weeks that he is leaving, effective June 30. But the Des Moines school board ensured that Ahart will continue
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