Like half of the people in America (and perhaps the world), I am somewhat systematically reprising the movies of Robert Redford in the wake of his sad, but not so untimely death at age 89. According to IMDb, Redford has 82 acting credits to his name and 10 directorial credits. Of those acting credits, 50 were movies in which he acted (as opposed to narrated or for a series episode or two). I shouldn’t really…
Since I was young, I have always been against capital punishment. This is one of those beliefs that I can genuinely say was not adopted from others, but was, rather, something I very specifically and very memorably pondered while I was taking my high school courses in ethics. I learned all about situational ethics and still I concluded that man simply does not have the right to inflict a punishment with such finality and profound…
At what point is dialogue more harmful than helpful? Dialogue is fundamental to healthy political discourse, though it faces significant challenges in practice. Here’s why it matters and what makes it difficult. Political dialogue serves as the primary mechanism for peaceful conflict resolution in democratic societies. When people with different viewpoints can engage constructively, they can find common ground, develop nuanced solutions, and maintain social cohesion despite disagreements. Dialogue also helps prevent the kind of…
Colbert…Kimmel…WSJ…NYT…Fallon…Myers… The censorship of the German press in the 1930s was a systematic process that began even before the Nazis fully consolidated power and became increasingly severe throughout the decade. Even during the Weimar Republic’s final years, press freedom was already under pressure through emergency decrees and political intimidation. The SA (Stormtroopers) frequently attacked newspaper offices of opposition parties, particularly Social Democratic and Communist publications. The process accelerated rapidly after January 1933. The Reichstag Fire…
There is so much going on in the world today. I’ve been around for most of 72 years and I understand that there is almost always a lot going on in the world. Some people like to keep their focus tight to what’s directly in front of them, watching their feet at each step. Whether they choose to wear blinders or are just naturally only concerned about their immediate surroundings doesn’t change anything. The universe…
The Charlie Kirk killing has spawned a good deal of controversy, some about the underlying ideology he espoused and some about the reaction that has come forth on the event of his death. His death seems to have reawakened lots of opinions about things he has said and those thoughts have shifted from the debate stage he so enjoyed to today’s most popular forum, social media. The result has been a lashing out by the…
I just saw the New York Times mornng news summary and one phrase caught my eye. It said that based on extensive discussions with Americans, they were mostly saddened, but not surprised about the Charlie Kirk assassination. On Wednesday evening, our two nephews were over for dinner. Nephew Will, who is suffering from a serious neck injury, said that while the shooting was deplorable, he was surprised it hadn’t happened sooner given the rhetoric of…
Timing is everything in life and sometimes things happen when they do for a reason. That opening sentence makes me wonder how many other euphemisms I could cram into one sentence if I really tried. I wrote a few days ago about getting a Watchtower pamphlet from a Jehovah’s Witness canvasser on the topic of war and violent conflict. Since then, the primary canvasser and a different journeyman assistant came to my door and wanted…
This morning, after a few chores, I was sitting on the bench beside my driveway, talking on the phone with one of my expert witness partners. The call was all about the existing six cases I have on my current docket and the three new pending ones that could start any day now. The topic of those cases suddenly went from back burner to front burner in my consciousness as I’ve worked to unplug my…
Yesterday we had a few family and friends over for a small (15 people) Labor Day Barbecue. This year more than ever before, I am acting as the grill master for these events and we have been offering up a blend of burgers and hotdogs. I have tried CostCo burgers and sausages, Omaha Steaks burgers and sausages and, this time, Von’s Pub-Burgers (with cheese, bacon and, sometimes, jalapenos) as well as their standard mild Italian…