The promise of the future

Remembering more of our history at age 94 as I see the idealism of the youth of America on display

George Santayana's quote: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” comes to my mind as I ponder the exciting future that the present protests promise. And I marvel that it seems to have been nourished and sustained by young people,

Here then are but two bits of history I find fascinating this time.

Listen to our 39th president (1977 - 1981) Jimmy Carter. The speech was given after three years in office and has been derisively referred to as his “Malaise Speech:. Here is a brief 2 minute introduction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tGd_9Tahzw

But hear him out in his 33 minute speech. The last half is directed at solving the (then) perceived major problem of inflation and energy, but there is attention to the greater problems that have remained unsolved.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?153917-1/president-carter-address-crisis-confidence

And from another era, the words of a traveler from France, Alexis de Tocqueville, who saw the United States as “exception.”

I personally have found these three views as particularly pertinent at this time:

Religion (at that time he saw Christianity) is encouraged as a curb for excessive freedom

A nation where volunteerism encourages people to work together to solve problems

There is separation of church and state

An internet summary of his main ideas may be found at

https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-thesis-main-idea-democracy-america-699471

A look at thew local and world scene

Once again the sporting world and sports writers specifically provide clear insight into the American cultural scene. This time it is magnificently done by Sally Jenkins in her Washington Post article, "A knee on the turf or a knee on the neck. The choice is ours." It compels me to follow the leadership of young people to take action. I must, however, realize that my 94 years prohibits my joining them peacefully protesting at the White House. I can, however, once again encourage them and Americans to join me in:

Pledging to both stand and kneel at sporting events whenever the National Anthem is played until there is adequate recognition and amelioration of our nation's discriminatory practices. In so doing I feel I not only show respect for my country but also my recognition of its racial discriminatory practices in the nation's past and present.

Until the next time

I too have trouble believing that anyone would vote for Trump.  In my 94 years I have never seen such a divisive force.

Living through a pandemic at age 94

I am given hope for the future by this message from my Unitarian Church where I find a broadly based community of people of all cultures and creeds considering life's meaning.

Here is the Sunday service at All Souls UU Church in DC on April 26, 2020. I thought Tony's message was outstanding. I hope you will be challenged by it and also enjoy the concluding music which was performed the evening of the Women's March on Washington on the day after Trumps inaugural.

https://all-souls.org/?utm_source=Tony%2020200426&utm_campaign=tony-20200426&utm_medium=email

An unusual post for me

A thought I want to share

I never thought I would do anything like this, but these are strange times, even for one 94. While I still consider myself a "religious" person, I admit upfront that I no longer believe all that I learned about "god" most of my life. TO ME A CHURCH IS A PLACE WHERE I HAVE TRIED TO FIND THE MEANING, PURPOSE AND MORAL TONE OF AND FOR MY LIFE. OBVIOUSLY OTHERS MAY FIND DIFFERENT SOURCES FOR ACCOMPLISHING THAT.

YET! I want to invite you to a service tonight at my INTERFAITH

ALL SOULS UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN WASHINGTON DC

The ministers and singers will attempt to bring meaning and comfort from the plague our world is suffring from now. I know it will help me and I urge you to join me or to seek out other spiritual support.

And know that it is my “treat”. Do not feel compelled to make a contribution: other than to those groups you may find worthy of your support.

The service starts at 7:30PM and may be sourced as follows.

The ministers and singers will attempt to bring meaning and comfort from the plague our world is suffring from now. I know it will help me and I urge you to join me or to seek out other spiritual support.

And know that it is my “treat”. Do not feel compelled to make a contribution: other than to those groups you may find worthy of your support.

Ron Lehker

The service starts at 7:30PM and may be sourced as follows:

All Souls Good Friday Service, this evening at 7:30 PM 

Dear Friends,

Please join me, Rev. Tony Coleman, and members of our music team for an intimate service of music, scripture, contemplation and prayer as we honor the brokenness of our world by remembering the passion and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. Have a candle ready, if you can. A simple communion will be served. If you wish to partake in communion, please have a piece of bread and a sip of wine, water or grape juice available.

You may access our live Good Friday service online or you may phone in to the service at 929-436-2866 (meeting ID: 659 811 817).

The perfect candidate from the Democratic Party to defeat Trump for president this year is……

The perfect candidate from the Democratic Party to defeat Trump for president this year is……

… one who combines the appeal of someone reflecting and involved in the past accomplishments of the Democratic Party and the idealism of youth fed up with hypocrisy seeking to move our country closer to its lofty ideals and goals.

Immediately the naysayer will cite the impossibility of finding such a candidate, and here is where the new world of creative thinking might well assist us in thinking outside of the box.

When voters cast their ballots for the November election they will have two leaders in mind: a president and vice president. It's time NOW to plan what our ticket will look like and the extensive field of candidates exposed to the public over several months presented us with splendid opportunities.

Here's what I'd like to see:

Candidates who speaks only of their own personal work and dreams for the bfutur refusing to denigrate another candidate. Individuals who will appear before the convention ready to do whatever is necessary to have the party regain the presidency by appearing on the ballot as presidential or vice presidential candidate whichever is selected by the convention.

Personally (as one who fully admired the 8 years of Obama/Biden) I'd like to see Joe and one of the younger people/woman/minority with vision and appeal for young people. Were Joe to be at the top spot I'd prefer to have him commit to only one term. (See Detroit Free Press article:  

http://freep.mi.newsmemory.com/?publink=02e2d6815

Or how about Amy Klobuchar and younger/minority?

Defeating a diabolical demonic genius with skills as a showman might well require new skills and creative practices. Let's get ready to think outside the box to move our country forward in a direction we can be proud of.

Some outstanding cultural and current events for the rest of January

Setting aside my Ranting, here are some fascinating events we have an opportunity to attend this week.  The list ends with my plans for two future REAL RANTS!

At the old standby, Politics and Prose on Connecticut Avenue:

Monday, January 27 – 7 PM

Susan Hennessey and Benjamin Wittes – Unmaking the Presidency: Donald Trump's War on the Worlds Most Powerful Office

Tuesday, January 28 days 7 PM

Marsha Chatelein – Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America

Wednesday, January 29 – 7 PM

Diane Ravitch – Slaying Goliath: The Passionate Resistance to Privatization and the Flight to Save America's Public Schools

Thursday, January 30 – 7 PM

Kim Ghattas – Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran and the 40 Year Rivalry that Unraveled Culture, Religion and Collective Memory in the Middle East

Friday, January 31 – 7 PM

Yuval Levin – A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus: How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream

How fascinating that in most cases the tone of the book is established in the subtitle.

If these cultural events do not totally absorb you, here is one more that may have appeal the following may have appeal:

Film: A More or Less Perfect Union

Facebook Twitter

William G. McGowan Theater
Washington, DC National Archives – Metro stop one half block away

Thursday, January 30, 2020 - 7:00 pm. to 9:00 pm.

Reserve a Seat

A More or Less Perfect Union (2020) explores the most contentious issues in American history and today through the lens of the U.S. Constitution. The groundbreaking three-part public television series tells the story of how the framers put freedom in writing; how amendment after amendment finally spread freedom to all of “we the people,” and how we still struggle today to preserve the freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution. Hosted by U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg—a national authority on the Constitution, with 30 years of experience on the Federal appeals court in Washington, DC. Throughout the series, experts of all stripes—conservative, progressive, and libertarian—debate key issues of liberty: freedom of religion and press, slavery, civil rights, the Second Amendment, separation of powers, and more. Following the screening of episode one of the series, Judge Ginsburg will be joined by Professor Hadley Arkes, , Edward N. Ney Professor of Jurisprudence and American Institutions emeritus at Amherst College, to discuss the series and take audience questions.

And for anyone missing my “Ranting” please know that I'll have two more in the near future expressing my concern about:

The Democratic candidates candidates for the next election and

One way out of our America's governmental moral abyss