Helping the Homeless - a lesson learned

He was so courteous and seemed so needy! The "prescription" he held in his hand added to his plea which began, "I'm just out of the hospital:…!"   But I was in a hurry to enter Brookville Market so I replied, "I'm sorry but….!" I was in the market only long enough to feel the pangs of guilt. Thus as I left the store I felt compelled to hear his story. He stated that he had been hospitalized for attempted suicide, that the prescriptions for Clonszepan and Zoloft were $30 each and that it would take a few days for Medicaid to provide payment. Since I was somewhat acquainted with both drugs and depression it all seems so logical, and I pulled out my wallet to help. Yet his statement of the cost of the medicines made me somewhat suspicious so I invited him to go to the nearby CVS to see about getting the prescription filled for him. He stated, however, the prescription had to be filled at Walgreen's and so we turned to go to the nearby Walgreen's and I asked to see the prescription. With this he turned with an abrupt, "Oh forget it!"

I'd promised that my last blog before traveling for a month would be about, WHY AN AGNOSTIC ATHEIST ATTENDS TWO CHURCHES, but distractions like this get in the way. I promise to return to more intellectual ranting and raving when I return in October. I hope you'll check it out.

The Rants and Raves Return with a lesson I learned more than 45 years ago

And a plan for the next three months

of concluding ranting and raving

       It was in Washington, DC in 1969, and I was thrilled to see that the minister who had so impressed me in 1945 at Hollywood's prestigious Presbyterian Church was the guest minister at National Presbyterian in Washington. What a thrill for me to have the opportunity to take my children to hear this marvelous, challenging minister who so mesmerized me as a Marine Lieutenant during those war years. But what a disappointment! I learned the lesson that one can hang on too long. The lesson was underscored just a few weeks ago at National Archives when the author of what appeared to be a fascinating book was speaking. Again I should've learned that as I approached 90, I may have reached that same fate.

       Thus I'm committed to have my final say before December when I turn 90 by sharing a few more of my deeply felt beliefs and insights with family and any who might be interested.

       First of all though, I must admit that I feel I sincerely believe I OVERPLAYED MY HAND IN SPEAKING OF THE “GREATEST GENERATION”. While we won a war again the forces of evil, suffered and overcame the "great depression", added many to a more comfortable middle-class and voted for a government a bit more responsive to the needs of all people, there were two dramatic areas where we failed miserable. How obvious were our failures in race! Certainly it has taken another generation to make progress in the field of race relations.

With my lifelong profession and interest in education and race relations, I was completely mesmerized by the challenge of the book, The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs. I hope you will have a chance to read it before I have my final say on education, youth and race in a month or so. I'd surely be interested in feedbacck from your thoughts on the book.

       And having just completed the book, Infamy: The Shocking Story of the Japanese Americans Internment in World War II by Richard Reeves, I am appalled by my generation's failure to provide basic rights to 120,000 Japanese Americans and forced them into concentration camps. (Yes that was the name given to them at the time.) I marvel at how blithely ignorant I, and our society generally was, of the shocking treatment of citizens of Japanese ancestry who lived on the West Coast. Even the president of the ACLU supported the action. To think that Japanese parents, some of whose children were killed defending us, lost their their property and were incarcerated in these prisons. And yet I must admit I, and most people I knew, maintained we were not aware of it. How similar were we to the “innocent” people of Germany who maintained they knew nothing of the horrors of the Third Reich? I would be remiss if I did not encourage everyone to see the Japanese internment display in the park at the corner of D St. & New Jersey Avenues NW to see our belated recognition of this failure of justice. Surely our reparations were also an effort to make amends and recognize the loss of life and property by our extreme action. I hope more of you will read this book to see how distorted our thinking can be     when we face adversity.

       As is obvious from this rant, I still have a number of views to get off my chest. However there is one rant I am most eager to get to begin sharing before taking a month off to be with my family in Michigan and Germany. It's been a consuming interest of mine – one that I have increasingly felt is largely responsible for the wars and hostilities that have existed through the years – one that – like politics is something “good manners” dictates not be discussed in “polite” society. Yet I believe it has the answer to finding world peace! My working title is Why an agnostic atheist attends two churches.

       I'll follow that with a final say about all those topics I introduced almost a year ago ranging from race to the environment to mental depression to issues of American youth to American exceptionalism to wage disparity to education and to youth participation in sports.

       And not wanting to conclude as a ranting old man, I'll end with some thoughts on how it is possible in my 90^th year to have one of the seven best times of my life!

A rant - about the proper function of government and a rave about my life in DC

Perhaps I'll learn that "A rant a day keeps the doctor away."  What then will a rant and a rave a day do?

Standing in line at the Cleveland Park Post office I saw someone selecting a birthday card from their rather pathetic supply.  My thought was, Why can't the government do more effetively the things we expect from a government rather than compete with one of the best greeting card stores in the city RIGHT NEXT DOOR?

An how fortunate are we who live in Cleveland Park with the opportunity to greet three doting parents with smiling children on a five minute walk;

I hope a number of folks will read these two blogs and read my plans for future blogs tomorrow when  I  "divulge" my plans for closing out my rants by December 8.  I'm eager to share some of most deeply felt on everything from a-politics to z-religion.

The briefest RANT I'll ever make concerns "Impatience".

When one approaches his 90th birthday, it is hard to hear, "Don't be so impatient!"

Especially when one is interested in pursuing change!

Ron

I hope you will tune in to the plethora of R and R's I'm planning to send before my month in Michigan and Germany with family.

And it will begin tomorrow as I  "divulge" my plans for closing out my rants by December 8.

Let us sing the praises of the daily newspaper!

In his book Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam expounds the theory that our American society has suffered tremendously because of the loss of organizations and agencies that bound us together as a people in the past. While he speaks of the unifying nature of the schools, churches, clubs and the like, I don't believe he considers the power of the daily newspaper as a unifying force.. While the younger generation may look to the Internet and myriad television channels to provide information, I can't help but feel that this cacophony of voices can be more harmfully divisive than informative, and I become nostalgic about the importance of the daily newspaper of my youth.  I wonder how much our country suffers by that constant broadcasting of doubt, fear and suspicion found on the internet rather than the considered, tempered analysis of events that is more likely to be found on a quality newspaper. 

As a lower middle class family with limited income, we not only subscribed to one daily paper, we had two – The San Antonio Express in the morning and The San Antonio Evening News in the afternoon. And ours could in no way be considered an intellectual family.  Others of a different mindset had the opportunity to subscribe to William Randolph Hearst's, The San Antonio Light.

Rather than considering the deeper philosophic positions of censorship and which is the more valid democratic position, I want to share three recent newspaper articles that cause me to renew my appreciation of the power of the press, America's 4^th Estate.

1.  The Washington Post for Friday, June 12, 2015 on Page C1

“Michelle Obama commences telling it as she sees it"

These are among the quotations that our First Lady shared with high school and college graduates that could serve as a basis for discussion were they read by more of the populace.

• "I want to encourage you to actively seek out the most contentious, polarized, gridlock places you can find. Throughout our history, those of been the places where progress really happens."
• "There will be times when you feel like folks look right past you."
• “There are so many kids in this country who look at places like museums and concert halls and other cultural centers, and they think to themselves, well, that's not a place for me, for someone who looks like me."

The article goes on to state how vital her message was to those in attendance. How honest and direct she was in her statements. I couldn't help but think of how she was vilified for her statement just after her husband's nomination for the presidency that for the first time she felt proud to be American. Indeed this has been underscored personally for me as I have seen the crowds of African-Americans who for the first time are eager to visit a president who felt they could relate to in the White House. In a single day I think  I see more Afro/Americans visit the house than I did in a year previously.

2. While not at the same level of importance, I found the article on page D1 in the sports section on Monday, June 29, reflective of one of the joys of an earlier generation: "through 66 seasons, Scully hasn't lost voice". How remarkable that Vin Scully was at the same job for 66 years – and one constantly before the public eye. There's something to be said for longevity.  Beyond looking at the joy of sports the article could spur thoughts about the present tendency to hire "temps" rather than commit to permanent employees in order to save money

3. Also on June 29 Page C1 Sarah Kaufman had an article, "A return to the grace of God – and of man". Regardless of one's religious or atheistic or political persuasion, one has to appreciate her view of the president singing a song that can unite us.

Thanks to any of you who've stayed with this rant and rambling until the end. I could say much more about the miracle that I believe the daily newspaper to be. Think of it: "That in retirement I can venture out my front door at 7 AM and hold in my hand a thoughtful report of events from sports to dramatic worldwide events or catastrophes that occurred less than eight hours previously".

Let us all sing the praises of (and subscribe) to the daily newspaper.  

Insights about America thrlough the eyes of German tourists

After a couple of months without ranting or raving, I have a lot of pent up R&Ring to do.  I'll be getting a lot off my chest in the next few weeks.

During the past two months it is been my pleasure to show relatives and friends from far and near around our great city. Each time I do this I feel anew the marvelous opportunity which is mine to have retired in our nations capital.

Perhaps the most remarkable of these visits was a mother and daughter, distant cousin of mine, from Germany.  It was the first visit to the United States for both of them, although they have traveled throughout Europe and on two occasions to Israel. It was fascinating to me that high on their list of MUST SEE were Arlington Cemetery, the war memorials and the United States Holocaust Museum.

I found there reactions extremely fascinating. I felt that I was indeed reliving Alex de Tocqueville's, Democracy in America, however, not as an aristocrat might report, but as an average German citizen sees things. Their observations included:

• That so many Americans were willing to sacrifice their lives to secure freedom for others in far off places ranging from Europe to the Middle East and Asia.
• That during a visit to Arlington when the cemetery was crowded with eighth grade tour groups, the children were so well behaved giving their attention and respect to the learning experience.  
• They were particularly impressed by the volunteerism present at so many of the venues we explored. It seems a concept not present in their society

They were also highly impressed by the honesty and clarity with which the Holocaust Museum, particularly, The Story of Daniel, depicted the horrors of the Nazi era and that we have a government that makes such museums free to all.

Random thoughts as I approach my 9th decade of life.

I'm far too busy inaugurating my two year celebration of turning 90 to Really Rant or Rave, but a quick look at today's (5/21/15) Washington Post brings three thoughts to my attention:

1. What a remarkable achievement is the publishing and delivery of a daily newspaper.  
2. A picture can reveal so much:
• Everyone talks and no one listens.
• Page D-1 shows all three (Harper, Williams and the umpire) all with their mouths open and (probably) their ears shut.    
• The universal appeal of music - not only worldwide but across all socio-economic levels.
• Page A-8 shows "Burundian Richard Samuel, 14, plays his homemade guitar as he waits to be moved from a stadium ...............to a refuge camp.  The United Nations says more than 100,000 people ................flee unrest..... !!!!!!!!!!

It's great to be retired and do the things one really wants to do - perhaps ere too long I'll get to my suggestions for solving the three great American problems:

1. Achieving world peace 
2. Rescuing the public schools, and 
3. Reducing income disparity