I suspect that you and I are alike, along with most others: one foot on either side of the continental divide. The difference may be that I tend to put a little more weight on my right foot and you tend to put a little more weight on your left foot. ⚖️
One correction -- may be a typo by me -- I do not currently…
I suspect that you and I are alike, along with most others: one foot on either side of the continental divide. The difference may be that I tend to put a little more weight on my right foot and you tend to put a little more weight on your left foot. ⚖️
One correction -- may be a typo by me -- I do not currently own a gun and feel much the same way you do about guns. The one good thing from the incidental firearms training was that my biggest fear -- getting some rush or thrill of power from firing the weapons -- was not realized. 😊
I am likely blowing off about a civil war. One reason why I do is to gird myself for that possibility. Like you, I tend to reference World War II and wonder whether I would have been a Dietrich Boehoeffer or a Pius II. I wrote this essay in May 2016 expressing this very concern as a warning from me to me. ✍️
My hope remains basically that people will wise up. Nonetheless, I suspect you are on target: pain will have to be endured before people bitch-slap M.A.G.A. and run Trump out of town. Our difference here reminds me of what an accounting professor -- known to teach by far the most demanding course in the school -- said on the first day of class, in effect: "To pass this class, you have to be committed not just involved. Think of eggs and bacon for breakfast: the hen is involved, the pig is committed." 😱
Wow Ned, reading your prescient essay from nearly 9 years ago shows me you've given much more thought than I to the idea of resistance versus "going along to get along", by imagining yourself as a German citizen. It reminded me of Martin Niemöller's quote (truth told: I had to look up who wrote it) about inaction in the face of injustice, "First they came for the Jews..."
Comfort can be a coercion. Let's hope we as Americans don't get too comfortable, because we are frogs in the kettle.
Thank you for your compliment, Doug; coming from you, it means a lot me. 🤝 While I did not know you -- if only virtually -- back then, others like you inspired it. 😇 I hope I never forget this statement of stark wisdom: 🤞 "Comfort can be a coercion." ⚖️ I will repeat that in church but will not mention you by name since I find specific references embarrass people. 🙏 I will cite you as a "wise acquaintance". ✌🏽If comfort is a peril -- and your insights make a strong case that it is -- then let the suffering proceed. 😰 Thank you, good man, thank you 'muchly'. 😊
(Where's the *blushing* emoji?) Thank you, Ned! You give me far too much credit, though. I'm really not very wise (except for thenwisdom of years), but I'm glad to be considered an acquaintance! Reading these exchanges on substack forces me to think about issues before responding to a comment made by you or someone else.
WOWerful, Doug, powerful. 😲
I suspect that you and I are alike, along with most others: one foot on either side of the continental divide. The difference may be that I tend to put a little more weight on my right foot and you tend to put a little more weight on your left foot. ⚖️
One correction -- may be a typo by me -- I do not currently own a gun and feel much the same way you do about guns. The one good thing from the incidental firearms training was that my biggest fear -- getting some rush or thrill of power from firing the weapons -- was not realized. 😊
I am likely blowing off about a civil war. One reason why I do is to gird myself for that possibility. Like you, I tend to reference World War II and wonder whether I would have been a Dietrich Boehoeffer or a Pius II. I wrote this essay in May 2016 expressing this very concern as a warning from me to me. ✍️
https://nedmcdletters.blogspot.com/2016/05/letter-116-b-getting-historical.html NOTE: I compare Trump to Hitler only because I know more about the Nazi timeline; Trump is more like Mussolini -- self-important, authoritarian, and stupid. 🤬
My hope remains basically that people will wise up. Nonetheless, I suspect you are on target: pain will have to be endured before people bitch-slap M.A.G.A. and run Trump out of town. Our difference here reminds me of what an accounting professor -- known to teach by far the most demanding course in the school -- said on the first day of class, in effect: "To pass this class, you have to be committed not just involved. Think of eggs and bacon for breakfast: the hen is involved, the pig is committed." 😱
See you at the barricades . . . hopefully not. 🤞
Wow Ned, reading your prescient essay from nearly 9 years ago shows me you've given much more thought than I to the idea of resistance versus "going along to get along", by imagining yourself as a German citizen. It reminded me of Martin Niemöller's quote (truth told: I had to look up who wrote it) about inaction in the face of injustice, "First they came for the Jews..."
Comfort can be a coercion. Let's hope we as Americans don't get too comfortable, because we are frogs in the kettle.
Anyway, cheers, Ned!
Thank you for your compliment, Doug; coming from you, it means a lot me. 🤝 While I did not know you -- if only virtually -- back then, others like you inspired it. 😇 I hope I never forget this statement of stark wisdom: 🤞 "Comfort can be a coercion." ⚖️ I will repeat that in church but will not mention you by name since I find specific references embarrass people. 🙏 I will cite you as a "wise acquaintance". ✌🏽If comfort is a peril -- and your insights make a strong case that it is -- then let the suffering proceed. 😰 Thank you, good man, thank you 'muchly'. 😊
(Where's the *blushing* emoji?) Thank you, Ned! You give me far too much credit, though. I'm really not very wise (except for thenwisdom of years), but I'm glad to be considered an acquaintance! Reading these exchanges on substack forces me to think about issues before responding to a comment made by you or someone else.