Can’t We All Just Pray Together? May 24, 2012

Memorial Day is a strange holiday. It began as a way to honor Union soldiers who fought and died in the Civil War. It was not much observed in the South for a long time, for reasons that seem clear. It was originally called Decoration Day, because it was a day to decorate the graves [...]

The Power of Two Women May 8, 2012

All day I have been praying for love and justice to triumph today in North Carolina. The vote on Proposition 1, which would, if adopted, place a ban on same-gender-loving marriage in that state’s constitution (similar to what we endured in Virginia in 2006), is said by some to be close. Others claim that the [...]

The 18% Solution? March 29, 2012

We have been treated to high drama this week at the Supreme Court during three days of arguments about the Affordable Care and Protection Act. Both sides, or perhaps I should say, all sides, have had their say. And our homegrown Attorney General, Mr. Cuccinelli, has been quoted as saying that he thinks the Supremes [...]

The “R Word” March 22, 2012

C. L. Ermini and Rene Harvey sent me a link to a YouTube video that includes their son Tyree. I love this family (including Shianne) so I watched the video. It was great to see Tyree, singing and dancing with the other students. The video is entitled, “Spread the Word to End the Word!” And [...]

Live for Another Day February 9, 2012

Well, they did it anyway. Some folks, good folks, tried to point out that SB 349 had become a monstrosity–a bad bill being made worse through the legislative process–but there was no listening. The Senate passed it today, 22-18 (two Democrats joined 20 Republicans).  Governor McDonnell will sign it. The result: children currently in Virginia’s [...]

Doing a Hard Thing in Order to Stop a Bad Thing February 7, 2012

Sometimes you have to do something you don’t want to do. That is the predicament our good friend, SenatorDonald McEachin, is in with regard to SB 349. And he is joined by another good friend, SenatorAdam Ebbin, and several others. As originally introduced, SB 349 was intended to “protect” faith-based agencies engaged in adoption from [...]

In G—- I Do Not Trust January 23, 2012

I don’t often read Walter Williams, an Op/Ed columnist whose column appears in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. I find his mind closed in to even the slightest hint of liberality. So I usually just skip over him. But recently a headline on his column, “In Greed I Trust” caught my eye (see Richmond Times-Dispatch for January 12, [...]

A New King? Please! January 16, 2012

On this day set aside to honor Dr. King, I am reminded how bereft we are of leaders of his stature. We really need the moral compass he provided. The strongest voices in our nation these days seem to belong to those whose primary values focus on money–getting more, keeping what they have, avoiding paying [...]

What’s the Big Deal? December 8, 2011

What’s in a number? Sometimes, not much. Other times, a lot. The numbers in Washington are daunting. It used to be, when I was much younger, that millions were a lot. Then it became billions. Now it is trillions. So what is the big deal for me about 218? I weighed myself Monday morning–I do [...]

Quality over Quantity December 7, 2011

We survived Black Friday. At least, I hope you did. No mace in your face, I trust. I have been thinking a lot about how out of control things seem to be. Could it be that we, or at least many of us, are following the wrong path? Instead of seeing shopping–often called consumer spending [...]