Tuesday, April 30, 2019
The end of the year
As I have been most of my life, I am living on the academic calendar. That means that I am coming to the end of the year, a deeply bittersweet time. Graduation is a thrill, but also marks a break with people I have come to know and love, the students who will go on their way to other places. It is, of course, what is supposed to happen, but that does not make it easier.
There are other landmarks, of course. Today is my last class period for criminal law and for my clinic; my criminal practice class ended on Thursday of last week. I always feel awkward in those last few moments; it is kind of a Midwestern good-bye. At my best, I come up with a good story for those last few moments, something that connects to the deepest emotions of the subject (and in criminal law, those do in fact run pretty deep). Then I kind of wave awkwardly and mumble as I quickly back out the door. When I left Baylor, I even pulled an epic stunt so that no one would notice I was leaving.
They all go. The school is quiet as the air gets warm (even in Minnesota).
And the shift in duties is jarring. In the spring, I teach three classes, a total of ten credits. All of my energy goes to teaching, which is a profoundly social project. Then-- boom!-- my job becomes writing, a solitary effort. It's just me in my office with my research moose and some music. I ride my bike in to work, wear old clothes, and churn out words. I love that, too.
But then fall comes, and the wheel turns again...
Monday, April 29, 2019
Chore of Spring
I love haiku that is earthy and shows us a picture of something. Christine did that last Friday:
Trusty wheel barrow
tires pumped up and ready
Time to spread the mulch.
Trusty wheel barrow
tires pumped up and ready
Time to spread the mulch.
Sunday, April 28, 2019
Sunday Reflection: The Darkness and the Light
Yesterday I went to a funeral. Dawn Harrell was an author and minister, editor, mother and wife. She contracted cancer at 48 and leaves behind my friend Daniel and their daughter Violet, who is in fifth grade.
In a recent post, Daniel mentioned that his wife was a believer in "letting darkness do its work," in the sense of letting grief be whole and real. There is deep truth in that.
I know people who treat everything like a funeral: they see sadness in everything, and are attuned primarily to the tragedy that is always present or near. I also know people who tend to treat everything like a wedding. Both of these views encompass a fair amount of denial. Both darkness and light need to do their work.
In a very literal sense, we are never in total darkness. Nor are we ever completely in light. There is darkness about us, in shadow, on the brightest day. Even the darkest night offers pinpricks of light.
But there is a time to mourn, and a time for joy. And we must let each do its work.
In a recent post, Daniel mentioned that his wife was a believer in "letting darkness do its work," in the sense of letting grief be whole and real. There is deep truth in that.
I know people who treat everything like a funeral: they see sadness in everything, and are attuned primarily to the tragedy that is always present or near. I also know people who tend to treat everything like a wedding. Both of these views encompass a fair amount of denial. Both darkness and light need to do their work.
In a very literal sense, we are never in total darkness. Nor are we ever completely in light. There is darkness about us, in shadow, on the brightest day. Even the darkest night offers pinpricks of light.
But there is a time to mourn, and a time for joy. And we must let each do its work.
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Minneapolis Media day!
Yesterday, I got to weigh in on a lot of the important stuff going on. I had a piece in the Star-Tribune about the Mueller Report. You can read that here.
Then, in the evening, I went on one of my favorite shows, Almanac on Minnesota Public Television, to talk about the Noor trial. You might be able to see that here [or above, starting at about 3:10).
Friday, April 26, 2019
Haiku Friday: The chores of Spring
[Pictured here: Not exactly a chore, but I think I was trying to save a baguette from a group of neighborhood miscreants]
If you are like me, you are finding yourself outside with some tools: a rake or a limb-cutter, or a chain saw. It's the first decent days of Spring, and there is a lot to do, inside and out.
Let's haiku about that this week! Here, I will go first:
I do love Spring's tools:
The saw and spade and clippers
And sun, rain, an soil.
Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 syllable formula and have some fun!
Thursday, April 25, 2019
PMT: Fascinating corners of the Mueller Report (Part I)
So... yeah, I read it. And it is fascinating. It took awhile, but it was worth it. Here are some of the things I found and thought (Part I):
1) Volume I, which details how Russia tried to undermine our election in 2016, is probably more important historically than Volume II, which covers allegations of obstruction of justice by President Trump. Even though the President (or anyone in his immediate orbit) is not described as being a conspirator with the Russians, the larger issue for us really is how this happened-- and how it is likely to happen again if action is not taken.
2) The redactions seemed reasonable to me. I was worried there would be an abuse of the ability to redact material that would be derogatory to third parties, but that was very rarely used-- and one of those few times was to protect Bill Clinton(!).
3) The Russian efforts were clearly in favor of the Trump campaign, and they went so far as to actually organize pro-Trump rallies over social media. Vol I, p. 29. They also recruited Americans to perform stunts including "walking around New York City dressed up as Santa Claus with a Trump mask." Vol. I, p. 32.
4) Some of the efforts by the Russians do seem to be closely aligned with Trump interests in a way that reflects remarkable efficiency. For example, p. 7 of Vol. I describes on October 7, 2016, the video of Donald Trump talking about sexual assault was released and that "Less than an hour later, Wikileaks made its second release: thousands of John Podesta's emails...."
5) At the height of its efforts the Russians "had the ability to reach millions of US persons through their social media accounts." Vol. I, p. 14.
6) Redactions of p. 16 of Volume I make clear that one of the ongoing investigations involves the Russian effort itself, which extended beyond social media as "part of a larger set of interlocking operations known as "Project Lakhta."
7) The Russians even manipulated Americans into holding signs up in various places--including in front of the White House-- wishing happy birthday to a Russian propaganda chief. Vol. I, p. 19.
8) Trump was not the only recipient of Russian help-- they also tried to help Bernie Sanders! Vol. I, p. 23
9) Trump actually re-tweeted at least one message by the Russians. Vol. I, p. 34.
10) Don McGahn comes across as a hero, and Jared Kushner seems at least to be politically savvy. For example, he leaves the Trump Tower meeting in the middle, and writes that it was "a waste of time."
11) Paul Manafort's notes from the famous Trump Tower meeting included this very intriguing entry: "Tied into Cheney." Hmmm....
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
What's Shakin' in Waco
Buzzfeed has up a pretty fascinating article on my old haunt, Waco. You can read it here.
Like many recent articles it focuses on the Gaines Effect, but also spends some time with one of my former students, Dillon Meek. Here is one part I found especially intriguing, in part because I have been a little baffled by the prevalence of a certain demographic among the crowds there:
In the five days I spent in Waco, I found myself stymied by the thought: Do I love this? Do I hate this? Or do I just resent how effectively I’m being marketed to? As a white, middle-class woman, it’s difficult to shake the feeling, walking from shop to shop, of being haunted by the physical manifestation of a targeted Instagram ad. But there’s something about Chip and Joanna Gaines — and, by extension, the changes they’ve helped catalyze in Waco — that tends to disarm cynicism.
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
A few more thoughts on Easter
While sitting in church on Easter, soaking up the beauty of that day and that moment, I had a little tiny epiphany.
It occurred to me that we focus on the miracles of Jesus, and sometime imagine that we can re-create them (ie, faith healing). But... most of what he did were things that we can do without employing the supernatural.
He sought out the outcasts and spoke with them.
He confronted the powerful with their hypocrisy.
He led by example, and humbly.
He fed those who were hungry.
He encouraged those who were downcast.
He made breakfast for his friends.
He was not afraid to surprise people.
And there is much more, of course....
It occurred to me that we focus on the miracles of Jesus, and sometime imagine that we can re-create them (ie, faith healing). But... most of what he did were things that we can do without employing the supernatural.
He sought out the outcasts and spoke with them.
He confronted the powerful with their hypocrisy.
He led by example, and humbly.
He fed those who were hungry.
He encouraged those who were downcast.
He made breakfast for his friends.
He was not afraid to surprise people.
And there is much more, of course....
Monday, April 22, 2019
Doing the reading
I was taken by Megan Willome's haiku last Friday:
I can't bear to leave
"Kristin Lavransdatter," so
I reread it all.
I had never heard of Kristin Lavransdatter, so I had to look it up. It turns out that it is not one book but three-- a trilogy of historical novels by the Norwegian Nobel laureate Sigrid Undset. If (like me) that doesn't mean much to you and you have never heard of Undset, that's because she wrote the books in the 1920's.
The books describe medieval life in Northern Europe, which--based on my fascination with the Norwegian TV show "Norsemen," should be right up my alley! I plan to check them out.
Also of note: Megan Willome will always be cooler than me.
Sunday, April 21, 2019
Sunday Reflection: Resurrection
It is Easter day; He is risen.
After all these years of thinking about it, I am still not sure what to make of that. I believe in Jesus and what he was and is, and would even in the absence of miracles; it is the teaching that rings out with truth. And yet, we have these miracles, and this one is the greatest.
For some reason, Jesus's resurrection isn't the one that strikes to my core. That would be the resurrection of Lazarus, who was brought back to life by Jesus after he was dead and being mourned. Lazarus was one of us, after all.
If heaven awaited, why would Jesus resurrect him? That question gnaws at me.
I can think of two answers. It is possible, I suppose, that Lazarus was not headed for heaven, and Jesus was giving him another chance.
The other possibility is that Lazarus had more to do here, that his resurrection was for the benefit of Martha, Mary, and the others around him. And that is the idea that moves me.
I do believe we all have a role to play, and important thing or things we are meant to do. I also believe that we do not always know we are accomplishing it when we perform that role; we may only become aware later, or not at all. It may be the quietest thing, too: an encouraging word, a kindness to another, perhaps an act of parenting or something at work. We don't see the entire invisible spiderweb of our connections, but we each have our place on it.
I do. You do, too. And perhaps we can only know that in the quiet.
Saturday, April 20, 2019
Press Secretaries and Truth
I remember watching the press conference where Sarah Sanders claimed that after FBI director was fired "countless" FBI agents applauded the move. At the time, I thought "that's not right." It just didn't make sense, based on what I know about FBI agents. They just aren't the type of people who call the White House to comment on political moves, even if they did not like the director who was fired.
Does this mean she should be fired or resign? What level of deception are tolerated in that position?
Friday, April 19, 2019
Haiku Friday: What we read
Yesterday was a big day in my field: Robert Mueller released his report on Russian interference with the election in 2016 and possible obstruction of justice by President Trump and his associates. It was released while I was teaching class in the morning, and when I was done I raced to look it over. I knew a few people would have questions for me about it, and they did. But I ignored a lot of others, because my heart really wasn't into answering questions about what in the report made me mad. Instead, I was thinking about the sermon I was to give last night at First Covenant, for Maundy Thursday.
So, I set the Mueller Report aside and read about the Last Supper.
We don't always read what we are supposed to read, or what people might expect us to read. Scholars sometimes read comic books, and prisoners read treatises.
Let's haiku about what we really read... here, I will go first:
I am holding the
Arts section of the Times, 'cause
The crossword's inside.
Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 syllable formula and have some fun!
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Political Mayhem Thursday: The Mueller Report
As I write this, I haven't read the Mueller report. I imagine that it will be a handful-- rumor has it that it runs to 400 pages. Of course, much of it will likely be redacted, and some of that page total may be attachments-- for example, copies of indictments that we have seen already.
When I do get to see it, here is what I will be looking for:
1) I'm first going to check out the structure of the document. My understanding is that it comes in sections with summaries at the beginning. If so, I will start by reading all of the summaries-- they will tell me what to look for in the body of the text.
2) In terms of the meat of it, I am most interested in the interviews they did and the findings they drew from them. After all, they talked to so many of the figures in the WH and its orbit: Sarah Sanders, for example, was just one of those questioned outside of the Grand Jury, meaning that her statements won't be redacted (at least for that reason).
3) I suspect that the acts consistent with obstruction of justice will be described in some detail (if they exist) and broken down by event. I will be eager to see that.
4) Regarding conspiracy with Russia, I suspect that the part of the report devoted to that will mostly contain things we already know. But I could be wrong....
When I do get to see it, here is what I will be looking for:
1) I'm first going to check out the structure of the document. My understanding is that it comes in sections with summaries at the beginning. If so, I will start by reading all of the summaries-- they will tell me what to look for in the body of the text.
2) In terms of the meat of it, I am most interested in the interviews they did and the findings they drew from them. After all, they talked to so many of the figures in the WH and its orbit: Sarah Sanders, for example, was just one of those questioned outside of the Grand Jury, meaning that her statements won't be redacted (at least for that reason).
3) I suspect that the acts consistent with obstruction of justice will be described in some detail (if they exist) and broken down by event. I will be eager to see that.
4) Regarding conspiracy with Russia, I suspect that the part of the report devoted to that will mostly contain things we already know. But I could be wrong....
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
The many bees of Waco
I just can't stay away from Waco-- I had pieces in the paper there on Tuesday and on Sunday last week. The second of these was about the Waco economy, and was given the headline What's Really Buzzing About Waco.
The idea for the piece came from thinking about Chris Clark, who was one of my students at St. Thomas Law School after he finished his undergrad at Baylor. He was a wonderful member of the community here, and after he graduated he went back to Waco to make his life. He's a guy who is a creator; he bubbles with ideas and has had a great role in starting small businesses both as a lawyer and an entrepreneur.
I really admire people like Chris, and I think they are more important to thriving communities than we often realize. Here is part of what I said in the Waco Trib piece:
In the north woods I am always struck by the ecology of large and small animals. Bears are large and infrequent visitors, even up in the wilderness of the Boundary Waters, a 1,090,000-acre area within the Superior National Forest straddling the U.S.-Canada border. It is thrilling to glimpse a bear, even as such creatures lumber off when they see you. They are fascinating, but the woods would be pretty much the same without them. The same cannot be said of bees, which are essential to nearly any ecosystem with flowering plants. The woods and meadows can thrive without the bears but will no longer flourish if the bees are gone. After there is a fire, the burned-over area springs back to life with jack pines, their cones buzzing with yellowjackets filling themselves with pollen, the fuel of rebirth.
Like those bees, one could argue that a thousand Chris Clarks are better, in the long run, than one Amazon.
You can read the whole thing here.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
The Fire
Yesterday it burst into flames, probably from a mishap during renovations. Some of it was destroyed-- the extent of the damage will be hard to assess until the flames are finally extinguished and the area cools.
That sight on the news-- of the beautiful cathedral apparently burning down-- was a shock to the system. Our news cycle seems designed to constantly provoke us, but there was something different about this breaking development, something more deeply tragic.
I remember going with my Dad to the Del Ray section of Detroit years ago. The area had been utterly devastated by neglect, environmental abuse, vandalism, and arson. But as we drove I saw something that stopped me cold: a church that was completely burned out, only identifiable by its husk and a few remaining marks of the cross. It was burned and then abandoned; no one had fenced it off or tried to save it, or even knocked it down. It just stared back at me.
Still, I shiver when I think of that.
Notre Dame will be rebuilt. It is part of a cultural heritage as well as a religious one.
But what of the churches we have let burn and abandoned, in reality or metaphorically? What is the cost of that loss?
Monday, April 15, 2019
Great haiku/memorable people
Wow, you guys knocked it out of the park last week...
I know that I should know who Susan Stabile is referring to (but I don't):
He always signed off:
Good night Mrs. Calabash
Wherever you are.
CraigA went full-on Boston on us:
Gravel voice Johnny Most
Always over-the-top homer
Celtics radio host.
I am assuming the Medievalist is harking back to his Minnesota roots:
Barry ZeeVan the
Extremely weird weatherman
Who was always wrong.
And Jill Scoggins, beautifully, takes us back to Texas:
His signature close:
“MAAARR-vin Zindler, EYE. WIT. NESS.
NEWS.” I miss it still.
#abc13houston
I know that I should know who Susan Stabile is referring to (but I don't):
He always signed off:
Good night Mrs. Calabash
Wherever you are.
CraigA went full-on Boston on us:
Gravel voice Johnny Most
Always over-the-top homer
Celtics radio host.
I am assuming the Medievalist is harking back to his Minnesota roots:
Barry ZeeVan the
Extremely weird weatherman
Who was always wrong.
And Jill Scoggins, beautifully, takes us back to Texas:
His signature close:
“MAAARR-vin Zindler, EYE. WIT. NESS.
NEWS.” I miss it still.
#abc13houston
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Sunday Reflection: Supper
I'm giving a sermon on Maundy Thursday this week at First Covenant--Minneapolis (6 pm, if you would like to come). I spent a good chunk of yesterday pondering what I am going to say.
It's a challenging thing, of course. There is so much that happened at the last supper, actually, and I am struggling to focus.
There is something about feasting that moves deep within us. We eat and drink ceremonially when we mourn, when we wed, when we gather together as family, when we celebrate holidays. At some level, it is this commonality that we will always have, this bond we cannot break: we must eat and drink. The murderer in prison with his steel tray of food and the billionaire sitting by the sea with his do the same thing-- in fact, they must do the same thing. It is an existential requirement.
There is this moment during communion that moves me to my core. I might be kneeling before a rail, hip to hip with those next to me, or standing in a line. I put out my hands and open them to form a little cup. A man or woman looks at me, and I look into their eyes as they say "the body of Christ." Then they put a bit of bread into the cup of my hands. In that moment, I feel the bread, I actually feel it-- the roughness of it, the yeastiness, the crevices and valleys and the hardness of a bit of crust. In that moment before I eat it, it seems a living thing (and it is), and precious.
Many Christians take communion by intiction-- that is, by dipping the bread into the wine. I don't. I drink from the cup, to feel the wine meet my lip, to feel to coolness of the silver chalice, to taste it in whole. That, too, is a slow moment.
And in that is everything.
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Netflix Recommendation: Norsemen
If you have some time to kill and subscribe to Netflix, I heartily endorse Norsemen, a kinda weird show from Norwegian TV that was awkwardly filmed in both Norwegian and English at the same time.
Set in 790 AD, the show follows the residents of Norheim, a village that relies on the pillaging of other communities for their livelihood. They have a poorly-thought-out set of governing principles and a messy social structure, but the food looks pretty good.
If you doubt the quality of Norsemen, rest assured that it won the 2017 Gullruten award for Best Comedy Show in all of Norway!
Oh, and there is a lot of violence, much of it against the poor residents of England.
Friday, April 12, 2019
Haiku Friday: Memorable people
Don't ask me why, but I spent a chunk of time yesterday watching videos of Sonny Elliot, who was a TV and radio weatherman in Detroit when I was a kid. I'm not sure he knew anything about meteorology, but he put on quite a show!
We all have people in our past-- those we knew in person, or those we knew remotely-- who were truly memorable. Let's haiku about them this week!
Here, I will go first:
Warmer and rainy
"That makes it 'Wainy!'" he'd say
And then I would laugh.
Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 syllable formula, and have some fun!
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Political Mayhem Thursday: They Might Kick Us Out!
The school where I teach, St. Thomas, is a Division III school whose teams play in the 13-member Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic League, or MIAC. It's kind of a fun league that features teams known as the Tommies (St. Thomas), the Johnnies (St. John's), the Gusties (Gustavus Adolphus), the Bennies (St. Benedict's), the Olies (St. Olaf), the Augies (Augsburg) and the Knights (Carleton, who didn't get the memo).
It turns out, according to a report in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the other schools are thinking about kicking us out of the league because St. Thomas is too big and not great at sportsmanship:
"There were mostly shrugs for years over the Tommies’ frequent league titles through the fall, winter and spring sports calendar until Glenn Caruso arrived in 2008 as the football coach and quickly built a powerhouse. The Tommies posted lopsided victories over the MIAC’s second-division teams; in a three-week period in 2017, they defeated Hamline 84-0 and St. Olaf 97-0."
“That St. Olaf game seemed to get people upset,” said Steve Johnson, Bethel’s football coach. “We started hearing more about it.”
I wrote about this previously, after watching the football team defeat Carleton 80-3, in a game where St. Thomas was throwing long passes and seeking two-point conversion to run up the score late in the game. It was embarrassing, and not representative of what St. Thomsa claims as its values. I understand the point that the other schools are making.Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Hello, "Bomb Cyclone!"
As the terrifying map (and accompanying story) at CNN show, Minnesota is about to get slammed with another April snowstorm-- this time courtesy of a "bomb cyclone" barreling through the middle of the country.
It's getting kind of normal, actually. In the middle of April last year, we got over a foot of snow.
But, c'mon already! We kind of need a break. Will spring ever really come?
Tuesday, April 09, 2019
Time for Baylor to act like a University
For decades, Baylor has simultaneously done two things: Explicitly discriminate against LGBT people, and effectively bar any kind of meaningful discussion of LGBT issues.
Now, it seems that may be changing. The school has approved a talk on campus by Matt Walsh, a conservative who is hostile to LGBT rights. I am not one of those who say he should be barred from speaking; I am all for the right to be heard of those I disagree with.
However, If Baylor is going to be a real grown-up University, it now must allow (and sponsor in the same way) views from the other side.
Do I have opinions about this? Oh, yes I do. Have I written about it? Yup, in the Waco paper today-- and you can read that here.
Now, it seems that may be changing. The school has approved a talk on campus by Matt Walsh, a conservative who is hostile to LGBT rights. I am not one of those who say he should be barred from speaking; I am all for the right to be heard of those I disagree with.
However, If Baylor is going to be a real grown-up University, it now must allow (and sponsor in the same way) views from the other side.
Do I have opinions about this? Oh, yes I do. Have I written about it? Yup, in the Waco paper today-- and you can read that here.
Monday, April 08, 2019
Our hometowns...
Nice haiku work, friends! I love what happened here.
Gavin is very clear:
Vibrant in my mind,
My home town is a ghost town.
We simply just left.
Jill Scoggins tells a great story:
Where dark swamps meet the
bright beach. Spanish moss hangs low.
Gulls cry out. Steamy.
Burning pavement on
my bare soles. Chilled in a
crowded public pool.
Azalea, evening
primrose, crepe myrtle, all in
hot pinks and bright corals.
Asphalt streets do feel
spongy. The smell of tar drifts
up from the road.
At the cabin, the
pot’s on the propane. Just-caught
crawfish, shrimp, crabs boiling.
Afternoons spent in
peel-and-eat marathons. Lunch
fades into supper.
Just as spring, summer,
fall fade into one season
in Southeast Texas.
The Medievalist is right on about Minnesota:
A valley so green,
I'm always walking uphill,
Killing mosquitoes.
And Mr. D comes right at us from the left coast:
In Los Angeles
There are a thousand cities
Mine is a hillside.
Gavin is very clear:
Vibrant in my mind,
My home town is a ghost town.
We simply just left.
Jill Scoggins tells a great story:
Where dark swamps meet the
bright beach. Spanish moss hangs low.
Gulls cry out. Steamy.
Burning pavement on
my bare soles. Chilled in a
crowded public pool.
Azalea, evening
primrose, crepe myrtle, all in
hot pinks and bright corals.
Asphalt streets do feel
spongy. The smell of tar drifts
up from the road.
At the cabin, the
pot’s on the propane. Just-caught
crawfish, shrimp, crabs boiling.
Afternoons spent in
peel-and-eat marathons. Lunch
fades into supper.
Just as spring, summer,
fall fade into one season
in Southeast Texas.
The Medievalist is right on about Minnesota:
A valley so green,
I'm always walking uphill,
Killing mosquitoes.
And Mr. D comes right at us from the left coast:
In Los Angeles
There are a thousand cities
Mine is a hillside.
Sunday, April 07, 2019
Sunday Reflection: Defining the faith of others
I rarely venture into religious debates-- I have my hands full with my faith imperative to work on criminal law. But I wander in there enough to see one dynamic that is really unfortunate.
Both sides in religious debates within Christianity too often seem to define the other side as not being Christian. Conservatives claim that those who differ with them on LGBT issues, for example, aren't really Christian; some even argue that Democrats aren't Christians. On the flip side, progressives (and even moderates) will claim that conservatives have left the faith.
It is one thing to argue that the other side is running contrary to an interpretation of the Bible or a church doctrine, or even to point out hypocrisy on the other side. It is another to say that the opponent is not a follower of Christ.
Christianity has been plagued by schism over a wide variety of issues over the centuries, and many of them seem silly from the modern perspective. And yet... we still treat difference of opinion as sin. Is there love in that?
Both sides in religious debates within Christianity too often seem to define the other side as not being Christian. Conservatives claim that those who differ with them on LGBT issues, for example, aren't really Christian; some even argue that Democrats aren't Christians. On the flip side, progressives (and even moderates) will claim that conservatives have left the faith.
It is one thing to argue that the other side is running contrary to an interpretation of the Bible or a church doctrine, or even to point out hypocrisy on the other side. It is another to say that the opponent is not a follower of Christ.
Christianity has been plagued by schism over a wide variety of issues over the centuries, and many of them seem silly from the modern perspective. And yet... we still treat difference of opinion as sin. Is there love in that?
Saturday, April 06, 2019
Amy Klobuchar on criminal law
Presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar has an excellent op-ed up at CNN-- you can read it here. Yeah, I'm very happy that she name-checked me and Rachel Barkow, but she also included two really essential reforms as part of her platform.
First, she urges the use of a clemency board to take the clemency process out of the DOJ. Second, she suggests appointing an advisor on criminal law from outside of the DOJ, which would help address a huge problem that Rachel and I explain here-- the way in which the DOJ, a building full of prosecutors, effectively serve as the president's only advisors on criminal law.
Tomorrow night she will be on the Van Jones show on CNN at 7, and I expect these proposals will come up-- Jones has been a real mover on the subject of criminal law reform, after all.
I'm a fan of Klobuchar, and even stood out in the cold when she announced her candidacy (something I had publicly encouraged). I was also pretty public in hoping that she would take a pro-active stand on criminal law reform, and now she is doing so. Klobuchar may not be the early leader, but she is doing a lot of things right-- and it is the leader at the end, not the beginning, who wins the race.
Friday, April 05, 2019
Haiku Friday: My hometown
Place matters. We are all from someplace; we all live someplace now. For some, it's even the same place. Either one can be your hometown.
Let's haiku about that this week. Whether you are from St. Peter, Minnesota, Grosse Pointe, Michigan, or NYC, go ahead and knock out some lines.
Here, I will go first:
Green in the summer
Red in fall, then white winters;
Spring is a palette.
Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 syllable pattern and have some fun!
Thursday, April 04, 2019
PMT: What's shaking in Wisconsin?
For some reason, I seem to be considered an expert mostly in Wisconsin and Canada. And that is ok with me-- I love both of those places.
Yesterday, I got up at 6 to do an early-morning show (not surprisingly, "The Morning Show") on Wisconsin Public Radio. The topic was incarceration, and you can hear the whole thing here (I appear in the 6:30-7 slot).
Wisconsin is fascinating because it is transitioning from a retributivist governor (Scott Walker) to one who seems fairly progressive on criminal law issues. Gov. Evers seems committed to doing some decent things, including:
-- increasing pay for correctional officers in order to raise hiring standards and fill vacancies
-- close an ancient prison in Green Bay without replacing it (hopefully, making this work through reduced incarceration throughout the state)
-- Move away from one giant (and very troubled) youth facility in a remote area to several that are closer to population centers
-- Reconstituting the clemency process that Walker destroyed
All these are difficult things to do. But it is great that there is hope...
Wednesday, April 03, 2019
It's the Minnesota Hockey Hair Team
Yeah, it's that time-- Edina won both the boys and girls championships in hockey this year, but that does not mean that they dominated the Hockey Hair Team:
Tuesday, April 02, 2019
Hoping for Spring
My parents are great observers of flowers. They are the kind of people who spot a flash of color in an empty lot and immediately focus in on it. I'm always amazed at that ability, especially when the rest of the empty lot is full of trash and abandoned vehicles (which is not really so uncommon in Detroit).
There is still a big pile of slushy snow next to my driveway. It erodes a little each day, but at this rate it will be with us until August.
Maybe, in fact, this is the hardest time in Minnesota, not the dead of winter-- that period when you just want spring with all of your heart, but what you get is that slushy, blackened pile of snow by the driveway.
When I was a kid, sometimes I would plant flowers with my mom-- pop them out of the little containers, dig a tiny hole, and usher them home. I so clearly remember holding the tiny plant in my hand and saying a prayer for it-- for flourishing and health and color. That, that's spring... and I am not feeling it yet.
Monday, April 01, 2019
Spring...
I asked for haiku about Spring, and I got some great ones. Meanwhile, I am looking out of my window at great big snowflakes coming down, and I am getting over my annual winter into spring head cold, which almost knocked me out last week.
But, yes, there were haiku! Tales of different places:
The Medievalist described Texas:
Everything is green,
Trees bloom luxuriously pink,
Blue bonnets explode.
As did Megan Willome (quite winningly):
Center Point Road
The trees were green, so
green(kelly green) except
for the few still bare,
still waiting. Still, they
wait for what is already
here but not yet theirs.
While Christine has more of an East Coast/NC vibe:
White, pink, delicate
Cherry blossoms drifting, down,
slowly to the ground.
And CraigA tried to get over Gronk's retirement by thinking about the Sox:
Fenway franks grilling
Sam Adams on tap, and Mr.
Mookie Betts in right.
But, yes, there were haiku! Tales of different places:
The Medievalist described Texas:
Everything is green,
Trees bloom luxuriously pink,
Blue bonnets explode.
As did Megan Willome (quite winningly):
Center Point Road
The trees were green, so
green(kelly green) except
for the few still bare,
still waiting. Still, they
wait for what is already
here but not yet theirs.
While Christine has more of an East Coast/NC vibe:
White, pink, delicate
Cherry blossoms drifting, down,
slowly to the ground.
And CraigA tried to get over Gronk's retirement by thinking about the Sox:
Fenway franks grilling
Sam Adams on tap, and Mr.
Mookie Betts in right.
