February 6 is former President Ronald Reagan’s 115th birthday, and the myths about him, many times over refuted, continue to intoxicate the minds of many Americans. The GOP presidential candidate who most often compares himself to Reagan is Senator Marco…
Bayard Rustin:
As a politically active black man in 1950s and 1960s, Bayard Rustin had, in addition to his race, three strikes against him: he was a pacifist; he was a Communist; and he was openly homosexual. In 1936 Rustin became a…
The Genocide of the Hazaras:
“All Shias are liable to be killed. We will rid Pakistan of [this] impure people. Pakistan means land of the pure, and the Shia have no right to live here.” —The Chief of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in Pakistan Since the beginning…
Three faces of Domestic Terrorism:
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, speaking about his decision to open his city to Syrian refugees, said that he was more afraid of domestic attacks rather than those inspired by Islamic militants. A mass shooting data base (limited to a minimum…
Let’s welcome Syrian refugees to the Palouse
On November 21, an estimated 700 people participated in a “Rally for Solidarity with Refugees in Idaho” at the Statehouse. A friend who attended said that “the crowd enthusiastically cheered the speakers and a large number of donations seem to…
Landslide victory for Burmese Opposition Party:
The Burmese National League for Democracy (NLD) is celebrating a huge election victory. Early results show that the NLD has already won 256 of 299 seats, and it is expected to win 75 percent of the positions in the 440-seat…
The Great Train Wreck:
Even the fierce free-marketeer Margaret Thatcher hesitated to do it. As international rail expert Brendan Martin described it: “She starved British Rail investment, but she refused to privatize it.” But finally in 1991 her Conservative Party fellows ousted her, and…
Did Jesus pray to Allah?
Early this month the Georgia Department of Education removed a teaching guide for world history. Parents in Walton County were protesting the way Islam was being taught, especially the claim that Jews, Christians, and Muslims worshipped the same God. Some…
Denmark:
I just returned from a month-long tour of Europe, which included stops in London, Paris, Rome, and Copenhagen. The extended weekend in the Danish capital brought back many rich memories. I first arrived in Denmark in June of 1966 on…
Celebrating America with Garrison Keillor
“It is the will of God that we must have critics, and missionaries, and Congressmen, and humorists, and we must bear the burden.” —Mark Twain Garrison Keillor’s “Prairie Home Companion” aired every weekend on 600 NPR stations with 4 million…