Issues at hand on my late dad's birthday

Wind blasts us on this late June weekend of 2022. There is no shortage of stories still being circulated about the "derecho" storm and its aftermath. 

Mentioned to the restaurant waitress this morning that it must be climate change. So mystified as to why such a statement can be a political matter. Oh, the waitress indicated she wasn't really sure on this point. 

If enough of us stay on the sidelines about this, climate change will become established to where there's no reversal. With Republicans set to gain greater power in the mid-terms, as seems to be commonly agreed, the road ahead could be mighty grim. 

Have you ever in your life heard the term "derecho" connected with local weather, up until the recent incident? And insurance does not cover tree damage alone. You're on your own. I had a tree guy at my place last week, so at least I'm attending to the matter. Now we worry about future surprises dealt by the weather. 

Wind has been so intense and frequent over the past few months. Remember, climate change is "extreme weather." And Republicans won't budge on their denial of climate change, at least in public. Privately I do not believe they can be so brain-challenged. But you never know. 

It is Sunday, June 19, as I write this. I ought to be in church right at this moment. The politics of Christianity has been getting me down of late. We see the term "Christian nationalism" in headlines more often. Just as climate change appears to be taking hold ever more, so too is this intertwining of the Trump element of America with the Christian faith. 

I know there is an element seeking to resist that. But it is a defensive effort, feeling futile at times. You run the risk of seriously alienating certain friends, losing them forever perhaps, by pushing back on Trump-ism. I have seen evidence of this firsthand. 

The Christian nationalists have now appeared to totally jettison Mike Pence. Pence's life and that of his family, even, were jeopardized seriously on January 6, 2021. We learn ever more from the committee on this, but the rejection of its efforts remains intense. 

Sometimes I ponder: some of these Trumpists like Elise Stefanik must be smarter than what they project publicly. It is a mere theory or suspicion on my part. 

I personally would subscribe to Christianity without all the reactionary right wing posturing, the hand-wringing, the anger of today. Anger is so intense it could have led to execution of public officials and their families on Jan. 6, 2001. We all ought to be feeling incredible shock about this. Certain of us are. No reasonable resolution in sight, though. 

The mid-terms could well see Republicans take over to the extent that the rioters' views and attitudes will be reinforced. My current post on my "Morris of Course" blog gets into the Christian nationalism angle more, with attention to Pence and how he is ostracized. I invite you to read with this permalink. - BW

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2022/06/christian-nationalism-upsetting-usa.html 

 

It is June 19 and it is a special day for yours truly, for three reasons. 

No. 1: It is my late father's birthday. He was born in 1916. He graduated from high school when John Dillinger's exploits were a big deal. The G-men finally caught up to the gangster on July 22, 1934. 

So Dad graduated from Glenwood High School and went on to study music at the U of M. He got his undergraduate and master's degrees there. He joined the fight against the Axis powers. He was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific theater. He commanded a crew that guarded an oil tanker. 

Then late in the war he joined the USS Appalachian. He observed Tokyo when it was in ashes immediately post-war. He shared stories about the incredible humility of the Japanese people at that point. 

Ralph E. Williams, 1962

Dad became a composer of music, plus he taught music at the U of M St. Paul School of Agriculture. That was in the '50s when I came into the world, 1955. Ag schools were phased out. Morris had an institution like this. So the Morris WCSA met its end and on came UMM! The Williams family was right on board. 

Dad directed the first-ever UMM music concert which was at the Morris Armory, for Stevens County 4-H youth and their families. He directed the UMM pep band at the now-razed P.E. Annex. Edson Auditorium was a focal point then. No HFA yet. Edson was a real "hub" for the artistic stuff. 

What else is special about today, June 19? Well it's Father's Day of course, not nearly as big a deal as Mother's Day. But let's acknowledge it. Hey Herschel Walker, you too. Remember when Walker came to the Vikings in a trade that was supposed to be such a big deal? It was a big deal for Dallas, for sure. 

Reason No. 3 that today is special: It is "Juneteenth." I wonder if the conservative Republican officials in the U.S. South would allow the public schools to even mention Juneteenth. The pols have decided that schools should not dispense any knowledge that is "divisive." Yeah, like there's nothing divisive about Ron DeSantis. Our USA of today seems to me like "Alice Through the Looking Glass." And it may be sowing the seeds for the demise of the Christian faith. 

So I'm not in church today. I don't have to worry about being irritated by a crying infant for an hour. 

Here's a question: why are baptisms a part of regular Sunday services, and weddings and funerals are not? I get to the church when a baptism is planned, and I can tell right away because there will be a cluster of people at the front of the sanctuary, many of whom I do not recognize. To be honest I am bothered: the church bends over backward to accommodate these people, on this particular Sunday, but how many of these people do we even see in our church pews again? 

So it bothers me. Feel free to have your own opinion. 

As for the disruptive infants, which are a regularly-occurring problem, well shouldn't we just love those bundles of joy? That's the publicly-palatable position. My personal thoughts: why am I sitting there in the pews if I cannot hear what is being said from in front? Feel free to share your own views with me anytime. With one exception: do not try to persuade me that Donald Trump is the fountain of Christian virtue, literally defining the faith. How stupid are all of you?

 

See Dad in back? He directed the UMM band in the institution's first year. He was the only music faculty in the first year. How many music teachers get the chance to sink their teeth into a job like that?

See Dad at right? He's with his crew serving in WWII, Pacific Theater. Their job was to protect an oil tanker. Later Dad would serve on the USS Appalachian. Wouldn't it be wonderful to know the names and hometowns of all the guys in photo? This was "the greatest generation," up to the task.

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com