Wonderful to have "T.K." visit again!

Your blog host is at left and the great Tommy Kramer at right. Thanks to Dan Dripps of Heartland Motors for having a group of fondly-remembered Vikings players visit at the showroom on Friday. I'll never forget it.

 

What an uplifing day on Friday for residents of Morris. We're into the heart of summer when things get a little slow. Many of us might welcome that. Some of us of course are "off to the lake." The old Prairie Pioneer Days was a way to feel enlivened when the heart of summer arrived. Our current mayor Kevin Wohlers felt it was a helpful pick-me-up. 

And back in 1987, Tommy Kramer was here to be grand marshal for the Prairie Pioneer Days parade. PPD was totally in its prime then. I was covering the fest for the Morris Sun Tribune newspaper. I could be seen out and around covering anything in those days. I would have covered the various graduations in Stevens County, maybe even UMM's. 

Kramer was riding in a little golf cart at the head of the '87 parade. I even remember who the driver was: Brett Weber. Was a privilege to have the great Minnesota Vikings quarterback visit us. Tommy would have been 32 years old give or take a year. That's easy for me to figure: Tommy and I were both 1973 high school graduates. 

Tommy was from the South and this is readily affirmed by the name of his high school, would you believe Robert E. Lee High School in San Antonio TX! From there he went on to Rice University, not a common place for future NFL players to matriculate. He was a superstar QB for the Rice "Owls." 

On to the pros! I read a lot about Tommy before he was even drafted by the Vikings. Once he got some snaps with the Vikings, it was clear he was a total natural. Some of us got impatient to see him sooner. Fran Tarkenton was closing out his career as Vikings signal-caller. The transition finally came. 

Tommy easily gave us his share of thrills. Somewhat bittersweet memories though: It was clear that our team general manager was not going to make the $ commitment to have a real Super Bowl contender. That GM was Mike Lynn. 

Tommy played part of his career in the old Metropolitan Stadium. I suppose the team needed a new stadium to really have the big bucks to spend. That's what they would tell us I'm sure. 

Met Stadium itself was considered a breakthrough for progress when it was put up. It was put up sooner than many of you might think. My, it was home to the Minneapolis Millers baseball team for five years before the Twins even started! 

"Number 9," T.K.

It was at Met Stadium where Tommy Kramer connected with Ahmad Rashad on the miracle pass play against Cleveland. Also, the place where an up-and-coming Kramer engineered a miracle comeback against the San Francisco 49ers who were quarterbacked by Jim Plunkett. Plunkett was at the low point of his career then - he'd later surge back to top form with Oakland. 

Many people cite the pass to Rashad as the No. 1 T.K. highlight. Not sure as I'd concur because the S.F. game was thrilling beyond words. I remember the TV camera zeroing in on Bud Grant's face after the climax was realized. We won! And one of the guys in the booth said "look at coach Grant, stoic like always, his usual expression." And the partner in the booth responded "Oh I don't know, I think his eyes are open a little wider." 

As I recall, Kramer was playing as the backup to Tarkenton in that game. 

Of course, many years have gone by. So many changes. Our Morris no longer has its summer Prairie Pioneer Days or the grand parade with it. Yours truly walked out of the Morris newspaper building for the last time on June 2, 2006. A long time ago, though it doesn't seem so long ago in my mind. Kind of eerie how it seems like just yesterday. Has time been suspended in my mind? 

On Friday I had the unforgettable opportunity to meet with Mr. Kramer again! That was because of the exciting gesture of Dan Dripps having several former Vikings come here to meet fans. I enjoyed meeting all of them. A special place in my heart for Tommy. We are after all the same age, both 1973 high school grads. 

Back on the "bittersweet" note that I struck. In the years since T.K.'s heyday, society has learned so much about the dangers of football for its players. You know, we should have realized more at the time. I guess we just enjoyed watching football so much. We watched the NFL games on the major TV networks and absorbed the constant beer commercials like the classic Bob Uecker Miller Lite commercial. "I must be in the front row!" 

We have veered away from social drinking as a totally accepted thing, "bigly." 

We are vividly aware of how the NFL left many of its players wrecks in the years following, shortening lifespans of many. I could simply feel sad about that. But "we didn't know what we didn't know," and that included the players. "What's done is done." 

We can greatly regret the toll those players experienced. Nevertheless we came away with memories that we can cherish. 

 

Unfortunate 

On Friday night I did some quick news research and discovered that two years ago, Tommy Kramer was diagnosed with dementia. I thought he was a little slow at Heartland but he came across as content and that's the main thing. 

The two of us have been through changes since that pleasant day in midsummer when T.K. rode as a passenger of Brett Weber, ready to receive adulation in our PPD, a festival that now has to be referred to in the past tense. Man, I remember the atmosphere being so abuzz on Sunday. Lawn hairs set out all along the route. 

I remember early on Saturday morning photographing the "Baby Olympics" of the Morris Women of Today. I am old enough that I covered this organization when it was called the "Jaycee Women!" I covered them when they had a state convention at the UMM campus. Guess I could "write a book." Maybe I won't but I am happy to share on this June Saturday a photo of yours truly with Tommy Kramer taken Friday at Heartland Motors. 

Thanks to Del Sarlette for taking the photo. This is a prized moment in my life. T.K. and myself have extra tread on the tires for sure. But don't we look happy in the photo? Let's be thankful for our blessings in the moment. "Live long and prosper." And Captain Kirk would add, "Promise." That's from the "Saturday Night Live" parody of Star Trek. Shatner endorsed Promise Margarine. 

And Joe Dimaggio endorsed "Mr. Coffee." And Henry Fonda endorsed "G.A.F." And Fred MacMurray endorsed Greyhound Buses. Yes, I am demonstrating that I'm a "boomer." I can remember when Tarkenton played under coach Norm Van Brocklin.

 

Addendum: When I state that Friday was such a wonderful day, I was referencing also the evening music event at East Side Park featuring the "Cheese Bots." The group performed at the Killoran stage. Alas, people still choose to sit a fair distance away from the stage. Defeats the purpose of the stage, doesn't it? People consider the sun too overbearing at the aluminum bleachers. Just like in the days of PPD.

 

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

Peace at the Morris library now?

Our library director

Just got back from downtown where I stopped at the library (or "libery" as some people say). 

Always a relaxing place to visit. I guess that's part of the idea as long as taxpayers wish to keep supporting it. I am familiar with the place going all the way back to when it opened. It was previously in west Morris. Mom would walk me to the old Carnegie library. Keep quiet there or Ms. Grove would "shush" you. But she was a good-hearted person. 

Libraries had an expectation of quiet in long-ago times. I guess my childhood could be described as long-ago. 

Was pleased to see today that Ms. Grove's counterpart in the present time, Ms. Barber, was there. I was happy to exchange hellos. So sad to see that her Stone's Throw Restaurant is only referred to in past tense now. Sad that the place could not be jump-started for new life and vigor. A popular hangout for the - ahem - highbrow crowd. Oh, bless those people. A friend described the clientele as "the NPR crowd." 

I could mix with those people but then again I've always been adaptable. Maybe I'm like the Woody Allen character in the movie "Zelig." I can pretend I fit with many types of people without being a genuine member of any group. It's really not an enviable place to be. 

So, Anne Barber is in control from the library director's chair. Such a strange episode she was through not long ago. It was a strange episode for the whole community. I know many others thought it strange. Is the city at present proud to have her as director? Well I think the city most certainly should be proud. 

I was scared for a while that Ms. Barber may truly have done something bad. Frankly we can never rule this out with anyone. I dreaded the thought. We all come across news articles where a trusted person somewhere is found to have absconded with $. Not to say this was the particular suspicion with Anne. But if it wasn't, then what was it? After the City of Morris led us along with sensational news tidbits - "allegations of misconduct" - the thing ended with a whimper. 

My, did it even end with a whimper? What was the deal with the whole ordeal? And it really truly was an ordeal. So now Anne sits with apparent confidence in her position. And the city appears good with that. 

But Mayor Wohlers and others would have to admit that the whole question as it hung out there was not good for the city, quite the opposite. The city must attend to its image. I will give every benefit of the doubt to Anne. And if there was any "wrongdoing" worthy of acknowledgment, the city should acknowledge. 

I have written previously that Anne has been one of those people "in the arena," an expression used to describe people who can hold their own through a public storm. Kudos to her, 100 percent. 

Now, who was the "villain" in that whole thing? I am open to being enlightened. 

 

Watch my back?

It is the afternoon of June 17 as I write this first draft. I normally write early in the morning. It is with mixed feelings that I am writing at all. I have evidence that the political right wing is aware of me and my writing, is probably trying to inflict harm. This in a time when right wingers have become so unhinged, they might pick up a gun and kill people. 

Can't you all see that the tone of rhetoric from the top of our government is causing this tendency? I mean for the president to now call the chairman of the Federal Reserve a "numbskull?" And the way he talks about certain Democratic governors like our own Walz. 

It was often said during Watergate that "a fish rots from the head down." Not sure that parallels with Watergate are so apt now. Nixon had a fundamental respect for the rule of law. We have a president now who never worked his way up through government, to learn the ropes as it were. We chose this. Trump probably surprised himself with how he was able to win. 

We must conclude that this is not the America of old. This is a panicky America that has gotten so insecure because of lost jobs due to globalization. Ross Perot talked about the "giant sucking sound" of job losses. That was from NAFTA, right? And maybe we could have seen this coming. And things are getting worse because of the inroads of "AI" to wipe out swaths of jobs. This after the Internet itself wiped out swaths. 

It was many years ago that the great libertarian John Stossel wrote a book that noted how the whole class of "middlemen" across the country was being wiped out by efficiencies. If you want to grasp what the old middleman calling was like, watch Chris Farley in "Tommy Boy." Schmoozing a lot. People spun their wheels but they had jobs. 

Sen. Mike Lee

We see the fish rotting from the head down with the public statement just yesterday from the senator Mike Lee from Utah. Making light of the assassinations of Minnesota political leaders. Democratic leaders of course. These are my stripes at this particular stage of my life. 

Prior to Sen. Lee of Utah it was the Iowa senator Joni Ernst making a crass statement which she should have immediately walked back. There was a time when this would be assumed. Joni Ernst was confronted with the very real conclusion that "people will die" because of large cuts to Medicaid, to which she responded "well, we all die." Yes, then so maybe dying would help save the government $ with health care. In the days following she made matters worse with her sarcastic apology, a total non-apology. 

I have a track record of writing certain things. I have been concerned with our congressperson's total unquestioning loyalty to Trump. I emailed her a question a couple weeks ago to which she did not respond. So I'm not worthy of even a conversation. 

 

Stigma maybe?

I really wonder if one of the things that put Ms. Barber under a cloud at the library was that she really is known to be progressive. Or shall I say "liberal." So yes she might think there is something to climate change science. As I do. She and I would be profoundly concerned about someone like RFK Jr. being in the position he has. 

So conservatives really want to embrace someone like RFK Jr. who was a heroin addict for 14 years? When I was young, it was the "lefties" who were associated with drug use. The right wingers of today appear to have no scruples whatsoever. 

I have no influence to change what is going on. Still, for me to even write about it makes me a marked person. So maybe certain people do in fact feel threatened? I only wish to edify people, not intimidate or threaten them. But look at the environment we're in now. Consider the literal political assassinations in Minnesota and the behavior of Mike Lee in the aftermath. 

Trump uses the mindset to insult Gov. Walz. A headline in the Star Tribune noted recently that Gov. Walz was "shifting to the center" politically. You think any right wingers would give him a break because of that? Look how Trump treats Gavin Newsom of California ("Newscum"). Look how Kristi Noem's people treated a U.S. Senator of California. And I know all the "spin" from the right on that. The senator did in fact identify himself. So the guy gets taken down and essentially beaten up by thugs and goons. 

And then we got the Minnesota assassinations, people literally shot dead. 

And might some harm be done to yours truly? I have been denied membership on Facebook. Because, "violation of community standards." Really? I have never belonged to Facebook. Where is this allegation coming from? There are powerful tools for discrimination online. Should I cease writing because of this? Or, maybe it's too late to even do that. 

Trump should not have won the 2024 election. Think of what a loving and accepting place America could be now. Close your eyes and imagine. Because that's all we can do. 

I might have violated community standards by just quoting DJT when he has a foul mouth. Are parents trying to shield their children from this?

From an email I just received from a friend: "If you get shot because of your blog, at least that means somebody was reading it. I hope you have your affairs in order, just in case."

 

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

Gray day and a gray mood perhaps

So we're almost into July? Forecast for continued precipitation? Still wearing a jacket to go downtown in the morning? Well, we have had back-to-back mild winters. Two years ago, really no snow to speak of. I'm old enough to remember the winters of the late 1960s. Quite the contrast. 

So, these days no big disputes over who will pay for snow removal like in Donnelly. A relief? Or should we be disturbed by mild winters from the standpoint of climate change? What if we eventually learn that the science put forward by climate change believers is accurate? Don't you think that's a possibility? Well, those on the right end of the political spectrum would scoff at me. Guaranteed. 

Go to DeToy's Restaurant in the morning and listen to the guys in the middle section. Talk politics. What would happen to Gov. Walz if he were to walk in there some morning? He'd need a warning in advance. I'm not sure why the political climate of outstate Minnesota had to change so much. 

There is so much about our president now that isn't even "conservative." I have fundamental respect for the conservative philosophy. It encourages restraint with the spending of public dollars. There are most certainly times when we need that. Mainly we need to resist the demands of the education bureaucracy and in particular its unions. 

Larry Elder

They say California is literally run by the public employee unions. This is why Larry Elder never had a chance to become governor. And I'm as concerned about that as anyone. Hasn't California allotted a lot of $ to eradicate or combat the homeless problem? But the problem is still severe? So where did all the money go? I decided it was tiresome to listen to KFI-Los Angeles in the afternoon because they just droned on about the homeless. I get the message. 

Conservatism and Republicans are not one and the same. Republicans, led by you-know-who, want power. They'll posture and issue rhetoric to acquire power. And then you would think they would use all that power to achieve conservative ends. 

When DJT talks about wanting to get rid of the Federal Reserve chairman, does he really think that would be prudent judgment for all of America? Well no I don't think he even thinks that. The very wealthiest people would benefit from a return to near-zero interest rates. And everyone else? Well, we would be saddled with ever-more inflation. 

Republicans are very serious about tax cuts for the rich. And when they talk tax cuts they are talking about the income tax. They are not talking about local property taxes. Maybe you're aware that the property tax is a regressive tax. Republicans have seriously floated the idea of a national sales tax of maybe 30 percent to replace other kinds of taxes. This would be regressive on steroids, in other words hard on the common folks. 

But DJT and his party can posture by talking up other issues like cultural issues. And they really don't care much personally about those issues, for example many or most of them might be pro-choice in their own views. If someone close to them has a problem pregnancy, they would want the most sensitive care for that person. But then on another level: posturing to cater to people's emotions and to keep power. 

And I'll concede that abortion is a difficult issue. Complain to God about how he created the human body. Complain to God! Oh my, I'll incur the wrath of a great many by saying that. 

It appears I'm in some rough water because of my background of online writing. My application for joining Facebook has been denied. "Violation of community standards," this in spite of the fact I have never contributed any content to Facebook. So the action is being taken because of thoughts I have expressed elsewhere? Like my sympathy for the Palestinians? 

Has criticism of DJT become actually dangerous now? To endanger one's own safety and security? Look how the U.S. Senator from California got roughed up yesterday. Have we become like the boiling frog about this sort of thing?  

This morning I notice that a well-known online progressive commentator senses that the DJT people are "coming for him" and his YouTube site. Interesting because I sent this guy, David Pakman, an email just yesterday about my own experience and suspicions. Is it too late for me to escape this threat? 

Will the criticism of the administration be forced "underground" or some such thing? Forget it, I'm not up to joining such a thing. We may have to watch our whole country go down in flames at some point. Regardless, the whole right wing crowd would just find a way to blame "Democrats." 

There is no correcting this. Look at our congressperson Michelle Fischbach. She is guaranteed to go along with what DJT says and does 100 percent of the time. And Steve Boyd challenged her "from the right." That's who we are out here in our own little "Bible belt." I will try to co-exist, I really will. I would take no joy in feeling more isolated than I already do. 

Every week I consider just ceasing my online writing. For one thing, my eyesight gets worse all the time. My doctor has suggested "blue light blocking glasses." Well, you know what I did: I went online and learned that the only benefit of such glasses is as a "placebo." Well darn. I would have to get the strongest possible reading glasses. 

In the interest of self-preservation I may have to discontinue sharing my views online. But it may already be too late. Here's the email I sent to David Pakman who seems to think on the same wavelength as me:

 

Hello David - This is probably a better way to communicate than by submitting a comment to a YouTube post. Now I'm sure you're showered with communications all the time and you may well not even read this. I'm age 70 and not always the most sophisticated in using online communications. I posted to one of your YouTube posts recently about how I was disturbed at being denied a membership with Facebook, based on "community standards." Well that's pretty insulting because I consider myself a leading community member, give $ to my church and the U of MN Foundation. I am disturbed because there is no record of any activity on my part with Facebook. So where are they getting info for banning me? And I theorized that it might be because of some comments to Yahoo! News articles being rejected. Again, "community standards." 

It is common for Yahoo commenters to lament the flimsy ground on which comments are rejected. There are filters. Often you'll see commenters using "coded" language like "Not C's" instead of Nazis. There are certain terms that are just verboten even if the commenter is making a reasonable point about something (Godwin's Rule notwithstanding). I'm trying to think of examples and I now remember how I shared some cultural history background, noting how we in America once had the term "flunky" employees, i.e. low-level work. And this term is no longer heard, fortunately. We respect all jobs now, even the grocery store "carry-out boys." This has been a cultural shift. But I brought this up in a Yahoo comment and it was rejected based on "community standards." 

I had a comment "paused" recently because I used the expression "crack in the dike." Two words there I guess were problematic. A figure of speech of course. But the comment got through. But the bigger point I should make here is: are the various powerful online platforms "sharing" with each other so people with edgy views get pushed down - "edgy" by the standards of the MAGA power structure? I have blogged for 15 years, a very reasonable and shall I say "deep" blog and yes I'm a frequent Trump critic, and I sympathize with the Palestinians. So by the standards of DJT I'm a "terrorist sympathizer." I love the Jewish people but I do not love Israel. But now I'm apparently banned for life from Facebook. I should get a more detailed explanation as to why. But Fascists are not interested in rational and lucid conversations. If you read this email, God bless you David. I really truly am an upstanding person. But I feel on the defensive.

- Brian R. Williams, Morris MN (home of U of M-Morris) 

 

 

Our U of M showing feet of clay

Capitulating to DJT is not as practical as it might seem. It is pretty irresistible human nature to want to gravitate to where the power is. 

I remember George C. Scott as "Patton" in "The Last Days of Patton" saying the overwhelming percentage of people in Germany only supported Nazi rule "because they had no choice." 

It's called self-preservation. But in the long term, the instinct can be counterproductive or even life-destroying. One might say that the forces for good always end up with the upper hand. This ought to be the Christian attitude. 

But look how Christianity itself has been co-opted by the Trump movement. My own "liberal" church of First Lutheran in this town is no longer even strong enough to have its own Sunday services at its own building anymore. Our ELCA is trying to be an outlier vs. Trump-ism. Will we eventually capitulate in some way just to keep the doors open? Or let's say open them again? 

This coming Sunday there will be no service at FLC. I have asked if the doors would at least be open. I'm not certain on that. Meanwhile the right-leaning churches of Morris are doing fine, pews filled with Trump voters who are no doubt cheering what the ICE "goon squads" are doing. 

We are seeing the slow but steady creation of a "secret police." In some cases they wear masks. They'll descend on people like they came right from hell. 

Law firms have been put on the defensive in America. The whole purpose of American law is to litigate, to advocate for aggrieved parties in a civilized system that reflects the Judeo-Christian ethic. We have seen the foundation of that get threatened. However, there have been rays of hope, rays of sunshine lately. 

DJT has mounted an unprecedented offensive against major law firms. The  firms have had to consider appeasement vs. Trump. MSNBC tells us that four important firms have chosen the courageous route and that to date, these four are undefeated in court! 

It turns out that people have a basic tendency not to trust law firms and lawyers who are inclined to "capitulate" vs. power. It's not the nature of the beast. We can feel somewhat encouraged by new developments, at least in the short run. Storm clouds are always on the horizon, So I posted this comment to a Yahoo! news article:

 

Trump will try to call off the mid-terms. Don't ever bet against him. 

 

"Ty" responded:

Trump can't call off the mid-term elections, and Congress has to vote on him running a third term. We found no provision in the House tax and spending bill that says the president can delay or cancel an election. Elections experts told us the bill would not give the president any power over elections. Only Congress can change a presidential election’s date. The president lacks the power to cancel or delay elections. So, with all this that he and the GOP are doing now, you can best believe that the majority of the people who backed him for the 2024 election will be running in a different direction, trust and believe that! 

 

Thanks for the articulate elucidation. If all this is true, maybe the storm clouds will abate. 

Now I'll move on to something closer to home. Will people lose trust in educational institutions that are now choosing to "cave" in the face of Trump-ism and its power? 

An example of the weak-kneed and cowardly approach may be exhibited by our University of Minnesota. Very sad to say this. The U has of course been part of the backbone of our Morris community. I have wondered if the phenomenal growth of Superior Industries will be enough to compensate if the U suspends operation of its Morris campus. 

Based on new budget news coming out for the U, we can legitimately wonder if the sky is falling. Will the U's Morris campus end up in a state like the Appleton prison? Well, the toilets would still have to be flushed. 

Maybe we should be ashamed of the U right now. But some people locally would want to whack me over the head for offering that thought. Because, we are all supposed to recognize where the influence is, adjust to that. So in the name of looking out for our own interests, we're going to capitulate? History does not offer encouraging lessons about this. Then again, we can never predict the future with certainty. 

We had a U.S. Senate candidate in MN who has said "the bad guys won World War II." I presume he continues to root for his "good guys." As so many preferred churches in the Morris area are continuing to do. Look at Good Shepherd for example. I doubt that these people support the U of M much if at all. Oh it's "liberal." 

Rebecca Cunningham

The U at present is trying to fight for its existential interests. Here's an April 30 headline on Minnpost: "As other schools band together against Trump threats, the University of Minnesota keeps a low profile." The subhead reads: "Faculty and students are pressing a 'non-committal' President Rebecca Cunningham to act." 

So there's a gamble at play here? A gamble that the top forces are truly going to take over America? Cancellation of the mid-terms? Therefore, well, just "go along to get along?" I don't think the Trump movement thinks a whole lot of "higher education" anyway. 

We might as well commit ourselves to a higher ideal. And if it fails? Well we can at least sleep at night. That is, if the goon squads don't come after us. And please be aware that's possible. 

The first sentence of the Minnpost article: "The University of Minnesota, swept up like other schools in the maelstrom of the Trump administration policies they say erode academic freedom, is undergoing intense internal debate about what to do about it." 

Collin Peterson pathetically ran his last race for Congress like he was ashamed to be a Democrat. What did that do for him? He'll have the weak-kneed image permanently. And so the forces for capitulation still rage. How can the U of M hold up? 

There remains more than a breath of life among America's colleges and universities. So, hundreds of institution presidents have signed an American Association of Colleges and Universities letter that decried the "unprecedented government overreach and political interference." 

Some Minnesota schools are in with this. The document has hundreds of signatures. "Yet the University of Minnesota's new president, Rebecca Cunningham, took a pass." 

I'm sure our UMN-Morris leaders have gotten talking points for supporting Cunningham. So I won't bother talking to them. The nation's schools are trying to organize a defense to the Trump administration's actions. And we're on the sidelines. 

Am I a marked person myself? I mean, I have written with sympathy toward the Palestinians, and now by the "standards" of the DJT administration, I would be considered a "terrorist sympathizer." Schools that have allowed pro-Palestinian demonstrations are now labeled anti-Semitic. 

Not sure I really can extricate myself from this situation. Unless we can pull off the mid-terms. But I don't know about that. I love the Jewish people. But I do not love Israel. Guys wearing masks might come and get me in the middle of the night. Are people really proud of what they are doing when they wear masks?

   

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

Sorry (really) but we have bad news

Dawn is breaking on this Sunday morning. I should not be writing anymore. Don't be concerned if I just stop. Maybe it's time. So this morning I must note that even thought Minnesota is a "blue" state, things look bleak for the flagship education/research institution. Of course that's the U of M which incidentally has an institution here. 

The leadership class of Morris about did cartwheels at one time trying to get the U here. Sometimes dreams do come true. So it happened. 

Right at the present, the headwinds are fierce for the U. Just think how much worse the situation would be if Republicans were in charge in Minnesota. What if the Republicans could come up with a decent U.S. Senate candidate one of these years, rather than someone who says "the bad guys won World War II." 

In the old days such a person would be described as a fringe candidate or just as a lunatic. But this is Trump's Republican Party. Even if video came out showing DJT having sex with an underage girl, his supporters wouldn't care. Our congressperson probably wouldn't care. I mean, she would not dare utter a single skeptical word about Trump. So that's the way it is. 

I feel increasingly isolated as a critic of Trump. Will I end up totally condemned? Maybe that has happened already. So why am I writing his morning? 

I will proceed to write that the U of M, in case anybody cares, has experienced major cuts in Federal research funding. Plus there is a definite cloud over the future of Federal funding and international student enrollment. And I'll say again that my estimable UMN-Morris friend Michael Lackey has continually pointed out that foreign students have been UMM's "cash cow." 

The visitors from China are from well-to-do families. They pay their bills in full, Lackey says. Meanwhile we have Native Americans getting the benefit of not paying tuition, this in spite of the Supreme Court absolutely striking down affirmative action. 

Has anyone of high standing noticed that UMM is continuing its Native policy? Do we have to cross fingers? Are we so small and remote here that no one will care or bother? Is that it? Seriously, maybe it is. 

Our state representative and senator are both Republicans. Well, you wouldn't expect them to be Democrats, would you? 

Any Democrats in Morris must be viewed as oddballs now. An endangered species? Don't we have a lot of seniors locally? And Republicans at the national level are on the warpath vs. entitlements for seniors. And the senator from Iowa just said we have to accept the inevitability of death, so don't expect the Federal government to do much if anything to help keep you alive. You'll just have to pay your bills on top of all the other bills you're paying. 

Chuck Grassley

It's very ironic because when Obama was proposing his Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act, Republicans were all excited about "death panels," remember? Iowa's Chuck Grassley said "we don't want to pull the plug on Grandma." Of course the real aim of the ACA was to encourage end-of-life consultations which is prudent. 

Now Sen. Ernst just shrugs about death. So, older people can be a burden for the taxpayers. You of course all know how health care bills can be exorbitant. Then again, "we all die," as Ernst asserted. Her later apology was just sarcastic. Something like "I apologize for assuming that you all knew about the inevitability of death." 

The problem of course is that we keep electing people like this, or nominating people who are on record saying "the bad guys won WWII." Could such a person be invited to a Memorial Day or Veterans Day program? Well yes I suppose they would be, because people out here where the coyotes howl just love Republicans. 

If you really think the Nazis were the good guys of WWII, then I'm sure you're cheering all that Trump does now. He is literally establishing a "secret police." People have been trying to resist this in California. There were people trying to resist the rise of the Nazi party in Germany. Then they started disappearing. 

Am I to be condemned just having certain opinions? Well yes I probably will be. Probably has already happened. I am isolated. I should not be writing anymore. 

 

Good money after bad?

The two main recipients of my charitable giving over the past few years have been 1) the U of M, and 2) First Lutheran Church. Both are fading fast because of the onslaught of the far right and MAGA. The U of M is proposing a seven percent cut to its academic programming and a massive hike in tuition fees in the face of a stark and uncertain financial future. 

First Lutheran Church? In the science world they say that when a certain species of animal no longer exists in the wild, it is extinct. That creature will never again be the same if it merely exists in captivity. A species is only viable if it has to deal with natural selection. 

In the case of a church, it is only viable if it has a weekly Sunday service at its building. If it can't cut it on that, it's over. First Lutheran is dead. It had a long and proud history. It was mainstream as could be. But today the ELCA is stigmatized as "liberal." And that is the kiss of death out here where the coyotes howl and country music reigns. 

"Country club" Republicans have been overwhelmed by the "country music" Republicans. I am merely an observer. 

There is only one recipient of my $ giving that has remained viable. That is the MAHS band activity fund. So, "one out of three isn't bad." Well, that's really no consolation. Was gay rights the catalyst for everything that I am seeing and writing about now? Stop and think of the consequences, really.

 

Addendum: I may have to discontinue my online writing because my eyesight is deteriorating rather badly. But the overriding problem is that I'm just overwhelmed by MAGA. Maybe a friend or two will say "don't lose the faith." But I doubt it. We're all supposed to listen to the Joni Ernsts of the world.

 

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

Morris hosts baseball 6A finale

Owners of Section 6A crown

A section championship baseball showdown in Morris! Wonderful for our facilities to get showcased for such an event. We have generous grandstand seating for the fans. That asset has been in place for a long time. Softball in Morris does not have that asset. Softball has minimal, you might say negligible, accommodations for fans. I can't envision a high-level section softball game ever being played here. I wonder why it's even used for sub-section. 

The MACA teams must go to Marshall once they start advancing in the post-season. And so it was "destination Marshall" for our baseball and softball fans on several days during this late-spring or early-summer. 

Spring sports is unique because the most climactic phase of the season occurs after high school classes are done, graduations are done. Put aside the lazy hazy days of summer. At least put it aside until mid-June. 

Morris had the privilege of hosting the closing stages of Section 6A baseball play. Our friends from BBE came here. They're the "Jaguars." Randy Olson is their newspaper guy. He sees to it that BBE school activities are represented in a dynamic and timely way online. I wish that kind of commitment was made for MACA. A whole lot of people might suggest this but it won't happen. 

The norm has been for our newspaper website to be loaded with UMM Cougar headlines. I'm surprised the public puts up with it. Any fan of UMM can go to UMM's own sports website and get virtually all services for media attention - all the bells and whistles. It is nothing but a waste for the SCT to throw UMM sports material on their website. 

Yeah, I know: the SCT needs to "sell" their weekly print edition. It was twice a week back when I worked for the paper. 

If the MACA fans choose to be lethargic, that's something they will have to deal with. I can only express my views. I'm not forced to follow any narrow party line. Yes I will catch some brickbats. I always have. I probably lost my job because of fallout from the UMM goalpost incident, 2005. I wasn't even there when it happened. It seemed like UMM's own sports information director did a vanishing act. And yours truly was the one who was derelict. 

I'm not sure to what extent the local paper should even apply its own resources to cover UMM. I always felt that the local high school sports were far and away our top priority. At the end as the walls were closing in on me - the year was 2006 - I had a superior at the paper put in writing that UMM sports coverage should be our TOP priority. And I guess his word was the law. 

This was the same guy who wrote an editorial after I left suggesting that Neal Hofland was the leader (or you might say ringleader) of a regressive faction on the Stevens County board. I think the issue in play was the notorious proposal for a "Regional Justice Center." A big law enforcement place in Cyrus where there was still an active elementary school? 

The paper seemed to pump up this idea of the "RJC." My past colleague Jim Morrison said that "any time there's a proposal for spending public money, the editor is all for it." 

 

Bedfellows

The print media is known to be a partner with government. The government has a much harder time getting the electronic media in line with its wishes. Hence we see so much power with "conservative media," suffocating sometimes. Nothing like this ever happened in the 1970s. 

I sit here now still with a vivid memory of the closing stages of my newspaper career. As a product of the '70s I was a little cynical. Maybe I could have overcome that better with time. I'll never know. 

I would have loved covering the MAHS graduation over the last 19 years. And the Hancock graduation, C-A graduation and Memorial Day program. I used to do it all. The year I left, 2006, doesn't seem that long ago in my mind. But today's high school graduates were not even born yet. Sort of blows my mind. 

The day I walked out of the paper, June 2, I had documents accumulating in my inbox for the next week's work I was all set to do. I was a master of "pagination." But I had to walk out the door one last time. No one in management wished me luck, no farewell type of message. It was totally cold. Well the management people had to do what they had to do, to satisfy their corporate masters. It was Forum Communications. 

The goalpost incident had left me vulnerable. The effect or suggestion in my coverage was that the UMM football team as a group had a role in the goalpost shenanigans. UMM's chancellor described the incident as "students behaving foolishly." Well fine, I just wish I had stayed home that afternoon. Maybe did some yard work. 

Eventually a very well-placed source with UMM told me the football team as a whole did in fact have direct involvement in the incident, which is why so many people wet their pants over my coverage. Remember it was just a vague insinuation or inference. 

Yes, sometimes the truth really hurts. As a journalist I care only about the truth, not covering people's rear ends. To suggest that an official UMM program like football had misbehaved or gone errant was a cardinal sin I guess. I have had plenty of time to sit at home ever since. And so here I am today.

 

The runners-up in 6A

Parkers Prairie 2, BBE 1

Well, Randy Olson of Bonanza Valley can't be too happy writing about Thursday's baseball doings here in Motown. His Jaguars came mighty close to qualifying for state. 

Just as with our high-flying Tigers, it was not to be. The MACA baseball and softball teams both had spectacular regular seasons only to come up shy in section. And fans had to make the long trips to Marshall for sections. This while BBE fans could enjoy our facilities here in Morris. 

So on Thursday in Morris, Parkers Prairie walked away with #1 in 6A, 2-1 over the Jaguars. The difference came in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out RBI base rap by Parkers Prairie's Joseph Johnson. 

I can hear the cheering from where I live. I was considering going over to say hello to Randy but I didn't want to pay the admission price. My friends accuse me of being cheap. 

Parkers Prairie has a win skein of 16 going. Their overall record is 22-3. BBE closes out 2025 at 18-8. Looks like the Jaguars were over-achievers. BBE's lone run came in the third inning. An Ethan Mueller single scored Brett DeRoo. 

Brett DeRoo of BBE

BBE would have had to defeat Parkers Prairie twice. Yes, a double-elimination tournament (always confuses me some). 

The three BBE hits were by Brett DeRoo, Luke Illies and Ethan Mueller. 

The BBE pitchers were Hayden Sobiech (the loser) and Brett DeRoo. The winning pitcher for Parkers was A.J. Woodworth.

 

Addendum: The BBE band director is Brystin LaMont, a product of UMM who spent a year directing at Hancock. I appreciated her talents when she directed the Hancock pep band at a playoff football game at Big Cat. I was so impressed by what she added by playing the electric bass herself as she led the band. But oh shoot, I was informed later that Hancock's principal actually reprimanded her for doing that! I further had it explained to me that the principal tends to micro-manage people. I remember writing about him when he was a basketball player under Dave Schoeck at Hancock. 

I hope things are going well for Brystin. Is she playing electric bass at BBE? I don't know. 

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

Lots of high school baseball

Seems sad that while BBE was playing two very important post-season games in Morris Tuesday, Morris' own high school baseball team was playing in Marshall. Too bad we can't appreciate the Tigers right here in Morris for post-season action. 

It has been an incredible spring season for the Morris nine. School is essentially over for the year. But prep sports does not recognize that timeline. I live across the field from the Morris baseball facilities. I heard plenty of commotion from over there. Undoubtedly the BBE fans were making noise. 

I was not aware who was playing. I became aware this morning (Wednesday) from media reports. I should have paid a visit, as I would probably have seen my old Bonanza Valley newspaper friend Randy Olson. A very dynamic media guy, Randy is. We have maintained a friendship entirely through email the last few years. 

Randy visited me in my office at times when I was still with the Morris paper. He has a background that includes Morris. He follows how UMM is doing. In the distant past I spoke to him like I was some sort of "mentor." I remember telling him that when seeking your first newspaper job, don't just drop off a resume, volunteer to immediately generate some product, show your stuff! Well, it doesn't take a genius too come up with that advice. 

Today Randy is quite the advocate for the idea of a community newspaper augmenting its regular work with online-based work. He says it builds good will and I agree. If you the reader agrees with that, maybe give a hint or a nudge to the Stevens County Times. 

Randy can now write about his BBE Jaguars taking two in Tuesday action. The Jaguars defeated USA 4-0 and Border West 14-4. These were "elimination games," both played at our Chizek Field. BBE is in Section 6A. 

Wow! The Jags scored 13 runs in the top of the seventh against Border West. 

Maybe you don't know that "USA" stands for Upsala/Swanville Area. Neat little abbreviation. USA had the top seed in 6A-South. 

BBE is now in the championship bracket of 6A. The Jags must now defeat Parkers Prairie twice to get into state. Parkers is the top North seed and has a record of 21-3. BBE sits at 18-7. 

Yours truly is often a little tentative in trying to follow the baseball and softball tournaments because of the double-elimination format. I'm always scared of being confused. 

Let's take a look at how our MACA Tigers have done. Fantastic for the season as a whole. I'll get into the more recent developments as this post continues. 

We were stunned to see the Tigers lose over the weekend to Luverne. It was our very first loss of the whole season! On Tuesday we got a re-match against New London-Spicer who we had beaten in our tournament debut. When I write this stuff, I always have to confirm it to make sure my memory is OK. The double-elimination makes this more challenging. 

Thank goodness for the "Minnesota Scores" website, a good home base for basic info. There was a time when we didn't have this. Online-based resources needed time to develop.

 

Tigers 7, 

New London-Spicer 3

Well, so fans could enjoy a resumption of winning baseball by our talented Tigers. But they had to travel a fur piece to Marshall to do it. What makes Marshall so special? This happens in other seasons too. I think it holds back fan enthusiasm on behalf of the Tigers. 

On Tuesday the Tigers turned back the Wildcats 7-3 at Marshall's Legion Field. It was an elimination game. The Tigers were top-seeded in the North (3AA) and NL-Spicer was No. 4. 

Well, wouldn't you know: In the same post where I write about the potential to be confused about high school sports, I get confused. I wrote a good portion of this post without knowing that MACA actually played two games on Tuesday! 

I knew from checking the West Central Tribune site this morning we beat NL-Spicer. I figured the West Central Trib would be on top of that game because it involved NL-Spicer. Let's give some credit to the WC Trib, something I do not often do. 

I checked that score, confirmed there was some coverage and then went and grabbed breakfast at DeToy's Restaurant. Wednesday is their "biscuits and gravy" day. I got home and began poring through the basic info. I need my thinking cap on because it's all double-elimination. 

After all my experience, I was not prepared for what I discovered just now! Thanks to "Minnesota Scores," I see where the Tigers played not one but two games yesterday. I guess this should not have surprised me because BBE played twice. This never happens in basketball of course. 

 

Say it isn't so!

I have very bad news to report. The Tigers lost their second game yesterday. That was to Windom in a 4-3 final. Say it isn't so! 

The Tigers had the look all season of a team that was state tournament-bound. But that's the way it goes in sports. Yes we were undefeated in the regular season. Came on like a steam roller. But then we get the door slammed on us in 3AA play. As Chris Berman of ESPN is known to say, "that's why they play the game." 

The game against Windom had a 7 p.m. start time. In the days before "Minnesota Scores," I might be flailing away here trying to get information. The people who run the spring sports programs should be more PR-conscious. But I've been sharing a message like this for years. The sky's the limit with the Internet. There was no Internet for much of my newspaper career. It was nascent for a long time in the beginning. 

I guess I have to report the "final" MACA won-lost record. I sure wasn't expecting to have to do that. The Tigers went 22-2. We never lost at our home field. 

In the game we won against NL-Spicer, we had a line score of seven runs, seven hits and four errors. The NL-Spicer numbers were 3-4-4. 

Jack Kehoe had two hits in three at-bats. He scored a run and drove in a run. Riley Asmus had a two-for-four line including a double. He drove in two runs and scored one. Andrew Marty had a hit, was hit-by-pitch and stole a base. Ozzy Jerome also got hit-by-pitch. He walked and stole a base. Alex Asmus scored two runs. 

Jonah Huebner went one-for-two and drove in a run. Plus, he took advantage of being hit-by-pitch. Oh, so did Drew Huebner! Some errant pitches by NL-Spicer on this day. Well, hopefully not deliberate. We don't need to see any fights out by the mound! 

Drew Huebner doubled and scored two runs. Alex Asmus got the pitching win. He pitched the whole seven innings and struck out five batters. He gave up four hits and three runs, two earned. He walked no one. 

The four NL-Spicer hits were off the bats of Blake Schultz, Nolan Johnson (with two) and Andres Rojas.

I wish I had better news to report today. 

I will say the biscuits and gravy were good.

 

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

Advancing storm waits for no one

Stardate June 3, 2025. Got caught in the nasty weather yesterday (Monday). Was out seeking peace east of town, peace being a more sought commodity for us all these days. Too late I saw the ominous clouds forming to the west. I turned around and headed home as swiftly as possible for my 70-year-old body. And to think I once headed out to these parts running, not walking. Advancing age is a reality. As is eventual death, as the senator from Iowa reminded us in such stark terms the other day. 

Can America even be considered a Christian nation anymore? A basic caring for others was once part of our basic ethos. The onslaught of "conservative" values has become so intense, our political leaders can simply shrug about people dying, people who may be "below average" but so what? Medicaid recipients. Should we round them up and send them somewhere just like the immigrants? 

"We all die," Joni Ernst said. So don't go out of your way expecting the government to help in any way. And it's not just the below-average folks (i.e. socioeconomically deprived) at great risk now, it's lots of people above that. 

Our basic health care system in this country has become quite attached to the "bottom line." Increasingly it has drifted away from a fundamental caring about us as human beings. 

My detractors would want me to be specific. Well I can accommodate you, not that you will be satisfied.

Dr. Liz Meischner

Take a look at this new "Willow Creek Health" with Dr. Meischner in Morris. Clearly this service is a welcome attempt to push back against the alienating nature of basic U.S. health care now. I have read some of their promo material. Talk of how your basic doctor these days "checks boxes" and "meets quotas." 

I will not criticize my current doctor who is part of the standard system. He does what is expected of him. I told him that I had learned from YouTube that doctors today are "terrified of their patients." He responded: "A lot of the older doctors are having trouble adjusting to new ways." 

I think the new ways make the whole system less personal, less feeling, more detached. 

I didn't finish my story about being out for a walk. I was assaulted by the weather as I walked along the edge of the UMM campus. Drenched, cold, attacked by wind. 

I may not run any more but I am resilient, knock on wood. I arrived home where I looked immediately to see if my gutter/drainage system worked, did not get obstructed. And it did work! That relieved some of the distress. 

Sen. Joni Ernst

This nation's weather forecasting its going to be hurt by all the cuts that the president is pushing. Our many Trump supporters in the Morris area don't care. They are undoubtedly like Senator Ernst. "We all die." They'll say "stop expecting the government to help you with your health care." And with fewer government dollars flowing through our health care system, how will everyone who is employed in health care continue to be properly paid? 

Can us peons fall back on using the "emergency room?" But the emergency room doesn't really work for managing chronic conditions, right? 

Isn't it obvious that people are having increasing trouble paying their day-to-day bills? I mean, just to live? And so a health care emergency comes along. What to do? Medical bills can be enormous. Well, and I'm sure insurance costs a hefty amount too - a growing amount - because the execs of the big insurance companies like UnitedHealth must be compensated with an obscene amount of money. 

Is your homeowners insurance going up? Look at what the top execs of those companies make. And we are discouraged from raising any concerns about this because we are supposed to respect our "private free enterprise system" all the time. It's that system that allows the insurance company execs to receive such ridiculous compensation packages. 

But you're all OK with that. I sense no shift in our local political mood. Donald Trump might just as well be our new Jesus Christ. 

People at my favorite restaurant in the morning know I'm inclined to think like a Democrat. A comment was made to me just yesterday. Someone said "I suppose you were at the big anti-Trump rally." 

Well, I was aware of such an event but I thought it was called "meet in the middle." The whole point being, to discourage so much conflict. This is how U.S. politics used to be. The big clashes happened on the edges. Certainly there will always be conflict in politics. But it used to be we'd "meet in the middle" on many things. We agreed that a large number of government programs had a good purpose for us. 

Today? Let's diss all the people on Medicaid because, after all, "we all die." So let's get on with it, just die and then you won't be so much of a burden for government. 

How would Jesus Christ react to this? 

 

Local church "dies"

My church of First Lutheran is in the ELCA which has tried to be a holdout against the toxic wave of Trump-ism. We are waving the white flag. I now pronounce First Lutheran dead. When a church can no longer have weekly Sunday services at the sanctuary, it is dead. This summer we will have services only every other weekend. 

I asked this past Sunday if the doors would at least be open if we wanted to at least come inside and sit for a few moments, contemplate, maybe converse with a friend. The tentative answer is yes. But that is so futile. It's over. 

Faith Lutheran is hanging on as the much stronger church. Why has this been allowed to happen? I could consider going to Faith Lutheran of the ELCA but there may be people there who wouldn't want to see me. I may be left all by myself to have spiritual thoughts and ponder my mortality. 

Losing a church can only be a negative. Our community of Morris is showing serious signs of decline and retreat. Defeat? Why did we allow a situation where one grocery store has a monopoly? A monopoly is always a bad thing. 

UMN-Morris really seems to be slipping even more. I got an email informing me of more faculty departures and openings in humanities. I'm well aware of the music department's fissures. Michael Lackey told me all the humanities are dealing with that. Meanwhile we have this huge hulking albatross building called the HFA on campus. You might say it's an ugly building too. 

And UMM cannot even have a band any more? I have suggested that UMM just put out word that "a band is forming." Have an organizational meeting/rehearsal. This band would reflect the extracurricular philosophy. The activity would be fun for the students and enhance campus life. 

I'm sure there are back room meetings at UMM where the people are worried about how UMM's stakeholders are reacting to all that is going on. Then they step outside those rooms and try to tell everyone that everything is rosy, no problems. Obviously that doesn't work with me. 

How can UMM survive with all its "DEI"? Makes no sense. My only theory is that UMM is such a small out-of-the-way place, people will feel sorry for us, just ignore us. Is this the kind of thing that our community can really build upon? 

 

Shhh, pay no mind here

Normally our Republican state senator and representative would be all-in with what their national party wants. The national party is trying to wipe out DEI. I think Torrey Westrom and Paul Anderson just hope no one asks them about it. They know UMM is an economic driver here. And they probably realize our options are limited for re-purposing the place. 

"All politics is local," n'est-ce pas? So let's smile about DEI. Good luck with dealing with Stephen Miller on that. Can we count on Miller just shaking his ahead about how small and remote we are out here? "Oh just leave UMM alone." I doubt it, but we'll see. 

When I talk about jump-starting the UMM band, I'm talking about a band that would be almost entirely UMM students. We have an enrollment of about a thousand, right? Can I assume lots of those kids played in high school band? And, that they would enjoy doing something like that again? I mentioned this to a friend and his response was that UMM's true enrollment is probably just 2/3 of what I just typed. I guess "a thousand" is such a nice round number. Rolls off the tongue.

Footnote re. grocery stores: Coborn's would have built a nice new store if it could have gotten a liquor license.

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