Whatever happened to "penmanship?"

Mark Felt the great Watergate player was asked how he felt when his role became known to the public. He said "all I feel is 90 years old." 

I'm of a mind to say "all I feel is 68 years old." Not that I'm terribly handicapped by anything in a literal sense. But my eyes get opened at how our world and day-to-day lives can change so much. People in the real world lifestyle - people who have their recycling container full every two weeks - are faced with confronting and adjusting to these things faster than me. I'm merely a solitary person living out on Northridge Drive in Morris MN. 

Much of my fulfillment comes from watching my zinnia flowers slowly come up. Some old people feed the pigeons. What is life like for the so-called "Generation Z?" Well, these people have reportedly never been taught cursive handwriting. As a kid I never heard the term "cursive." We just heard "handwriting" or "penmanship." 

Ah, penmanship. We not only learned it, we realized it was going to become essential. Anyone who has studied Civil War history is charmed by how people in those times wrote with a downright flowery touch. Their penmanship was like art. The most hardened generals could write "flowery." 

What all has transpired leading to today? We learn that the 2010 Common Core standards wiped out cursive instruction. Leave it to pushy bureaucrats with their trendy ideas and buzzwords, I guess. 

I was a victim of the education bureaucracy in the 1960s. Advanced studies got thrust on me that 1) I had great difficulty handling, and 2) I failed to see the relevance of. People in academia would have pooh-poohed you if you said the purpose of education was "reading, writing and arithmetic." They'd come at you like you were some ignorant rube. 

Education bureaucrats were given lots of leeway to behave like that then. It was arrogance and largely self-interest. Pushing kids to meet onerous standards would require lots of well-paid teachers. The latter all preferred a system that was taken away from local control and accountability as much as possible. What? We were supposed to let the local rubes and hayseeds have actual power? Well yes. 

And it's ludicrous to view the many ordinary local people as ignoramuses anyway. 

The bureaucrats and teachers fooled us with their pretenses for a long time. Then the barriers started to fall. Local control with local standards really wasn't so bad after all. "Academia" as it was called retreated. Teachers unions had to be reined in some. Not sure how that was accomplished. A hint was given me once by a former school board member who said, "for the teachers to go on strike today, the whole contract has to be renegotiated." He made it sound like a disincentive to strike. 

I am hardly ever annoyed to learn of the activities of teachers unions today. I'd probably consider them accepted as reasonable advocacy. Still I might have a suspicious eye. 

"All I feel is 68 years old," alas, so one thing I possess is a pretty long memory. Teacher unions across Minnesota were raising absolute hell and disrupting communities in the early to mid-1980s. It may have started earlier than that, but I wasn't with the newspaper full-time until 1979. In a very short time I came to appreciate what was going on. Maybe if you're younger than me you think I exaggerate. 

 

I'm a what?

I remember very early-on in my newspaper career, getting a little message to my home mailbox that was directed to me as a "community leader." The first reaction might be to feel a little flattered. How could I not? The letter was from the local teachers union and it had absolutely boilerplate hardball union language. The letter pointedly accused the Morris school board of dragging its feet for settling on a contract, the insinuation being that the board didn't want to settle. 

Absurd of course. Why wouldn't the board want to get past something like that? Board members are elected and are quite well-meaning people. How could they be so mean as to "not want" to settle? Of course it was union claptrap. Other "community leaders" were in the mix with me. 

Even if people were upset with the teachers, what could the public do? Remember the old saying? "You can't fire a teacher?" I think it was more true then than today. I used to have the impression that when a teacher was hired, it'd be a foregone conclusion they'd eventually get tenure. A few years ago I began getting the impression that had changed. 

We want reasonable discretion to be exercised on these matters. Everyone believes in fairness, at least the non-teachers do. 

Have teachers been straightened out? Maybe. Who doesn't want to like teachers? I certainly want to like them. In the '60s and into the '70s, they made their courses too hard, gave out too much homework. 

It was assumed in those days that kids hated school and would click their heels together when learning of a canceled school day in winter. Over time I sensed attitudes changing. It seemed that kids started looking forward to school in the fall. 

We used to talk about "summer vacation." Has that term faded away? I mean, because summer isn't really vacation, not when you realize all the structured activities for kids. "All I feel is 68 years old" and I remember when summer was a time to be idle, to enjoy being idle and then to confront some of the boredom that went along with that. Boys my age could get into trouble. Parents didn't seem to supervise their kids well enough. 

Those were Cold War times: us vs. the Russians. The threat may have been blown way out of proportion by an education establishment across America that was simply trying to feel its own importance. Wink, wink: pay the education people more. So teacher unions got so powerful in places, they irritated the hell out of nearly everyone. 

So, our school board "didn't want to settle" with the teachers? The teachers should have all been told to take a flying leap. We could only imagine that. An ossified education system could be put in the same category as crime, death and taxes. 

With time the preferred attitude did in fact break through. Maybe it started with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. "Open enrollment" came along in Minnesota. Was that the main catalyst? Injecting some competitive pressures? Until then our education system seemed a lot like the military. Bulky (to be sure) and unaccountable. 

It took years for the public to push back appropriately on the Vietnam war. For a long time our leadership class felt we could fight any war like we were fighting WWII all over again. Such a glorious war, WWII. Except, so much of that is myth. Myth springing from war. How come we didn't give the Soviets their due when it came to crushing the Nazis? The Nazis feared the Red Army more than they feared us. Movies showered us with images of the good guy U.S. soldiers killing Nazis who in most cases were typical scared young men doing what their government required, and influenced by propaganda. 

"Sputnik" (wiki)

We all ended up scared of "Sputnik" up in the sky. Hence, our public schools became places of academic rigors beyond what many students would find practical for their needs. Leave the kids alone who appear headed to "ordinary" occupations, and while we're at it, let's not consider them "ordinary" at all. It's just life - getting through life. Some real pride ought to be instilled. 

Let's really try to value the high school diploma and not suggest that college is essential. For a few students it will be. For the rest, knock it off and just get them well-grounded with reading, writing and arithmetic. I sure could have used that sense. But I'm 68 and beyond mapping out anything for my life. 

"All I feel is 68 years old." I can relate to the late Mark Felt who was the secretive source in Watergate. 

We really ought to make sure our kids learn cursive handwriting. Why not? I learned my penmanship at the old Longfellow Elementary School, west Morris. I learned it way back in the second grade. I use it every day.

 

Addendum: Lois Burnes was the school board member who wrote a simple rebuttal to the teachers at the time I got the letter I write about here. Ah, "community leader." There would come a time when the teachers/coaches did not want me to be a "community leader." But I always tried to see clearly. I am a Watergate era journalist.

 

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

"Klaatu," his puzzlement with humans

Human beings are the most intelligent creatures on the planet. That we can assume. Yet we do things that defy understanding so often. No wonder the character "Klaatu" from "The Day the Earth Stood Still" was conflicted about us. 

In the 2008 version he showed thumbs-down and was willing to wipe us out. We were clearly reckless with our environment and were killing the planet. In the end, the hero human character and her young son were able to prevail on the visitor (played by Keanu Reeves) to lighten up. "Klaatu" saw hope in us after all. 

But sometimes I wonder. No matter how ridiculous, amoral or offensive is the behavior of Donald Trump, he is to be taken very seriously for getting back into the presidency. He has just now spoken at a fundraiser for Jan. 6 defendants. We might watch with astonishment about what such things are teaching us about the human organism. 

We took in the news about the sub implosion incident in the Atlantic Ocean. It happened because some people were so incredibly careless as to think it would be fun to go way down in that obvious death trap. But should we be surprised, as we also consider how so many people find it cool to try to climb Mount Everest? A place where so many dead bodies are literally lying around? 

The people in the sub paid $250,000 to have this experience. A quarter of a million to go under water in the Atlantic with the very real chance you'll never come up again. I understand how "Klaatu" was able to become so puzzled about us. 

Under the water we might get to observe the very ugly and deteriorated wreckage of a ship that sank in 1912. We are entranced partly because of the movies about Titanic. Our entertainment culture does indeed cast a spell. I submitted a comment on Yahoo News to the effect that many people are guilty of underestimating the danger of water. Other readers responded positively. So I'm not just thinking of the Titanic exploration incident. 

Danger with water can occur anywhere like on a simple river or stream where you'll have a current. We learned early in May of the drowning of a premier physician in the U.S., Richard Brasington, age 71. He was out fishing. 

Sometimes I wonder about the lure of hunting and fishing, whether we are ready to confront the risks. My father chose to take me hunting a lot. He meant well. I think hunting was a bigger part of the male culture when he had been young. Thus we had the many fatalities with the Armistice Day blizzard of 1940: men out in the sloughs or rivers to pursue ducks. It is hard for me to understand the enjoyment of this activity. 

Dad and I were in our little duckboats wearing lots of outerwear to stay warm on many fall days. We'd go out there before dawn to be ready to start knocking ducks out of the sky after sunrise. 

I am bothered thinking back to how we were in small boats and wearing such heavy clothing. We survived. But why take risks in the midst of such cold weather and to handle guns which by their nature present risk? Remember the young Melchert boy who lost his life when out hunting with friends? It hurts to remember him by name so many years later, but I'm trying to underscore my point about danger. 

Why do we not adequately recognize the extent of danger? Why do we not recognize it in activities that are arguably not very much fun in the first place? Dad meant well but I really wish he had steered us both toward more rewarding, more enjoyable activities. Was it just the old male culture? Perhaps. 

Is it the male culture of today that promotes support for Donald Trump? Trump has been found guilty by a jury of sexual assault. He has paid off at least one porn start to try to keep her quiet. Does the male culture of today brim with satisfaction about such behavior? Are these "conquests?" Allow me to suggest this is abhorrent. 

I will complete my summary of what happened to Dr. Brasington who had a stellar reputation as a physician. News reports proclaimed he was "known as one of the best doctors in the country." Why did he choose a personal pastime that was fraught with risk? Did he just not know? Rivers are dangerous in many ways. They look harmless when viewed from a distance. All these people who live on the banks of the Mississippi River: what are they getting for being at that location? Just a view of the river? That is probably the extent of it. 

Dr. Brasington was fishing in the Ozarks. It was on the North Fork River. He drowned on April 30. A news report at the time had it that he went underwater "for unknown reasons." He was wading when he was in pursuit of whatever fish he was after. I for one see no personal enjoyment in this. I wish my father hadn't bothered to take me hunting, though I'll repeat he meant well. 

I doubt that the reasons are unknown for how the doctor met his end. We can sure narrow it down. To what did this internationally known clinical rheumatologist succumb? Very easy to speculate, to end up with a very short list. Easy advice: stay the hell out of swift rivers. The doctor/fisherman was wearing waders. 

"Waders will kill you folks," a commenter on Yahoo News noted. This individual cited the air that can get trapped in the feet of the boots. In this situation you can get turned upside down in the water. "If you wear waders, wear a life jacket." 

Better yet, I would suggest staying out of the damn river. 

Keanu Reeves in movie

"Klaatu" could not understand why humans could make such irrational choices. In the case of the Earth, to toss aside science and allow climate change to begin destroying the planet. 

We are tempted to go to the very deep ocean depths in a tiny sub to see old wreckage, and to climb Mount Everest where we literally see dead bodies. If the bodies do not convince us of the folly, then what? And people pay a quarter million to go way down in the ocean in the little contraption. 

Another issue with waders in a stream was pointed out by another Yahoo News commenter: ". . .swamping them with water coming over the top, either wading in too deep, or bending down." 

These risks are taken for what benefit? Catching fish? For crying out loud. Am I to surmise that the genius doctor did not know the risks? A different commenter stated how the risk was so obvious after the fact. Then, the question of whether the doctor could have been sufficiently aware. "As bright as he was renowned to be, I would surmise that he was," "Ray" commented. 

So bright, so motivated, so recognized in his advanced field. Yet he chose to go fishing in a stream wearing waders. So abundantly sad. So abundantly needless to have happen. 

Hunting. Fishing. Climbing a tall mountain. Going way underwater in a questionable little container. "Klaatu" was profoundly puzzled about us. The movie gave us a happy ending, making us think there is hope. We had to get our act together with climate change. So maybe that would happen in this science fiction scenario. 

But in reality, we face the prospect of Donald Trump coming back to really rule America. Next time he'll push aside even more the protections of democracy and our justice system. When his wave of heartless retribution begins, will we realize too late what we have done to ourselves? Will we need a space alien like "Klaatu" to rescue us? 

Why could not those fools have chosen not to climb into that "Titan" sub? Why can't the mountain climbers just stay home, find another pastime? Why couldn't my father have eased me into a safer, more constructive pastime? We are supposed to be intelligent, us Earth humans. Dr. Brasington has now been lost to his profession. For what?

 

Addendum: I was reminded again just this afternoon of man's wayward ways with our thoughts/attitudes. Legalization of marijuana? Probably logical. But people my age hear the term and it hearkens back to when this substance was like a badge for a generation. You just had to try. You'd experience profound social rejection if you said you didn't want to. I'm concerned the social consequences could last right up to the present day. 

I had to be honest when talking to a friend today: Of course a dabbled a little in pot-smoking, under the overwhelming expectations. However "I got nothing out of it." My friend said he went through the same thing, came away with the same thoughts as me. So again "Klaatu" would be puzzled by how these sociological memes develop. Boomers had to try "pot," to perhaps indulge in it. Why?

 

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

How Trump-ism is damaging us locally, yes

As a young adult I read about the labor/management conflicts that seemed far worse than what I see in the news today. People my age remember the coverage of the Hormel strike in Austin MN, 1985. Disinterested observers had to be troubled by the sheer intensity of the conflict. The gravity of the whole matter led to a musical production called "Spamtown, USA." 

I am thinking about this today because of the kind of political polarization we are seeing. In other words, people find it impossible to find middle ground on certain matters. No ability to relax and try to at least understand the other side. So I'm listening to the Rich Valdés show on WDAY Radio the other night. It is an absolutely boilerplate radio talk show catering to people who call themselves "conservative." 

It is so pathetic with its predictability. The show host himself certainly knows that the topics on his show ought to get more nuanced treatment. 

"Conservatives" across America have begun clamoring for cars to continue to be made that have AM radio. I don't know how much the rank-and-file people really care. But the yapping dogs of conservative media have decided this ought to be a flashpoint. With satellite radio having drawn away many of the more educated listeners, what we have left are the people who might be termed "yahoos." I have written before that these people have signed up for a "tribe." 

How costly might this be for our quality of life? How much might this impact us right here in West Central Minnesota? 

We have an institution called University of Minnesota-Morris. The less sophisticated people are expected to describe it as "woke," to not exactly be fans of the place. And I don't care what our local politicos might say publicly - people like Torrey Westrom are probably inclined to talk up the place - but I'm sure he harbors grave skepticism over the "woke" image and woke practices. 

Do I care about such practices? Hell no. I might have felt at one time that UMM went too far out of its way to advocate for gay rights. To clarify, I sensed that change was coming anyway, thus no need for us to really stick our necks out. Because in the short term, the advocacy was going to rub a lot of the locals the wrong way. Which it did.  

Look how the Hancock community supported Donald Trump in 2016. Look how we were willing to elect Michelle Fischbach, who catered to the least common denominator by voting against certifying the 2020 election results. She refuses to answer my inquiry about this today. Does she still stand by her words of Jan. 6? 

Would rejection of the voting results have thrown this country into incredible crisis, perhaps giving Trump an avenue tor establishing autocratic leadership? To establish in effect a ruling royal family? How could even the "yahoos" be good with that? 

How has the Trump brand of "conservatism" affected UMM? I put "conservatism" in quotes because in these references, I would distinguish it from true conservatism which I actually respect. Conservatives ought to play a very important role in our political process. 

The Trump storm will not pass. It hovers over us daily. And in the meantime we can only pray that UMM will right its ship and become most viable again. Its enrollment challenges are what prompted Steve Sviggum to utter his comments that were at the very least inartful. 

I had the great pleasure on Tuesday of having coffee with the new UMM chancellor, Janet Schrunk Ericksen. A very impressive person obviously. I ran by her a comment I had been told from a well-known UMM instructor/author recently. I encounter this fellow at Caribou Coffee from time to time. We sit in the Willie's Cafe area. 

I tossed out to Michael Lackey the subject of UMM's enrollment deficiency - the troubling downward slope. He sure answered my question, succinctly. "Trump got rid of the foreign students and that was our cash cow." 

That make you feel happy, all the legions of Trump supporters? Or should I say Trump worshipers? They would claim not to read this blog but if they did, they'd respond with ad hominem attacks. Quite par for the course. I might respond "it's your funeral." 

We all depend on a viable U of M-Morris. This community fought hard to get the University branch here. An existential dilemma now? Well who knows. I met with Chancellor Ericksen along with Erin Christensen at Common Cup on Tuesday. I relayed the quote from Mr. Lackey to Ericksen. She had a succinct response. She basically said it was true. So, "Trump got rid of the foreign students and that was our cash cow." 

You all appreciate money, don't you, all you Trump supporters, extreme "conservatives" or however you fancy yourselves? You are all in your corner, listening to your tribe, getting reinforced by your own kind so you can feel settled in with life. Is fear the basis? A sociologist would understand. 

The Rich Valdés talk show on WDAY-Fargo is classic for being predictable along reactionary lines. Just as with the Hormel strike of the 1980s: there was a side that saw black and white with nothing in between. There was right and there was wrong, period. It's easy on the brain, just get one side reinforced, nod along. 

(Westwood One image)

So last night Valdés was on the subject of Adam Schiff. You know how that went. The constant theme of such talk shows, the kind that project from AM car radios, is: "Republicans are good, heroic, even valiant, our heroes." And the Democrats are hopeless ignorant bad people, all the time. 

The talk influences a pretty wide swath of the population, gets them into a particular corner. They all get behind Trump no matter what he has been found to have done. 

Boggles my mind, even though I have come to understand this is the norm. I awake in the morning and it's more of same. Ben Shapiro, Mark Levin et al. It drones. 

And to what extent might Trump be damaging our interests here in Morris? It's in a dollars-and-cents way, you know. Janet Schrunk Ericksen confirmed Mr. Lackey's assertion. 

May I share further confirmation? A friend did this for me. He located an article from Forbes from July 7, 2020. The remainder of this post will share from the article. Thanks for reading. I suppose the only people who are reading this far in, are those souls who are willing to listen to my claims. I have lost friendships over these matters, very sad. The headline for what I share below was "Trump speeds up plans to force foreign students, others out of U.S."

Real positive, eh?

 

Faced with the prospect of losing the power to make immigration policy after the November 2020 presidential election, Trump administration officials are speeding up efforts to force foreign nationals to leave the United States, including a new policy that could push out many international students. The latest policy should be seen in the context of the June 22, 2020, presidential proclamation that blocked the entry of foreign-born professionals and encouraged them to depart the country by preventing the entry of many family members. The proclamation also included a plan, if implemented, that could drive many long-time H-1B visa holders out of America.

On July 6, 2020, the Trump administration announced that international students at U.S. universities “operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States,” according to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). “The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S. Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States. Active students currently in the United States enrolled in such programs must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status. If not, they may face immigration consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings.” (Emphasis in original.)

The announcement sent shockwaves through U.S. universities, many of which decided for health and safety reasons to offer classes exclusively online in the fall. Public universities facing state budget crises already expected to be harmed financially by the near absence of new international students, who often pay full tuition. Administration policies that may drive out existing international students as well will be a further financial blow and are likely to crush the dreams of many students, note analysts.

“By not allowing continuing international students who are studying at institutions that make the decision to continue with online classes, rather than moving to in-person or hybrid models, SEVP has made it more difficult for both these students and institutions. This is very unfortunate,” said Miriam Feldblum, executive director of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, in an interview. She recommends the administration, at minimum, to continue the current flexibility from the spring on allowing all online classes, which was extended into the summer. Feldblum would also like to see online fall semester enrollment count towards eligibility to participate in Curricular Practical Training (CPT).

 

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

Re-visited by the vagaries of weather

Odd year, of course, going directly from winter into summer. It's discouraging because we'd like to anticipate a spring that gives us some hope for getting out of the clutches of winter. Very little if any kind of transition like that this year. 

Minnesotans are so resilient. It defines us to a degree. We keep the annoyances with the weather at back of mind. It's good for a little small talk of course. But, we just do what we have to do to continue with life. 

Normally we'd wait until around July 4 to experience the real heart-of-summer weather. Well my goodness, we got the intense stuff as if inflicted with a sledgehammer already. And maybe we like bathing in it to a degree, based on the drawn-out nature of winter. I mean, even into April. 

April showers bring May flowers? Cute little expression anyway.

The quick and intense onset of heat meant we could all plant our flower seeds around Memorial Day weekend and be confident. I can recall other years that were not like that. I did not attend the Memorial Day program. I covered it for years for the Morris newspaper when the program was at the old school auditorium. 

Need I remind you that the "old school" is no longer even there? Years pass and more people will require a primer. Generations or kids went through school at the old building. It's sad that it was not torn down very soon after it was abandoned. As I recall, the local tree hugger types, i.e. the NPR crowd, were holding out to try to get a "green community" established on the old school property. Someone drew up a formal plan and it even won an award. And oh my, the award was trumpeted in our Morris paper when the paper had Forum ownership. 

Our paper was owned out of Fargo ND. Didn't that make you proud? Well no, I don't think it should have. 

In my mind, Eleanor Killoran is always playing the piano for the Memorial Day program. Always. Ken Beseman leads the singing. 

Frankly I wonder if Memorial Day is going to start losing some support now. A good thing? In a sense, yes. Who wants to fixate their thoughts on something so horrific as war? It's important to remember? Of course it is, and how could we ever forget the commitment made during times when it seemed war was unavoidable. But can we truly be certain about when war is unavoidable? How many of his own generals did Hitler have killed? 

And yet Donald Trump has been quoted on how Hitler's generals were so "loyal," as if that was an exemplary thing in the Third Reich. Wouldn't the whole Hitler thing have collapsed under its own weight, its own moral bankruptcy? It's at least a valid theory. 

We hear from war's survivors at the time of Memorial Day and Veterans Day. 

I have the same reservations about these holidays as Chris Hayes, the long-time prime time host on MSNBC. Many of you when reading "MSNBC" will have the knee-jerk reaction "oh, that's liberal," said with the inference that it's somehow poison or something. 

Why can't we all get over that? Hayes expressed reservations about the war remembrance holidays several years ago. There was sharp pushback from the usual places. I sensed he was in danger of losing his show. He's on at 7 p.m. Central Time. That's when Bill O'Reilly was once on the air. O'Reilly had to leave after paying $32 million to a woman to avoid a sexual harassment lawsuit. So that's the kind of celebrity a certain portion of our population gravitates to. 

I hear the guys talking at DeToy's Restaurant in early morning sometimes. Yes they fit right in here: "red" country or "Trump" country. Their minds cannot be changed. And life goes on. Although, it seems I'm not hearing Trump's name quite as often these days. Hmmm. It has been like pulling teeth trying to get that cheerleading suppressed. 

Frankly it's all about tribalism. The guys I'm referring to have signed up for a tribe, have pledged eternal hatred of "wokeness." Look out y'all, it's "Pride Month." What's wrong with feeling pride? I enjoy the colorful rainbow symbol. If you don't like it, ignore it. But matters are not so simple these days. 

Fortunately I sit on the other side of a partition at DeToy's. The building was designed nicely that way when it was first established by "Country Kitchen." I even remember the first manager, Rich Meiss. Smiling Rich was of the rare breed of oboe players. He and I were in the UMM band for a portion of the school year back in the late '60s. My, it was at the very heart of the Vietnam war protest times. 

There's no nostalgia there - it was unpleasant. I have no pleasant thoughts reflecting on any war. That even includes the "good war" of WWII - a perverse term to be sure. All war is hell. Or, as the National Guard commander in the movie "Taps" said to the rebellious young man (actor Timothy Hutton): "War is just one thing, and that's bad." 

How can we ever forget WWII? And yet on the Memorial Day and Veterans Day holidays we hear speakers who feel they must remind us. I would suggest there's a sanctimonious air sometimes. 

The bias is that we don't get to hear from the young men who got killed in war. Their perspective on the necessity of war might offer a contrast. 

And in these days when our society is so multi-cultural with so many Asian-Americans among us, maybe we should tamp down all the talk about triumphing in WWII. Leave it in the history books. The Asian-Americans of today do not have to answer for all that went on in the 1930s and '40s. 

My late father who served in the Navy in WWII would say it's all "politics," the way war developed. Politics as opposed to the population of regular people making conscious decisions. 

Chris Hayes (npr)

Chris Hayes argued that Memorial Day and Veterans Day can feed into a sort of jingoism. Maybe it's a subtle thing. But war is nothing but bad. Let's keep it in the history books. Meanwhile let's all move forward as if humanity has the potential to be harmonious. Isn't that a better attitude to take? 

Oh, there are lots of Germans among us too. Somehow they fit in better. 

Will Memorial Day keep drawing its audience in a time when the U.S. really does not engage in foreign wars, at least not like we used to? I cannot see the Iraq and Afghanistan ventures leading to the kind of reflective speeches that were prompted by WWII. What was Korea all about? I'd have a hard time pinpointing that. 

I know what Vietnam was all about: total unjustifiable tragedy. That war colored by growing-up years, infused a kind of cynicism within me that continues today. It will never let go of me. 

I would not mind at all if "Memorial Day" shrivels up in the years to come. One good thing is that it's a chance to hear the Morris Community Band. Why can't Morris host a big music event during summer months?

 

An invitation

Monday was Juneteenth and also my late father's birthday. He would have been 107. I wrote a reflective piece for my "Morris of Course" blog site. You all are invited to sit a spell at our bench monument at Summit Cemetery. The black bench is in the new portion. Here is the link to what  I wrote Monday, and thanks.

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2023/06/my-late-fathers-birthday-is-on.html 

 

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

Maybe a way out for Benson re. nickname?

School administrators probably never fall into a "lull" with their work. 

We're falling into mid-summer of 2023 and you'd think everything is quiet on the school front. Lock up the doors, everyone take off for personal R&R, right? Maybe in typical times some of this outlook would apply. The news suggests very much otherwise for Benson High School. 

Benson is of course "down the road" from our Morris MN. The distance away is equivalent to a marathon run. Clontarf breaks things up a little. 

Dad took me to the orthodontist in Benson when I was a kid. I was junior high-age and needed those cotton pickin' braces. And then a "retainer." It appears the job was done fine. I wouldn't even want to know the cost of that today. 

I remember the shock I felt as I noticed dentists' prices soaring into the stratosphere. Our Morris newspaper, then under Forum ownership, ran a syndicated cartoon about that. But the shock value appears over - we now accept what dentists charge, or we surely have to deal with it. Dental insurance? I have read some very skeptical things about that. So I don't have it. I have not gone to the dentist in a couple years, but I really go out of my way to take care of my teeth. That's really the best approach, right? 

My orthodontist in Benson was Dr. Albani, an engaging sort of guy with his personality, as I recall. Many years later I sent my mother on a motorcoach trip to Alaska that included Dr. Albani. She mentioned the name after she got home, was not aware during the trip that he had a background with me. I was happy to learn that he was healthy and active of course. 

The Alaska trip was very shortly before the 9/11 disaster. A portion of the trip was with air travel. The Alaska trip was the last of several I purchased for my mom. I concluded she had done enough with this and it might be best to just stay safe at home. She was becoming more limited by age anyway. My dad did not have the same interest in traveling. Maybe he had done enough of this in WWII? 

So Dad, myself and our dog took care of things at home when Mom was gone. A few more frozen pizzas than normal. 

So my thoughts are on Benson. If you're from Benson and reading this, first of all thanks a bunch, and secondly, thanks for wading through the extraneous material I have shared thus far. The thrust of what I am addressing has to do with Benson High School and the very real pressure it is under now. This is a major issue. That is because we are talking about an "unfunded mandate" from the government. 

This is a real specter. It is hard, as I am writing this, to size up just how serious the state government is going to be in pushing this. I have read a couple of the current news articles. They seem shall we say "sketchy," or let's say the government is being sketchy. Just what is the state going to force Benson to do? 

We might sympathize some with Benson on the apparent plight it is now facing. The big bad government, eh? On the other side of the coin, let me say with great emphasis that Benson could have seen this all coming. Do you surmise what I'm referring to? Cutting to the chase, I'm referring to Benson High School's Native American sports nickname. Of course it's "Braves," has been for time immemorial. So here we go again. 

Seems like ages ago when I wrote about University of North Dakota's huge issue with this. So memories float back some. Some people are irritated who maintain there's nothing personal or prejudiced about a nickname like "Braves." You may sincerely believe that. If you're in this category, I will not point fingers at you. I will point fingers at you if you argue the issue will just go away. It absolutely will not. 

So I might criticize the Benson school administration for not doing something preemptive quite some time ago. For God's sake, they must have seen the writing was on the wall. One by one, states have been passing laws on this. Typically there's an emotional outcry from defenders of tradition at a particular place. Then, change happens and in a surprisingly short time, everyone gets over it. 

Why? I think the main reason is that we all realize that sports nicknames in their essence mean nothing. During the whole UND flap, I wrote a post where I wondered why colleges even need these nicknames for their teams. Why not just say "University of North Dakota men's basketball team?" What does the nickname add? Seems silly, kind of Neanderthal and antithetical to what an institution of higher learning stands for, n'est-ce pas? 

So UND appears to have completely gotten over its once emotional, wrenching debate over its now-retired Native American-themed nickname. The few alums who want to remind us of the old nickname just look ridiculous now. 

So what of the Benson Braves? If you're from Benson and still reading this far into today's post, well my goodness God bless you. I am "taking the long way around the barn" here, as is my occasional habit. (That's a quote from John Wayne in his final movie, "The Shootist.") 

 

What to do?

Now I'll get down to the essential point I wish to make today. I really think the Benson school administration should pay attention to this one: my suggestion. Let me start by saying that even if Benson was going to try to stick with "Braves," it could have dropped any imagery that might be associated with the USA Native Americans. 

To sneak by with just "Braves?" I would suggest this approach would have had merit, at least a chance. My evidence for this assertion? The closing scene of the 1964 movie "Zulu" comes to mind. The movie portrayed the ugly Anglo-Zulu war of the late 19th Century. It focused on the battle of Rork's Drift where the British were thrown on their heels and nearly wiped out, nearly massacred down to the last man. 

The closing scene was very moving. The Zulus assembled en masse at the top of some nearby high ground. It looked like the final preparation for swooping in. The two top British officers observed with a grim feeling of fatalism. They are with the Zulu cultural expert who was a non-uniformed person. 

The Zulus began a chant and a song. 

Actor Michael Caine made his debut in "Zulu." He is one of the two top officers. Finally he shouts "What are you waiting for?" 

The Zulus continued singing and with some gestures with their spears. The cultural expert finally realizes what's up. The Zulus are not going to come charging down. They are in fact going to depart, peaceably. 

The cultural expert drops to his knees and just laughs. 

The nervous officers are eager for an explanation from him. So he shares. The Zulus' demonstration is "a salute to fellow braves," the guy says. Let me emphasize here, of course, that the term used was "braves." I repeat: "braves." And this movie had nothing to do with the North American Indians. It was in Africa of course. 

So "braves" existed or were acknowledged as such in Africa. This was a movie that sought total authenticity. Yes there was some poetic license here and there like in all movies. But the essence was to reflect actual history. And so the term "braves" had currency. 

So Benson High School might argue that "braves" is a term not exclusively associated with the North American Indians. But Benson should have gotten rid of the cotton pickin' feathers on the logo a long time ago. I'm afraid that's a giveaway for the Indian context. It might be too late to do that now. Or is it? 

If action were to be taken now, maybe Benson could have a really sharp lawyer make the appropriate argument. Get one of Donald Trump's lawyers, or should I say former lawyers, because so many are forced to withdraw from that scoundrel. Trump's lawyers are essentially hired to delay, confuse, obstruct, obfuscate, appeal, the whole nine yards. Maybe our legal system should not give so much slack to that strategy. Maybe that's a lesson we'll all take from the Trump circus that never ends. It's like "Groundhog Day." 

"A salute to fellow braves," eh? In Africa? I just want the Benson school administration to be aware of this background. Benson could be forced to spend a ton of money to make a change. The emotions are the least of their problems.

 

A hats-off to Benson

While Morris has allowed our summer Prairie Pioneer Days to just up and die, Benson sits proudly with its Flag Day "Pioneerland Band Festival." The 2023 spectacle was on Thursday and what an event it was. I got photographic evidence from a friend. I share photos below. 

"Huge crowd," my friend said. Can't Morris organize anything like this? Rhetorical question I guess.

The photo immediately below is especially fun to appreciate: the trumpet player coming out of the genie's lamp! Before concluding, let me remind all that I was the champion of the 1985 Benson Kid Day 10K run!

(photos by Del Sarlette)

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

Why not "conduct unbecoming" re. Trump?

It is 3:32 a.m. and not a creature is stirring. Oh, I imagine there are quite a few creatures stirring out and around, but the sense of peace is obviously great. It's nice to soak in this peace when so much crazy stuff is going on. I sense I can escape it to a degree if I get up in the middle of the night. Lawrence Welk talked about how he got up so very early in the morning. So Johnny Carson wondered, "what goes on at that time?" 

We can peruse the news at any hour of the day or night these days. The online world never sleeps. The deluge of news and commentary about Donald Trump continues unabated. 

Politicians always listen to the people. So if a large majority of Americans become suddenly upset about the persistence of the Trump craziness, right under our nose, there will be a reaction. 

Trump is entitled to use the legal process, a process which is now being affirmed for giving the white collar types so many of the crevices to stay out of trouble. We have known this for a long time. It is just being laid bare now. But Trump can't even keep his lawyers anymore. He tries using them to continue his pattern of lawbreaking. If he were just some ordinary mobster, we'd be upset but it wouldn't disrupt our lives. 

Trump got elected president. We have the fervent "Christians" across the USA to thank for that. The "evangelical" ones led the parade but many others followed. 

This mob type of person named Trump gained the presidency and did things that affect people's lives. Out the window went the "Roe vs. Wade" protection for women's rights. 

My atomic clock tells me it's 3:42 a.m. And the lead headline on Yahoo News is: "How Trump's case stacks up with other alleged violations." 

Maybe we have to stick with the "alleged" prefix. Perhaps I could use the word "voluminous" as our congressperson Michelle Fischbach did on January 6. Fischbach talked about the "voluminous" allegations of "voting irregularities." She voted against certifying the election results. What if she and Ted Cruz had won out on this? You're in Minnesota, Ms. Fischbach, not Texas. We have some "blue" sensibilities in Minnesota. But it's kind of strange: the same state that elected Paul Wellstone can also elect Michelle Bachmann, Tom Emmer and Fischbach. 

Emmer is the humorless far right Republican. He actually was not in line with Fischbach when it came to Jan. 6. Emmer did not turn thumbs-down on certifying the election results. Failure to certify would have only meant that things would get strung out until Republicans got their way, of course. If you're so Pollyannish as to not  believe this, then I guess this blog is not for you. 

Michelle Fischbach

I have tried recently to get a statement from Fischbach on whether she continues to stand by her statements of January 6. No response. I'm not sitting here feeling personal dislike for Fischbach. Profound disappointment maybe but not real invective, because invective gets us nowhere. She must have a modicum of intelligence and judgment - I really think she does. She has consumed the Kool-Aid, as it were. Maybe we really are "South Dakota East" here in this part of Minnesota. 

So Trump can exercise his machinations with our legal system. Many people would say we have to move over and let him do this. Because that's America, right? The primacy of our legal system which yes, can be thick as mud when it comes to white collar types. We've getting a clarion call on that. But again, politicians will in the end be responsive to the people. Enough people have to stop listening to their right-leaning church pastors. To think independently. And in many cases to start paying attention to Christ's own words. 

Pat Robertson recently left this life. Is he even in heaven? Good question. 

Let's see, what is the No. 2 headline on Yahoo News right now, dead of night (or morning)? Well, "Ex-Federal prosecutor says Trump's big speech was 'just a straight-out confession.' " Oh, so a legal expert judges that. 

Remember that Jason Ravnsborg of South Dakota got out of his initial predicament by just getting a couple traffic violations. But in the end, albeit by a narrow vote, he was removed as South Dakota attorney general. Frankly he never did seem like the brightest bulb on the chandelier. He got elected because he had an "R" next to his name. Heaven help us. In the end he was impeached and removed from office because enough elected people were able to smell something more serious than a couple of traffic violations. 

This is best articulated with the expression "conduct unbecoming." I would suggest that the same expression could be used in connection with the notorious former principal of our high school here in Morris MN. "Conduct unbecoming." I have made this argument several times but my reasoning was never followed. Ultimately he left Morris but not until he had returned to his position for a lengthy time. And now he is out at Breckenridge. 

Watch me, Brian Williams, try to get another job if I had fallen into the same ridiculous circumstances as the fellow I'm writing about here. Watch me try to keep a decent reputation if I had gone through what Ravnsborg in South Dakota did. Sometimes these news developments are "stranger than fiction" just like what we're seeing with Trump now. For God's sake, can't we all come together and agree that evidence is overwhelming that Trump engaged in "conduct unbecoming?" 

Nikki Haley

Nikki Haley says of Jack Smith's charges that "if true," it looks real bad. "If true." 

The legal purists would say to me "Brian, of course we have to wait and see how our legal process judges this." 

For any kind of normal person, perhaps, but now our embarrassingly molasses-like legal process (for white collar) could get extended so far, Trump could get elected president again before any excrement hits the fan for him. 

We should all want to ask Haley: "Do you think there is really any chance that Jack Smith has made all this up?" C'mon, really. We need to give the benefit of the doubt to Smith at this point. 

America can survive without Donald Trump as president. Haley seems to think she herself could be president. And Tim Scott, and Asa Hutchinson and others. But the Trump stories are sucking all the air out of the room now. This is plain as the nose on your face, from my perspective sitting here at 4 a.m. early Wednesday morning. I can feel some detachment at this hour. But it is getting harder. 

Tim Scott is making appearances around the country. I'm hard-pressed finding any media coverage of this because the media is fixated on the orange man. Has America gone insane? I wouldn't vote for any Republican but it would be refreshing and positive to see some profiles of Tim Scott. It's the way America ought to be paying attention to the standard type of political campaigning - the kind of media behavior I grew up with. Is that America gone now? 

We live in an America with crazy gun violence all over the place. I see on my Yahoo News page another news item in this vein: a fellow named Johnny Max Mount was at the counter of a Waffle House Restaurant when a waitress told him he could not smoke his e-cigarette. 

"Mount slid back in his chair, stood up and pulled a .9 mm handgun from a black holster he had around his shoulder, and leaned over the counter to shoot Julie Brightwell." 

So maybe the America of 2023 is in fact showing true signs of insanity, of decline. Donald Trump reflects it. Republicans will respond only if their own constituents press them. The co-called "Christians" must wake up and smell the coffee. But I am not betting on it.

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

A Stone's Throw from complete quiet now?

Am struck by the pervading air of peacefulness this morning, Sunday. Our educational institutions have had their graduations. That slows things down. Peacefulness has its benefits for our collective soul, yes. But we need to keep the wheels turning some here in Morris MN. Not known to be a magnet for excitement. 

Was going to dine at Stone's Throw Restaurant last night (Saturday). That's a nice thought to have, to patronize a restaurant that absolutely prioritizes the healthy quality of its food - environmental responsibility too. Everything good about it except one: we pay a higher price. Occasionally I do not mind paying the higher price at all. 

But remember, we're into mid-June in Morris MN. We're a college town but college is concluded for this academic year. Tumbleweed time? Unfortunate if that is true. Alas, the restaurant was dark and the door locked. The problem with this kind of experience is that the odds are reduced of me wanting to check there again. Wouldn't you say that's human nature? 

I sauntered over to Don's and got some fare that was common for me in my pre-surgery, pre-diabetes diagnosis days. In other words, I got a classic chocolate shake. Oh man, how I can salivate thinking of that. Generally speaking I'm very committed to eating right these days, really truly. Things on the whole are going well. Next week I'll get some multi-grain bread to have in the form of dry toast now and then. 

But last night was Saturday, hey - time to treat myself just a little. Remember, my first choice was Stone's Throw. I have sentiment about Don's and the weekend chocolate shake, grilled cheese sandwich too, no fries. I am human and so I broke down. We all die in the end, don't we? 

Well, I certainly will not make a habit of this. Maybe it was the last time? Never say never! 

It was a delight to see the waitress named "Thea" (TAY-ah) who is active in high school theater. I believe she was just a sophomore this past year. I wish I had been that mature when I was her age. I went to public school in an era when kids tended to "hate school" and to look forward to summer as a time to get lazy, fool around. We dreaded seeing the "back to school ads" on TV. 

The guys had to question if we should really get all that fired-up about committing ourselves to something constructive, i.e. to "work." We had to worry about whether we'd get forced into the Vietnam war, to kiss our asses goodbye before the age of 20. Kids and their parents today have no idea what that was like. Maybe they've read about it, understand it in the abstract. Back in '67 and '68, it was risky to even make known an anti-war opinion. Our own law enforcement considered Martin Luther King Jr. a subversive because of this. 

Today conservatives talk up the memory of MLK. It serves their interests. Tim Scott is such an Uncle Tom. His candidacy won't matter. Ditto with the various other curious personalities on the Republican side. As in 2016, this rogue's gallery is mainly interested in writing and selling books and making speaking appearances (for $). I didn't come into town on a turnip truck. 

A fellow who falls off a turnip truck would be surprised that an establishment like Stone's Throw is closed on Saturday night at 5:30, which was when I sauntered by. I had my ELCA Lutheran magazine clutched under my arm - sometimes you have to wait a while for your order - no problem. I have forgotten what it's like to be in a hurry. 

Of course I made my rounds for the Morris newspaper once. For nearly 30 years in fact. The Hancock paper too. I wrote sports for Hancock but also covered their high school graduation most years. I felt so absolutely invigorated when entering the gym for their graduation. I still remember the recorded song that was played as slides were shown of the various grads. A small enough number of grads to make this kind of individual attention possible. 

I had the same kind of feeling going to the Morris graduation each year. I'm sure there were years when I didn't even check in with Jim Morrison about how I'd be covering the MAHS graduation. It was assumed by all that I'd do it. 

My routine of those days came crashing to a halt in 2006. I was able to cover one graduation at the new MAHS gym. So I'm thankful for that. 

I remember being at the Hancock graduation that year. The Grunig twins were graduating, as I recall. I covered them in hockey. As I recall, one of the twins was receptive to football, the other no. I was amused by that. I was especially amused when coach Adam Steege (who I really enjoyed working with) described the non-football playing twin as a "pacifist." I grew up during Vietnam so I love pacifists. "Make love, not war." That was a current saying. Are kids familiar with it today? 

So we can forget about Tim Scott, Nikki Haley and the others in this bizarre time when we cannot let go of Donald Trump, no matter how dangerous he has become. A nation that could get inexplicably dragged through Vietnam can get dragged through our current state of affairs, I guess. We are so human an animal. 

I write more on the current Trump circumstances in my new "Morris of Course" post (my companion blog). I write again on the religious angle with Trump, as if anyone should think for a second that Trump is committed to Christianity. So many of you are just plain knaves. 

My post yesterday was inspired by seeing some of the typical Apostolic Christians file into DeToy's Restaurant in the morning. My concern is that these otherwise very gentle people just do not engage in critical thinking about the Republicans and Trump. You may read my post:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2023/06/nothing-gets-bad-enough-with-trump.html 

 

The grackle bird

Addendum: My residence on Northridge Drive has big picture windows facing the north. This morning I am absolutely charmed to see a "little grackle" hopping around behind its parent. The parent delivers bits of food to the little one. I remember my father loved this sight. The miracle of nature. 

You know "grackles" - they might be called "blackbirds." Seems like no one has romantic feelings about them. But my father did. He was impressed each March seeing them show up again in large groups, assembling on our lawn. Spring nearing! 

I have just finished the first draft of today's post and now I'm headed to church, First Lutheran. We are a church that is trying to "hang on" in the Trump era when so much of Christianity bows down to Trump. I put the Apostolics in that category, unfortunately. I'm actually starting to get upset about it. Maybe these people aren't so gentle after all. 

My church of First Lutheran of the ELCA is definitely not devoted to Trump. The opposite if anything. I think history will vindicate us. But how much suffering will we all have first? Germany in the 1940s?

My Lutheran magazine will be going online-only after this year.

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