November 2014 – Thoughts Towards a Better World

#963 – Dick Bernard: The First Sunday of Advent, 2014

November 30, 2014/0 Comments/in Community, Family History, History, Minnesota, North Dakota, Peace & Justice, Quietings /by dickbernard

Today, at least for Roman Catholics, is the First Sunday of Advent. It will be noticed today at my Church, Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis.
As with most everything in our diverse society, there are many definitions of the meaning of this liturgical season, the four Sundays between now and Christmas Day, December 25. Here’s “Advent” as found in google entries.
I happen to be Catholic, actually quite active, I’d say. This would make me a subset of a subset of the American population.
In all ways, the U.S. is a diverse country. The Statistical Abstract of the United States, published by the Census Bureau, says about 80% of adult Americans describe themselves as “Christian”; 25% of this same population says they’re “Catholic”. (The data is here.)
Of course, if you’re a “boots on the ground” person, as I am, raw data like the above pretty quickly devolves. As the most appropriate mantra at Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis (my church) is stated every Sunday: “welcome, wherever you are on your faith journey….” The people in the pews know the truth of this phrase, and know that on every given Sunday, two-thirds of them are not even in the pews.
Regardless of specific belief, the vast majority of us, everywhere, are good people*.
I’m drawn to this topic a bit more than usual this weekend since I just returned from a visit to my last surviving Uncle, Vince, winding down his long life in a wonderful nursing home in a small North Dakota town.
Thanksgiving Day I decided to bring to him, for hanging in his room, the below holy family** (which had not yet been hung, and appears sideways, as it appeared in his room, prior to hanging.)
(click to enlarge)

Nov. 27, 2014

For many years this image hung in the family farm home, and Vince seemed glad to see it come to visit. I asked him how old it was, and he said it was his mothers (my grandmothers) favorite, and it was probably older than he, in other words pre-dating 1925.
When next I visit, I hope to see it hanging on the wall he faces each day, and as such things go, it will likely bring back memories, and perhaps other emotions as well. Images tend to do this.
Of course, even in the religious milieu, an event like Advent is complicated. It is observed (including not being observed at all) in various ways even by people within the Catholic Church. A constructive observance, in my opinion, is to attempt to use the next 25 days to daily reflect on something or other in my own life. A nominally Catholic but mostly inspirational book of Daily Reflections given to me years ago by my friend Les Corey comes immediately to mind**; and very likely I can “tie in” Uncle Vince through letters this month. (It helps me to make a public declaration of intention on these things – a little more likely that I’ll follow through!)
Of course, there is, always, lots of side-chatter in this country at this season: “Black Friday” rolled out two days ago. We are a financial “bottom line” nation, I guess. Profits trump most anything else.
But, be that as it may, perhaps my essential message is that the next few weeks can be helpful simply for quieting ones-self and reflecting on a more simple way of being, such as greeted that icon when it was first hung in that simple North Dakota farm home perhaps even more than 100 years ago.
Have a good Advent.
* – A few hours ago, we experienced a good positive start to Advent. After a party for three of our grandkids who have November birthdays, we all went to a Minnesota based project called Feed My Starving Children where, along with 115 others adults and children, we filled food packets whose ultimate destination is Liberia. It was our first time participating with this activity, and it was a very positive activity. Hard work, but a great family activity. Check it, or something similar, out. Special thanks to one of the birthday kids, 8-year old Lucy, who apparently suggested the activity.

Nov. 29, 2014, Addy, Lucy, Kelly

** – Of course, I don’t know the exact origin of the print which so captured Grandma. Almost certainly the real holy family of Bible days was not European white, as I am, and she was; rather, most likely, middle eastern in ethnicity and appearance.
*** – The book I’ve dusted off for the next weeks: All Saints, Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for our Time by Robert Ellsberg.

#962 – Anne Dunn: I Have Been Told: The Thanksgiving Day Myth

November 26, 2014/0 Comments/in Anne M. Dunn, Native American /by dickbernard

Long-time great friend, Anne, has contributed her always valued perspective to this blog on several occasions. Her thoughts, below, arrived in my mailbox a couple of days ago and are presented with her permission. Her other posts, as well as other links referring to her or her work, can be found here. Thank you, Anne.
To everyone, all best wishes on November 27, and always. Personally, this day I’ll be going “over the river and through the woods” to visit Uncle Vince in North Dakota. Cathy will be here, with family nearby. As each year, we each are aware of persons, this day, for which this Thanksgiving and Christmas season will be a very difficult time, for an assortment of very legitimate reasons. Wherever you are on your personal journey, this season, all best wishes, and be mindful of others outside your personal sphere as well. Dick Bernard
(click to enlarge)

Anne Dunn, at right, with drum, August 31, 2013

The United American Indian National Day of Mourning and Parade of Truth originated in America’s hometown of Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, 1970. Its purpose was to bring publicity to the continued misrepresentation of Native American Indians and the colonial experience. Relatives and friends came from the four directions to support the first Day of Mourning.
Anyone who has been there knows that it has grown over the years. The parade begins at the top of Cole’s Hill, near the statue of Massasoit, and ends at the waterfront. There is a harvest market, food festival, local vendors, a Wampanoag Pavilion for Native American history and lots more!
Some will raise their eyebrows and call this crass commercialism. But false pilgrim mythology annually raises millions of dollars off the backs of our slaughtered indigenous ancestors.
As was the case with Christopher Columbus, the pilgrims did not “discover” an empty land. It was populated by indigenous nations of children, women and men. Nor did they come seeking religious freedom. They were part of a commercial venture.
One of the first things they did upon coming ashore was to rob graves and steal the indigenous inhabitant’s winter food provisions.
The first thanksgiving day was proclaimed in 1637 by Gov. John Winthrop to celebrate the safe return of men who went to Mystic, Connecticut, to participate in the massacre of over 700 Pequot children, women and men.
The pilgrims/settlers/colonists had to be sanitized because the truth was too ugly to hold up as a symbol of heroic national glory. Nor was Plymouth the site of the first English settlement.
That would be Jamestown, Virginia, which was set up inside the territory of an Indian Confederacy led by chief Powhatan. When the English settlers went through their starving times, they resorted to cannibalism by digging up putrid corpses to feed upon.
In the winter of 1610, some of them ran off to join the Indians where they knew they would be fed. When summer came the governor of the colony sent a message to Powhatan asking for the return of the runaway men.
But as Benjamin Franklin would later declare, “No European who has tasted Savage Life can afterwards bear to live in our societies.”
The runaways did not want to return and soldiers were sent to take revenge on the Indians. They killed 15 or 16 Indians, burned their houses, cut down the corn, and took the ‘queen’ and her children. They later drowned the children and stabbed the ‘queen’ to death.
In 1623 the English were negotiating a treaty with tribes near the Potomac River, headed by Chiskiack. The English offered a toast symbolizing “eternal friendship”. Afterwards the chief, his family, advisors and 200 followers died of poison.
John Smith used Columbus as a role model for suppressing the Virginia Indians, 1624. “… you have 20 examples of how the Spaniards got the West Indies, and forced the treacherous and rebellious infidels to do all manner of drudgery work and slavery for them, themselves living like soldiers upon the fruits of their labor.”
The Disney version of history is colorful, romantic but false.
The only truth in the pilgrim myth is that the pitiful Europeans would not have survived the first several years of their occupation without the aid of the Wampanoag people. In return for their kindness the First Nation People got genocide, theft of land and slavery.
Abe Lincoln designated the fourth Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving for the blessings of his ethnocentric god. Some claim the first thanksgiving day was observed in El Paso, Texas, 1598. Others point to the Virginia Colony celebration of 1619. George Washington set aside days for national thanksgiving in 1789.
But in 1970 Wamsutta Frank James was asked to speak at a state dinner celebrating the 350th anniversary of the pilgrim landing. The committee read his speech, found it unacceptable and asked him to modify it. But he refused to speak in praise of the white newcomers. Therefore, he was not allowed to make any statement at the event.
What terrible words did this Department of Commerce committee find so offensive that it required their censorship?
Here is what Wamsutta had prepared for presentation: “Today is a time of celebrating for you…but it is not a time of celebrating for me. It is with heavy heart that I look back upon what happened to my People… The Pilgrims had hardly explored the shores of Cape Cod before they had robbed the graves of my ancestors, and stolen their corn, wheat and beans… Massasoit, the great leader of the Wampanoag, knew these facts; yet he and his People welcomed and befriended the settlers…little knowing that…before 50 years were to pass, the Wampanoags…and other Indians living near the settlers would be killed by their guns or dead by their diseases that we caught from them… Although our way of life is almost gone and our language is almost extinct, we the Wampanoags still walk the land of Massachusetts… What has happened cannot be changed, but today we work toward a better America, a more Indian America where people and nature once again are important.”
Some historians take issue with Wamsutta’s including wheat in the list of stolen food. They say the Wampanoag did not cultivate wheat.
This effort to silence the voice of one man brought First Nation Peoples from throughout America to Plymouth where they mourned their forebears who had been sold into slavery, burned alive, massacred, cheated and mistreated since the arrival of the pilgrims.
They asked, how can we give thanks for the fact that on many reservations unemployment is often in excess of 50%; for lower life expectancies; high infant mortality; soaring suicide rates and 350 broken treaties?
Consider the racist stereotypes of indigenous people as perpetuated by the Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, Atlantic Braves, etc.
The annual protest has continued from that day to this. I have been told that the protest will stop when merchants of Plymouth are no longer making millions of dollars off the blood of our slaughtered ancestors; when we can act as a sovereign nation on our own land; when corporations stop polluting our Mother Earth; when racism is eradicated; when oppression of two-spirited people is a thing of the past; when homeless people have homes; when hungry children have food; when police brutality no longer exists and when all political prisoners are free.
On the 27th my family will celebrate our heritage by being thankful for another good and beautiful day. We will light a sacred fire and standing on a mound of cedar we will thank Creator for specific personal blessings and burn our prayer bundles. We will gather around the drum for a song of gratitude, pray, eat and offer a spirit dish to our ancestors who enrich our earth journey and wait for us to gather with them on the other side.
Anne M. Dunn is a long-time and wonderful friend, an Anishinabe-Ojibwe grandmother storyteller and published author. She makes her home in rural Deer River, MN, on the Leech Lake Reservation. She can be reached at twigfigsATyahooDOTcom. She has several previous posts at Outside the Walls. You can read them all here.

#961 – Dick Bernard: Ferguson MO. A Victim Impact Statement

November 25, 2014/0 Comments/in Community, Guns, History, Minnesota, Peace & Justice, War /by dickbernard

Beginning last evening there’s been plenty of news about Officer Darren Wilson, un-armed victim Michael Brown and Ferguson MO. There’ll be a great deal more.
The news will be as it is.
Some thoughts from my little corner….
Yesterday afternoon I met a guy at a local restaurant I frequent. He was a retired police Lieutenant. We were introduced by a mutual friend, Mary, who’s a grandma and a waitress par excellence.
As he was leaving, we compared notes a bit: he’s retired 16 years from an area Police Force, me, 14 from teacher union work. I gave him my card with my blog address, and told him I’d written about the tragic death of policeman Shawn Patrick in neighboring Mendota Heights some months ago. Maybe he checked it out.
Of course, very shortly thereafter Mendota Heights came Ferguson MO, which I also wrote about here.
The story about the implications of Ferguson is just beginning.
A few thoughts about what I’ll call “A Victim Impact Statement”.
When the Grand Jury deliberated, one witness obviously missing was Michael Brown, deceased. He was not available for questioning. He was dead.
He publicly lives on in (it seems) in a photograph, and a tiny piece of stupid kid action in a convenience store, caught on surveillance camera. There’s nothing he wrote about what happened that afternoon; there’s nothing he’s said.
He has no voice.
Officer Darren Wilson, on the other hand has a voice. He could tell his own story to people who mattered. And in the halls of justice he has apparently been cleared, according to the laws of the state of Missouri.
But Wilson’s own life will never be the same again. He is a victim as certainly as Wilson was.
He’s left the force, apparently, and after a certain period of great public attention, he will disappear into the anonymous world of one-time celebrities. His enduring fame will be as the cop who shot the unarmed kid on the streets of Ferguson MO. People will forget the date and the circumstances and the arguments will be whether or not he deserved his fate.
There are other victims too: Brown’s parents; Wilson’s family; the entire community…on and on. This espisode only began when the gunshots fell silent. There are many victim statements being written.
Shortly, I’ll head to my barber who is retired, works from his home, was a Marine in Vietnam, has a son who’s a policeman, and I’ll bring up the topic. We will have an interesting few minutes together today. We are, and will remain, very good friends. We might disagree.
For me, the un-indicted co-conspirator in this and in so many other cases will be weaponry – a gun. Surely it was used legally by an officer of the law. But without it, I wouldn’t be writing this piece. Michael Brown wouldn’t be dead.
Darren Wilson has killed a young man in circumstances none of us will never know for sure.
We can all be righteous in our judgments, but the fact remains: there are at least two victims in this scenario, a young cop and a young kid.
Will we learn anything?
Happy Thanksgiving.
POSTNOTE: The visit to the barber began with his bringing up the situation in Ferguson: I didn’t have to raise the topic. The topic dominated our minutes together. We had a very civil conversation.
There was talk about “anarchists” and the 2008 Republican Convention security in St. Paul. St. Paul was an armed camp then. At the time, his barber shop was within blocks of possible violence. He worried. I was in a protest march: I saw the police on rooftops in over-the-top battle gear. We were peaceful – no anarchists around me.
My barber was a Marine in Vietnam. In the course of conversation he brought up the battle of Chu Lai, of which he was a part, near 50 years ago. He remembered the shooting, particularly he and his buddy shooting at two people in pajama like garb running away. One fell dead. Afterwards they went to check. The victim was a very young girl. Neither of them has ever forgot what they saw that day in battle.
We wished each other a Happy Thanksgiving, and I was on my way.
COMMENTS:
from Flo, Nov 25: Regarding your blog post. I think of the goal of Restorative Justice, recognizing that there’s a perpetrator, victim, and a community, including the families, for whom the need for justice needs to be addressed. For sure, there is no peace reigning in communities of color, anywhere, at this time. White people are further arming themselves against their perceived enemies, and the war goes on. Here is a piece that was just sent out by our UMC Bishop Ough for your consideration: “Do justice Special message from Bishop Ough following grand jury ruling in Ferguson”
from Carol, Nov 25: It didn’t take long to find this online, altho’ it was long ago. I remember being just stunned by the grand jury decision. These kids were running away from the police officer through an orchard, and he shot once. The bullet went through the back of both boys, killing them both. The officer said he thought they were adults, as “Hmong are small people” (I guess it’s OK to shoot adults in the back). This crap didn’t just start with Ferguson.
****
On Friday, November 19, the US District Court approved dispersal of $200,000 for the families of two Hmong teenagers that an Inver Grove Heights Police Officer Kenneth Murphy shot and killed in 1989, Inver Grove Heights Attorney Pete Regnier told ASIAN PAGES. The court determined this settlement last March, Regnier said.
… 13-year-old Ba See Lor, who was killed in the Inver Grove Heights case. Also shot and killed in Inver Grove Heights in 1989 was 13-year-old Thai Yang…
In 1990, a Dakota County Grand Jury issued a no indictment decision for the deaths in Inver Grove Heights, avoiding charges against Officer Murphy. After a police chase, the boys left their stolen car and ran across a field, but one boy carried a screwdriver that Officer Murphy thought was a gun.
from Dick, postnote: It happened, shortly after Ferguson erupted into the national news in August, that I was driving down a city street in Woodbury and for no apparent reason a policeman pulled me over. He approached the car, and was very polite, and told me I had not signalled my turn. This surprised me. I always signal my turn (but this time I had forgotten). He asked to see my insurance papers, and I looked where they always are kept, in the glove box. But they weren’t there. Now I was rattled.
There was no ticket, not even a warning, and the officer was very pleasant (such as these things go), and I was on my way. But the whole episode shook me up. This was not part of my daily return.
A little later I took out my wallet, and there was the insurance certificate. I had taken it out when I rented a truck to help a friend move. I wrote a note to the officer.
The entire episode reminded me that encounters between police and civilians are never benign, regardless of guilt or innocence. The word to the police has to be, it’s all about relationship. If the relationship comes to be based in power, and in the case of Michael Brown, armed power, all is lost. In my opinion, The Gun is a very major part of this issue. We need to attend to the issue of Guns in our society, regardless of who carries them or for what reason.

#960 – Dick Bernard: A Very Good Morning at S.P.I.F.F.

November 23, 2014/2 Comments/in Community, Education, Minnesota /by dickbernard

Last Friday we volunteered for one of those “you’ll have to guess” kinds of assignments. Daughter Joni, Principal at Somerset Elementary in Mendota Heights, asked if we’d be interested in participating in something called “SPIFF” with second graders at the school.
“Sure. Why not?” And we headed to an uncertain assignment.
We signed in, and come 9 a.m. second grade teacher Mr. Messicci, originator of SPIFF 25 years ago, began the process of “matching pals”, each of we older folks matched with one of 73 second graders at the school.
A very polite young man, Andrew, was matched with me. Andrew was dressed up in vest and tie and blue shirt. Later we agreed we liked the color blue, and vegetables and so on…. To my knowledge, the morning started with all of us as strangers to each other. We weren’t strangers for long. One elder, one youngster.
It was the beginning of a most wonderful two hours, which opened with the Pledge of Allegiance (my Andrew was one of the six students chosen to bring the American flags in procession to the front of the room), then we all sang “What a Wonderful World”, and later many other fun songs.
Group program over, we were all escorted to our Pals classroom, and spent another hour doing activities together. Each child had a variety of activities from which to choose. Andrew and I did some Tic Tac Toe, some reading, some mazes, etc. The time flew by. We ended with cookies and juice.
The students were obviously very well prepared by the three classroom teachers in charge. Of course, there is a 25 year old track record, but each year it is a new event for new participants.
The tone was set by the text on the program booklet we all received (below).

Inside was a brief explanation of the program:
“The best classroom in the world is at
the feet of an elderly person.” Andy Rooney
We believe there is a great value for young people in having an older person’s outlook, wisdom, concern, and friendship. Older adults also benefit by rediscovering the curiosity and enthusiasm fo young people and seeing first-hand what’s happening in education today.
The goal of The S.P.I.F.F. Society is to promote intergenerational relationships and provide both students and older adults with rich, long-lasting experiences. We hope to dispel stereotypes, increase understanding, share perspectives, and foster friendships.
We gratefully acknowledge: 3M C.A.R.E.S., St. Stephen’s Church, DARTS, great older adults, and wonderful students.
Mrs. Kirchenwitz, Mr. Messicci, Mrs. Rall, Somerset Second Grade Teachers.”
We “are asked to print or type at least one letter or postcard” to our pal. (Second grade is early in the reading careers of most students.) In turn, our pal “will write three letters” to us “from November through May.”
Our assignments are not yet finished: One day in December we’ll do Caroling with the kids, and once each month through the rest of the year there will be an hour of some specific fun activity.
We’re glad we volunteered.
Perhaps this is an idea to be shared with your local school.
COMMENT:
from Donna: This sounds like a great program. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in preparing for the next test that we forget to do meaningful education for life. Would love to know more about it.

#959 – Dick Bernard: The Ukraine, Russia, and US.

November 21, 2014/0 Comments/in International Relations, War /by dickbernard

PRE-NOTE: My choice in reflecting on talk such as described below is to never attempt to interpret the expert. So, after the talk, I asked Dr. Tonoyan if he had “any recommended available sources of further information I could share with my list?” He responded almost in short order: The best and the most level-headed analysis on the conflict is done by a good friend of mine from Baylor Serhiy Kudelia. You cannot get anything better at the moment. His articles appear here.”
A reflection on US (as in “we, the people” of the United States.)
Thursday evening a dozen of us gathered to hear Dr. Artyom Tonoyan speak on the topic of “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict: Causes and Consequences.”
I sent around the flier to my own mailing list, saying “This promises to be a very interesting program. Stop over.” Of course, I didn’t know if it would be “interesting”. It’s common to pre-conceive: “What does HE know?” This is a regrettable pre-judgement we often make about this-and-that. You can’t know if you’re right or wrong till you actually show up.
I’m very happy I showed up. The evening was extraordinarily rich in information and food for thought.
(click to enlarge)

Dr. Artyom Tonoyan, Nov. 20, 2014

We came, and a couple of hours later we left, my sense: all of us were well satisfied. I knew about half of the folks in the room, and they, and me, and the others, were riveted on the account of this Armenian native, with family in the Russian east of the former Soviet Union country of Ukraine. A hook for me to attend, frankly, was that airliner that went down over eastern Ukraine some months ago. I asked him to show the approximately location on the map he had projected. It was in the north part of the Donetsk region, the dark brown (most heavily Russian) of the eastern provinces. That was Dr. Artoyan’s only mention of the plane.
I go to sessions like last nights quite often. As with this one, I always take a pass on trying to do a review of what the speaker had to say – it is an impossible task to accurately do soundbites about, as in this case, hundreds of years of local and regional history, and multiple players . Suffice, that the situation in Ukraine – a country Dr. Tonoyan described as about the size of Texas – is exceedingly complex*.
In our country we tend to boil down “complexity” into headlines, or one or two minute summaries on the evening news, with content chosen by editors who can include or exclude anything that they wish, including whether to even mention a national or international happening. You don’t get depth by 144 character twitter feeds, etc. But that is how we seem to make many of our judgments as people.
As it happened, just a few hours before the meeting I had sent a handwritten letter (my choice of style when I’m serious about something) to Scott Pelley of CBS Evening News and CBS’ Sixty Minutes. It was a simple one page letter, and I raised a complaint about CBS news-editing, in particular the tendency I’d seen on his news program to use judgement laden words to describe certain people or situations. What led to the letter was his recent reference to “Obamacare”, as opposed to Affordable Care Act. Or almost casual labels like “terrorist” and “dictator” to refer to some vague “them” in a piece of news footage. Decisions like what words are used are decisions deliberately made.
But it takes time to be informed, and most of us don’t take the time to get informed; and worse, we make snap judgements based on someone elses analysis.
We left the meeting room last night much better informed than when we came. Dr. Tonoyan helped fill in the blanks of this regional crisis.
There are many legitimate sides to every story. We know this from our own lives. “Truth” can be an uncertain commodity, very hard to find.
The Ukraine, Russia and US is very, very – much more than how do Putin and Obama look at each other when the cameras are running.
We can’t be well informed about everything. Best we (US) can do is to avoid falling into the trap of judging the entirety by a fragment.
The program I attended is part of the Third Thursday Series of the Citizens for Global Solutions MN. I’m a member of the Board of that group. I encourage your participation.
Thank you, Dr. Tonoyan.

Nov. 20, 2014 Minneapolis MN

* – Here is the CIA Factbook entry on Ukraine.

#958 – Dick Bernard: An unexpected look at a trip through California , 1941.

November 19, 2014/0 Comments/in Family History, Quietings /by dickbernard

Note Dec. 5, 2020: This blog consists of two parts, about the same trip. The link to the first part – the trip to California from ND – is at the end of the para below the Golden Gate postcard.

Numerous times this past year I’ve written about the ancestral farm in North Dakota. The business of sifting and sorting through over 100 years of pictures and written records takes place here at home, as I go through documents piece-by-piece.
Often there have been surprises.
Last night two postcards floated to the top of the pile, post-marked San Rafael and Eureka CA on July 22 and 23, 1941.
Here’s the first:
(click to enlarge)

The text was sparse, as one might expect. The writer was my mother: “Dear Pa and all. We left Long Beach this morning and are staying at a cabin in Greenfield CA. It is 323 miles today but we got a late start. The old man who owns these cabins worked around Lamoure [south central ND, Mom’s home area] in [18]88*. He came here from Montana. Don’t sound as tho we will get much sleep as we are on the main highway. Richard [me, one year old] is fine, sleeping already. Esther, Henry and Rich” Mom was 31 at the time; Dad was 32.
I long knew about this western trip, in fact I wrote about it a year ago here.
But this fragment – two penny post cards – helped to fill out the story from a contemporary perspective, rather than from someones recollections years later.
I looked up Greenfield. I already knew San Rafael, just on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge; and Eureka is up the coast a ways from San Rafael. Mapquest shows todays routes Long Beach-Greenfield-San Rafael-Eureka here, here and here. 1941 was pre-freeways of course. It would appear that most of their route ran more or less along what was then Highway 101 crossing the then-new Golden Gate Bridge and continuing north on Hwy 101 to Eureka.
They continued to Portland OR, where they visited folks who’d moved west from near Mom’s ND home, thence to Bremerton WA, thence east back to North Dakota.
The big surprise from the Postcard was that we apparently spent more time in California than my Dad had remembered. He had us leaving Long Beach on July 5. The San Rafael postcard was postmarked July 22 meaning, likely, that they were in Greenfield on July 20 and probably spent two more weeks in Long Beach than he had recalled.
The second postcard, with the Golden Gate Bridge (opened 1937), postmarked Eureka CA Jul 23, 1941, was to my Uncle Art, then 13 years old. It takes considerable patience to decipher it – long ago pencil on glossy paper with ages of wear doesn’t make for an easy task. Luckily, there aren’t many words. Here’s what I’ve divined so far: “Tuesday [July 22, 1941]. We went over this [the Bridge] yesterday morning but it was so foggy couldn’t see…the Redwoods…We are fine….”. The postcard itself was labeled “No 60 in UNION OIL COMPANY’S Natural Color Scenes of the West. Golden Gate Bridge on Highway 101. This engineering wonder links San Francisco with the great California Redwood Empire. Unique in bridging the mouth of a major harbor, it has the longest single clear span in the world – 4200 feet.”
The front of the postcard written at Greenfield is entertaining, and I’ll let it speak for itself.

You’ll never know what you’ll find hidden in what you thought was “junk”….
The travelers, at right in the photo: Richard, Henry and Esther Bernard, with Henry’s parents and brother, Frank, at Long Beach, July, 1941. (Click to enlarge)

The travelers in the story are at right: Richard, Henry and Esther Bernard. From left, Henry, Josephine, Josie Whitaker, and Frank Bernard, Henry’s parents and siblings, in Long Beach.

* Lamoure was founded in 1882; North Dakota became a state in 1889.
COMMENT
from Shirley: Dick – thanks for the views of old post cards – 1941 – oh my. When I was growing up California seemed to me to be a “magical” place. I would hear conversations about
visits there – the long drive to get there – the Pacific Ocean – the orange groves – etc. Surely this was a place of excitement and mystery. My first trip there was in the late 50’s. I drove my VW to Long Beach – to be shipped to Hawaii where I was moving. A friend accompanied me – we drove across Montana into Washington and then down the road to Long Beach. My bubble burst – and California became a crowded place without color as it was so dry with very little greenery. LA was a vast “pleasure-land” and we did have fun there after shipping the car off on its journey. The Hollywood Bowl, tours of the homes of stars, Disneyland… yes – a lot of fun – but not the picture book in my mind. Thanks for sharing.

POSTNOTE Dec. 9, 2020: Another postcard was discovered (below) written July 25, 1941, , probably in Portland OR, where it was mailed. The note, from my mother to her parents in ND, says they visited and stayed overnight with family friends who now lived in Oregon. She said they hoped to be home the next Tuesday (July 29).

The postcard description says that this is cypress Point on the 17 mile drive on the Monterey Peninsula. It was probably purchased when they purchased gas at a 76 Gasoline station.

#957 – Dick Bernard: "Last night I had the strangest dream…."

November 18, 2014/0 Comments/in Peace & Justice, War /by dickbernard

Directly related: here
Last night Paul Chappell inspired nearly 300 of us at the Annual Celebration of the Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers at Landmark Center in St. Paul. “Is World Peace Possible?” was his topic. Of course, the answer is “yes”, but one needs both to believe that possibility and work towards the goal rather than get mired in a sense of futility.

Paul K Chappell at Landmark Center St. Paul MN Nov 17, 2014

His essential message, as I heard it, is this: by nature, the overwhelming vast majority of we humans are not a violent people. All we need to do is look inside ourselves.
And good change happens. It has happened. It continues to happen.
Look back a few hundred years and recall what you learned about slavery, the virtually total absence of womens rights, the intolerance of ages past, for example, against the Irish, etc. We’re in a much better place today.
Who is to say that we can’t be in an even better place 100 years from now? Why not work towards a better world with hope, rather than descend into despair?
It all resides in our attitude, our belief that we can make a difference, our willingness to work, one act at a time, for that better world.
Success is in each one of us, not some “he” or “she” or “them”. It only takes a few to be the catalyst. Looking back, Mr. Chappell said, only about 1% of the population were activists in the civil rights movement; only 1% in the women’s rights movement.
Why not become part of that 1%, that one of 100? The message, as I heard it, is very simple: do something good, share it with those you know, work together and good will follow.
Paraphrasing Forrest Gump, “good stuff happens”. Each of us are the essential vehicle for that good stuff.
Of course, it takes far more than just listening to a speech, or to keep on doing only as we’ve always done….
Which causes me to think back to a familiar song by an obscure songwriter, whose title leads this post.
Twice in my life I’ve heard memorable renditions of “Last night I had the strangest dream”, the circa 1950 Ed McCurdy peace anthem made famous by singer John Denver in the hottest days of the Vietnam War of the 1960s and 1970s.
Last night I had the strangest dream
I never dreamed before
I dreamed the world had all agreed
To put an end to war
I dreamed I saw a mighty room
The room was filled with men
And the paper they were signing said
They’d never fight again
The first memorable rendition was June, 2007, when an elderly (but perpetually young) man I barely knew, Lynn Elling, rose at the annual meeting of World Citizen, a group he had founded, and led us in the song. He inspired me that day.
The second time was Armistice Day (Nov. 11, 2014) at the USS Ward Memorial on the Minnesota State Capitol grounds. There another elder (but perpetually young) lady I know, Sr. Bridget McDonald CSJ of the McDonald sisters, led us in the same song. Ours was a very chilly (in a weather sense) but spirited rendition!

“Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream….” Nov. 11, 2014, St. Paul MN led by Sister Bridget McDonald CSJ

And when the papers all were signed
And a million copies made
They all joined hands and bowed their heads
And grateful prayers were prayed
And the people in the streets below
Were dancing round and round
And guns and swords and uniforms
Were scattered on the ground
My favorite rendition of Mr. Denver singing “last night…” does not come up on an internet search, but nonetheless is hidden in plain sight on YouTube.
On a particular afternoon later the same summer of 2007 I visited Lynn and Donna Elling at their home. He brought out from a closet a 16mm 30 minute film he produced in 1972 featuring the political and civic elite of the Twin Cities. That film, called “Man’s Next Giant Leap”, was of course unusable in its existing format, so I urged Mr. Elling to get it converted to DVD, which he almost immediately did. .
That film, Man’s Next Giant Leap (1972), featuring John Denver singing “Last night I had the strangest dream” in a Minneapolis suburban home about 1971, can be viewed in its entirety on YouTube, search “Man’s Next Giant Leap”.
Mr. Denver donated an entire day to the film project. Early in the film, in two segments, John Denver sings the song. Elsewhere in the film, he is interviewed about peace.
It was, and is, as Mr. Elling likes to say, “precious”.
Last night, Mr. Elling, nearing 94 and still full of spirit, could not be at the hall to hear Mr. Chappell, but was there in spirit.
And as I listened to the remarkable Paul Chappell share his insights (which I heard in more detail at a workshop on Saturday) I was thinking to myself about the connections between song writer Ed McCurdy, balladeer John Denver, Lynn Elling, Sr. Bridget McDonald, Paul Chappell, and everyone of us interested in making McCurdey’s dream an ultimate reality.
Last night I had the strangest dream
I never dreamed before
I dreamed the world had all agreed
To put an end to war

Lynn Elling with Hennepin County/ Minneapolis MN Declaration of World Citizenship, Jan 3, 2013. The Declaration was signed March 5, 1968, by all major civic and political leaders of the area.

Postscript: The above Declaration and the accompanying flying of the United Nations flag from May 1, 1968, till March 27, 2012, was a remarkable and once again unfinished story. Read more about its history and events preceding and following here.
Comment from Kathy M: I was impressed with him as a person and appreciated what he has put together.
His multiple examples of the changes our culture has made in so many areas was indeed encouraging. We have seen those changes in our life times and the cultural tolerance for violence and war may also shift.
I also loved how he elucidated the ways we use language that perpetuates prejudice such as collateral damage, terrorists, etc. and the ways the media scares the public that reinforces prejudice. I have used the “likely to be killed by a piece of furniture in your home as by a terrorist” several times already.
He was a breath of fresh thinking. The government/military bashing which, though I might agree with, gets tiresome and seems to lead into a dead end. I would like to hear more from him…thinking of getting his book…

#956 – Dick Bernard: Speaking of Peace, Paul Chappell

November 15, 2014/0 Comments/in Minnesota, Peace & Justice, War /by dickbernard

This day I chose to spend my time at an all-day workshop, “Waging Peace in Difficult Times”, facilitated by Paul K. Chappell, West Point Graduate, Iraq vet, former Army Captain, author and peace educator.
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Paul Chappell, at First Unitarian Society (FUS), Minneapolis Nov. 15, 2014. The event was co-sponsored by Veterans for Peace Chapter Chapter 27 and FUS Social Justice Committee.

There were 26 of us in attendance, 10 who I knew. Chappell’s presentation was very stimulating. He is a great teacher (which involves much more than simply presenting information).
Based on my own personal experience, I would very highly recommend attendance at any of Paul’s Twin Cities talks, as follows:
Sun. Nov. 16, 9-10 a.m. at Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis, “Why is peace possible?”
Mon. Nov. 17, program begins 6 p.m. at Landmark Center, St. Paul, “Is World Peace Possible?” (Here is the flier for Nov. 17: Paul Chappell001)
Tue. Nov. 18, 11:30-1:00 p.m. at Veterans Ministry Roundtable at Our Saviors Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, “Creating your own inner peace as a veteran”.
Typically, I attend sessions like this as a listener/learner. This doesn’t leave time for note taking. I am more interested in where the conversation leads me. This was certainly true today. Likely the other participants had their own “ah ha” moments like I did. For assorted reasons known to us all, we have unique components to our own life experiences.
My family history is immersed in military service: Dad’s brother, Frank Bernard, went down with the Arizona at Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941. He had been a crewman on the Arizona for near six years. My brothers and I are military veterans, me, a two year Infantry enlisted man 1962-63; they both career Air Force officers, including Vietnam. To make an entire list of family members who served would be a long recitation.
In some of the gatherings from the ancestral ND home farm I just came across a Dec. 13, 1945, Christmas card from a neighbor of my grandparents, who was in service at Scott Field IL. He was one of many who finished high school in 1945, and left immediately for the service.
I think the sender of the card was cousin or brother of one local boy who, Grandma wrote Aug 20, 1944, was “killed July 2 on Saipan in action.” She sent that letter to her son, a Naval officer on a Destroyer in the Pacific. The potential cost of war was never far from people in my own family. On the other hand, a human consequence of war – one of many – is to dehumanize the other “side” with all the predictable consequences….. (Even talk about war is very complicated. More about the end of WWII from the family perspective here:Atomic Bomb 1945001)
My “takeaways”, when I left this afternoon, were simple:
1. To pass along a strong recommendation to everyone to take the opportunity to hear Paul Chappell in person sometime the next three days.
2. To stay engaged in the witness for peace, as opposed to defense of endless and deadly war, while recognizing that the issue is very complex with many differing opinions. (Even in our own group, all peace people, there were differences of perspective.)
Personally I’ve been active in peace and justice community since October 2001. I could see no good coming out of bombing Afghanistan.
But my witness goes a bit further back. Particularly, I close with a portion of my year-end “card” written in November, 1982:
Bernard card 1982001 Note especially the second page.

Part of the Paul Chapelle workshop group November 15, 2014

#955 – Dick Bernard: The St. John's Bible at the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis MN

November 14, 2014/0 Comments/in Community, History, Minnesota, Quietings /by dickbernard

The “rack card” at the Basilica display of the St. John’s Bible can be seen here: St Johns Bible rack card001
The last two weeks I had noticed portions of the magnificent St. John’s Bible on display at my home Church, the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis MN.
A flier at the back of the Church attracted my attention to a Reception and Presentation Thursday evening Nov. 13. The flier: “The Saint John’s Bible is the first handwritten, illuminated Bible commissioned by a Benedictine Abbey in over 500 years. Its hand written lettering and stunning artworks truly present the Word of God in an engaging and inspirational way. Discover the beauty and splendor of the St. Johns’ Bible at a captivating and lively presentation which shares the story of this once in a millennium undertaking…”
Only a few of us came to the program last night. It was our gain to have almost a private program; all I can do is encourage your taking the time to view several portions of the Bible at the Basilica of St. Mary undercroft and Church proper during usual church hours through November 30.
Tim Ternes, Director of The St. John’s Bible at the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library at St. John’s University, presented a fascinating program. I asked permission to take snapshots, all related to the St. John’s Bible Project. The link to much information about the project, which went from 1995-2011, can be accessed here.
Below are a few of my snapshots from Nov. 13.
But make it a point to actually see the fascinating display at the Basilica before it ends November 30. Information here.
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Tim Ternes (at left) Nov. 13, 2014

The creation story. One of the many magnificent works of art within the St. John’s Bible (which is, in itself, a magnificent work of the calligrapher’s art.)

In keeping with ancient tradition, the book is filled with art of local flora and fauna from, in this case, central Minnesota.

Even calligraphers make mistakes. Here is one of a few examples in the massive book where an entire line was missed. Rather than redo the entire page, the calligrapher constructs a sometimes whimsical insertion, such as this one.

I am not an expert in art. As I am fond of noting, in college I waited to the last minute to take the required class, Art Appreciation, and then got a “D” in it. I had a similar experience with Music Appreciation. But time changes things, and now I love both.
I came to “class” last night with only the vaguest understandings about calligraphy. I left with a great appreciation for the skill and even humor of calligraphers, and the awesome project that is the St. John’s Bible.
Do see the exhibit if you have the opportunity. It has been to many states, with more to come. The next exhibition is Madison Wisconsin beginning December 19, 2014.
According to Mr. Ternes, here are the scheduled talks in Madison:
January 19, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 401 S. Owen Drive, Madison, WI
Thursday, January 22, 5:30–8:30 p.m. “From Inspiration to Illumination: An Introduction to The Saint John’s Bible.” Tim Ternes, Director, The Saint John’s Bible. 5:30 p.m., illustrated presentation. 7 p.m., group discussion. 8 p.m., exhibition walk through with question-and-answer. Room L160, Elvehjem Building.

#954 – Dick Bernard: Armistice Day 2014

November 11, 2014/0 Comments/in Community, History, Minnesota, Peace & Justice, War /by dickbernard

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The Armistice Day Bells, St. Paul MN Nov. 11, 2014

This morning I attended the annual Vets for Peace observance of Armistice Day at the USS Ward monument on the Minnesota State Capitol grounds.
It was a bone-chilling day with a numbing wind, and on the way home I stopped at my favorite restaurant for a cup of coffee and a day old cookie (cheapskate that I am). Going to pay my tab I saw that the restaurant, in honor of Veterans Day, would give veterans for 50% of ordinary price, but you had to show evidence of service. Darn. Here I’d not only had a cheap meal, but my dog tags were at home….
Armistice Day? Veterans Day? Remembrance Day? They all commemorate the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when WWI, the War to end all Wars, ended.
It is no accident that the Vets for Peace, mostly vets of the Vietnam era forward, call their observance “Armistice Day”, while the official observance is called “Veterans Day”. The link hidden behind the words above gives the story of when the U.S. dropped “Armistice” in favor of “Veteran”. It was not a subtle change.
Our outdoor observance attracted about 30 of us today, less than usual, in substantial part due to the weather. On the other hand, this was a very good crowd especially given the weather.
But the gathering was its usual inspiring self, ending with an assortment of bells being rung 11 times to remember the 11th, 11th, 11th of the year 1918.
A moving rendition of the World War I poem “In Flanders Field” was offered by one of those in attendance.

“In Flanders Field the Poppies Grow….” Nov. 11, 2014 St. Paul MN

One of the speakers announced the death, yesterday, of a young man, Tomas Young, 34, who I had never heard of. I read about him when I returned home, and this link includes a short article and a 48 minute video well worth taking the time to read and watch.
Mr. Young, who enlisted in the patriotic wake of 9-11-01 to go fight the “evil doers” in Afghanistan, ended up in Iraq and was near fatally wounded on his fourth day in combat there. The video continues the story.
Today I remembered the first Armistice Day observance I attended here. It was Nov. 11 of 2002, out at Ft. Snelling. I remember it particularly because a year earlier, Nov. 11, 2001, we were at Gatwick Airport in suburban London, about to head home after a vacation in London. At 11 a.m. on that day the public address announcer at Gatwick asked for two minutes of silence – of remembrance – for those who gave their lives.
We could hear a pin drop, literally. Not even a baby cried. I reported that at Ft. Snelling a year later to an attentive group of people who were all strangers to me.
The English take this day of peace seriously.
Today, those of us who served and got lucky and didn’t have to deal with the messiness aftermath of war, personally, can cash in on the sacrifices of others in our seeming endless wars. But there are huge numbers of “walking wounded”, homeless, etc. One of them, Tomas Young, died young yesterday.
Vets for Peace looks for some other way to resolve conflict than rushing into combat. Great numbers of us have been there, done that….
I end this column with the song that we started with this morning: an anthem of peace, sung here by John Denver, “Last night I had the strangest dream”.

“Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream….” Nov. 11, 2014, St. Paul MN led by Sister Bridget McDonald CSJ