#1020 – Dick Bernard: An Hour with Governor General of Canada, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston

A few days ago a short-notice invitation came to attend a Monday afternoon talk by Canada’s Governor General, David Johnston. His brief bio is here: Gov Gen’l David Johnston001. I RSVP’ed, and at 5 p.m. yesterday about 150 of us spent a most pleasant hour with the Gov. General in a small auditorium within the massive Northrop facility at the University of Minnesota.
(click to enlarge photos)

Canadian Gov General David Johnston, April 27, 2015

Canadian Gov General David Johnston, April 27, 2015


Gov. General Johnston, April 27, 2015

Gov. General Johnston, April 27, 2015


It was an hour very well spent.
Earlier in the day, a commentary by Mr. Johnston appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The commentary catches the same content as we heard in person from this prominent Canadian leader. Here’s a brochure available at the gathering: Canada-Minnesota002
What I like about these talks – what makes the extra miles and inconvenience of parking etc worthwhile – is that they provide an in-person view; something of an opportunity to “get the measure” of the person behind an official column representing a countries point of view.
My sense: the Canadians, and I have lots of Canadian cousins, are very well represented in the international arena by their Governor-General.
In my hearing, someone asked someone-who-seemed-to-know “to what American political office does Canada’s Governor-General compare?” The quick answer, to this likely oft-asked question is “The Governor-General is much like America’s President”.
Of course, there are sharp differences: the Gov-General is appointed by the Queen of England, for instance. But apparently he is the Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces, and appoints the Cabinet.
Canada’s Parliament and House of Lords and Prime Minister are the political end of Canadian Government. It makes sense, historically. Early America rebelled against a King and opted for direct election of a President by the people. In today’s British Empire, the luck is that there is a reigning monarch who is beloved. I suppose the regime could change sometime in the future.
The Governor-General caught my attention early. He grew up in Sault Ste.-Marie and from six years old on was good friends with Lou Nanne of the old Minnesota North Stars. They remain good friends to this day.
He talks about running in the annual Terry Fox Run which I’ve been familiar with since almost its beginning: Dad and I and some friends went to our ancestral home country in Quebec in early summer 1982, the second full year of the run.
Johnston is a diplomat from common roots and public education, and his reverence for public education caught my attention as well. “Cherish our teachers”, he said. Those who labor in pre-Kindergarten to Grade One should be the highest paid professionals, he said.
He talked of a most interesting conversation with one of his international colleague leaders on the concept of inclusive vs extractive economic and political actions. I think (my apologies if I miss the mark) this link may come close to what he talked about yesterday.
Perhaps the main takeaway, most always when I hear/see somebody of Mr. Johnston’s stature, is that word “diplomat”, of which Mr. Johnston is a walking example. I haven’t thought much about that word, but a working definition might include the descriptor “smoothing rough edges”.
People in Mr. Johnston’s position are very well aware that one size does not fit all, and that many points of view must constantly be negotiated if the planet is to survive. They are practiced at working with, not against, opposing points of view to get a resolution to seemingly unsolvable problems.
My sincere thanks to the Canadian Consulate General, Minneapolis, to the Minnesota International Center (MIC), and the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota for this opportunity.
At the end of the program, MIC was presented a medal by Mr. Johnston for their long history of working towards international understanding. Here’s a photo:
MIC Staff received Award from Gov. General Johnston.  Minneapolis Consul General Jamshed Merchant is at the podium,

MIC Staff received Award from Gov. General Johnston. Minneapolis Consul General Jamshed Merchant is at the podium,


Of course, a couple of RCMP Mounties accompanied the Gov. General. And who wouldn’t want a photo with a Mountie! I told them (they were from Flin Flon and The Pas, Manitoba) that their former colleague and my friend Jean-Marc Charron did virtually my entire French-Canadian genealogy in Montreal before he died in 1996. They are in great company.
Folks posing with RCMPs

Folks posing with RCMPs

#1019 – Dick Bernard: War is Hell; How About Waging Peace?

POSTNOTE, May 13, 2015: Three Links about WWII I find especially interesting:
America at War (also referenced below): America at War001;
plus two items found at my ancestral North Dakota farm:
1942 War Atlas edited by H. V. Kaltenborn: 1942 War Atlas002;
and
an anti-America-into-War appeal circa 1940-41 from “left-wing” Democrat Montana Senator Burton K. Wheeler: WWII anti-war position001 Gerald P. Nye, quoted, was conservative Republican North Dakota U.S. Senator. The others quoted on the “postal”, Herbert Hoover, Amb. Joseph P. Kennedy, and Col Charles Lindbergh, are well known and speak for themselves.
*
A week from today, 70 years ago, April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler took his own life in Berlin. About a week later, May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered, and the Third Reich became an object lesson of history for all of us.
On the day Hitler died, Anneliese Solch*, then 18, was with her family at home in Bavaria, about the same distance from Berlin, as St. Paul is from Fargo.
The question becomes: what have we learned, from war, after war, after war?
(click to enlarge)

Dominic Collette, Korean War, 1950s (see text for more).

Dominic Collette, Korean War, 1950s (see text for more).


April 17 I stopped in at the State Historical Society of North Dakota (a marvelous museum and archive), and touched base with long-time friend and archivist Jim Davis.
We connect through my work on family history, and conversation got around to my grandmother’s French-Canadian side from Oakwood (near Grafton, ND).
Jim was recalling a long commentary he’d written for the 2009-2011 North Dakota State Government “Blue Book”, remembering one of his interview subjects, Dominic Collette from Oakwood, ND, doubtless a relative of mine.
Dominic’s story about service in the Korean War is gripping, and Jim used his recollections, and asked him for a period photo.
Dominic said, (my paraphrase) “the only photo I have of me is this one: I’m the shoes that you see at the top of the photo”. That’s the above photo which Jim used with his article, part of which appears here**: Korea & Sp Amer Wars001
What mesmerizes me about the photo is not Dominic’s shoes, but the center of the photo, the victim of war, who he is, and who are trying to save his life: a North Korean, & GIs. Enemies, but friends; victims of a deadly struggle, trying to kill, then save, each other. That is war as most combatants see it…us, not us against them.
Back home in the mailbox was the May, 2015 issue of the American Legion magazine***, which calls itself “The magazine for a strong America”. I’m a longtime member of the American Legion.
This particular issue included a long article, “America At War: 1775 – Present”, and I found it particularly interesting. The entire article is here: America at War001 One half of page 32 pictures the death of Dominic Collette’s cousin, and my Uncle, Frank Peter Bernard**** of Grafton ND, on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941.
And so it goes.
In the two articles referenced above, there is great room for reflection, discussion and, yes, debate.
I took some time with the America at War article, noting what was included as relevant data, and the immense amount of relevant data that was left out…. War is far more than a carefully selected photograph and a few facts, after all.
The only U.S. Presidents after 1941 without a war on their watch were President John F. Kennedy, and President Jimmy Carter. Of course, this fact can be buried – global tensions will always exist, but do not equate to “War” as the only sure option; there are alternatives, like negotiations.
In the article, the entire period from 1947-1991 is labeled as the “Cold War”. Still, from 1961-63, and again from 1977-81, with near misses (including the Cuban Missile Crisis when I was in the U.S. Army), it was possible to stay away from war. Cooler heads prevailed. And therein should be some lessons for us all.
The only time period since 1941 identified in the Legion magazine article as being without war in the United States was 1946. That was immediately after World War II ended (September, 1945), and the United Nations was founded (October, 1945).
Of course there are people, still, who are terrified of the very idea of nations united for some reason or other; but now more than ever the notion of a United Nations of countries working together is essential to global survival.
Let’s talk.
* – As for Anneliese Solch (now Annelee Woodstrom), she will be reflecting on growing up in Adolf Hitler’s Germany on Friday May 1 in Minneapolis. This is a reservation only dinner, with space still available. More information here: World Law Day May 1 2015
** – In the same article was a segment about the Spanish-American War, in which my grandfather Bernard served in 1898-99 in the Philippines. That segment is also included here. North Dakota lost 17 or 18 men in that war; four of them were from Grandpa’s Company C, out of Grafton.
*** – I’ve been a member of the Legion since the mid 1990s. While I’m a veteran, and I don’t have to belong to the Legion, and I certainly would not be in league with its general philosophy, I’m now a long-time member and will probably continue being so.
**** – In the visit to the North Dakota Interpretive Center I found a monument to all of North Dakota’s war dead, in all wars. At such places, I always look for my Uncle Frank’s name, and there it was:
VIGNETTE
SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES


“Joseph Paul F. Bernard”?
I’d never heard him described as other than Frank Peter, or “Pete” or “petey” or just Frank. And the first boy born in our family after Franks death was named Frank Peter Bernard, in memory Dad’s younger brother.
Jim Davis looked it up on the archival record. Indeed: Joseph Paul F. Bernard is what it showed, with all other data consistent with my Uncle. I sent Jim a small collection of documents, including Grandma’s own inscriptions about her sons birth and death in her Bible. You can read it here: Bernard, Frank, b & d001
As one can see by the documents, there is some rationale for “Paul”, but “Joseph”? As I told Jim, all I could surmise is that Joseph might have been Frank’s Confirmation name – a common occurrence in Catholic families. And Frank’s Uncle, down the street in Grafton, was Joseph Bernard.
But all of that remains speculation, and the notation on the monument will not be changed.

#1018 – Dick Bernard: Earth Day 2015

Today is the 45th Earth Day though, apparently, there are variations.
Take some time to notice and support Earth Day efforts in your community. Chances are that something will be going on, at the grass roots, which is where all the effective action seems to take place. As Margaret Mead observed years ago: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”
My first reminder of Earth Day this year came from the church newsletter at Basilica of St. Mary last Sunday. Staff member Janice Andersen, a lady who walks the talk, always, wrote a front page column for the thousands of folks who will read the page. It is here: Janice Andersen Apr 2015001 You will note that the entire focus is on care of the environment through formally supported programs through a church community.
Such initiatives as Janice describes so well do not drop out of the sky, magically appearing fully developed. This one has been evolving, literally, over a period of years, in stages.
I wasn’t involved, except tangentially, and without knowing….
January 16, 2014, 15 months ago, I was at a meeting at St. Joan of Arc Church in Minneapolis, and Dennis Dillon, a friend from Basilica, asked me if I would take the below photo:
(click to enlarge)

St. Joan of Arc, Minneapolis, January 16, 2014

St. Joan of Arc, Minneapolis, January 16, 2014


A committee was forming on Eco-Stewardship at Basilica and a small group of committed parishioners, including Dennis, were taking on the task.
A chair, Donna Krisch, a public school teacher by day, came forward to help lead the meetings and discussions which lead individuals to cooperate in any successful action.
Every now and then I run into Donna, and Dennis – the two committee members I know – and a key development came some months back when the committee decided to apply for a small grant through the City of Minneapolis (or maybe it was Hennepin County).
Such grant applications are no cake walk: money is not granted based on one’s representations. Such a grant is a contract to do something specific, and is detailed.
The Committee jumped through the necessary hoops, got the contract, signed it (somewhat nervously), and here they are, on Earth Day, at the beginning of their bold initiative for our Parish Community.
I have no doubt whatever that they will succeed.
In my mind, they perfectly fit Margaret Mead’s observation. Because of this “small group of thoughtful, committed citizens” (parishioners), thousands more of us will be exposed to a simple idea by which we “can change the world”.
It will be interesting to watch the project as it evolves.
Wherever you happen to be, today and every day, become part of the solution.
POSTNOTE: There are plenty of legitimate worries about the world we all are leaving behind, but sometimes a look back gives some useful perspective.
At a meeting last year, some of us were recalling the campaign to move smoking out of public spaces in this country.
It started small, seeking set aside of a few hotel rooms as “non-smoking” in hotels, and like actions.
Fast forward to today in America. People still smoke, but not nearly as many, and tell me where they find smoking rooms in hotels these days.
Working together works….
Donna sent around an announcement of an event today in which you might be interested, especially if in the area of Hennepin County. You can see it here.

#1017 – Dick Bernard: Reminiscing Along North Dakota's I-94

For a few hours last Friday I reacquainted with about 130 miles of North Dakota’s I-94, between Mandan and Valley City ND. Thanks for the unexpected trip, and the opportunity to reminisce, go to my Uncle Vince.
Vincent, who died on February 2, was a long-time member of the Catholic Fraternal organization, the Knights of Columbus, as was his Dad, my Grandpa. Grandpa joined about 1921, and Vincent in 1947.
As part of the annual North Dakota Knights of Columbus gathering, this year in Mandan ND on April 17, about 150 KCs who’d died in the past year were recognized by a reading of their names and procession of candles, one dedicated to each departed Knight.
I was invited as a member of Vincent’s family, and attending was the least I could do.
It was a very impressive event (portion of program here: KCs Mandan 4-17-15001. Listed (p. 4) and somewhere among the candles (below) was Vincent Busch. A retired and prominent Catholic Cardinal, Theodore McCarrick (p. 5), was celebrant.
Knowing Vincent as I do, he’d probably be embarrassed and said, “what did I ever do to deserve this?”
Well, of course, he deserved the recognition, and the others as well.
We all deserve to be remembered.
(click to enlarge all photos)

At Christ the King Church, Mandan, ND, April 17, 2015

At Christ the King Church, Mandan, ND, April 17, 2015


To get to and from Mandan I drove a portion of I-94 I have rarely driven in the past 50 years.
I-94 Bis-Vc001
Thursday, I started from LaMoure, where I’d had a very busy couple of days. Though only 60 miles to “Jimtown” (Jamestown, in Grandpa’s rendering), I arrived pretty well exhausted and “motelled” there. I wanted a beard trim, and learned from the clerk that the J.C. Penney store across from the motel had a walk-in Beauty Salon. Sure enough. A pleasant lady trimmed my beard.
“How much?”
“No charge”.
It was one of those unexpected kindnesses that you relish when they occur, and you don’t forget. It becomes an invitation to pay it forward, to someone else….
Next morning, enroute west, I stopped in at nearby Eldridge, my home from 1943-45. Elridge is a main-line railroad town on what used to be called the NP (Northern Pacific) Railroad. I photo’ed the first place we lived there (upper floor, north side); and the school in which my Dad was Principal, both still full of memories. I visited both with Dad back in the 1990s. Then, the school was occupied by a lady and her daughter. Today the place is empty, like most of those tiny town schools, mostly brick, which have managed to survive, though empty.
Eldridge ND April 17, 2015

Eldridge ND April 17, 2015


The Eldridge School April 17, 2015

The Eldridge School April 17, 2015


Enroute again, the map reacquainted me with places from my past, especially college days at Valley City State Teachers College. Many classmates I knew, then, were from places like Tappen, Napoleon, Streeter…. I graduated from high school in 1958 at Sykeston; another place we lived in 1942-43 was Pingree. These towns were tiny, but mostly much larger than they are now.
In Bismarck, of course, I visited the State Capitol. The “Prairie Skyscraper”, built to replace the old capitol which burned down Dec. 28, 1930, was always a place of pride for we NoDaks.
This was a bustling place this day: the state legislature was in session. I was there about lunch time, and Senators and Representatives were among those catching lunch. A group, DigitalHorizonsOnline, was testing our knowledge on North Dakota Trivia. Do visit their site.
On the Capitol Grounds is an immensively impressive and newly enlarged State History Museum and Interpretative Center. I highly recommend it. It matches any such facility I’ve seen anywhere.
ND State Capitol, April 17, 2015.  Foreground, the old ND State Library.

ND State Capitol, April 17, 2015. Foreground, the old ND State Library.


Of course, no trip to the Capitol is complete without a trip to the top, to take a picture (below). On the ground level are about 43 winners of the North Dakota Roughrider Award. There are perhaps 43 portraits now, among them my early childhood friend from Sykeston, Larry Woiwode, who is directly across from the portrait of the old Roughrider himself, President Teddy Roosevelt.
Missouri River from the State Capitol, Bismarck, April 17, 2015

Missouri River from the State Capitol, Bismarck, April 17, 2015


Larry Woiwode

Larry Woiwode


Enroute to the Mass I took a side trip over to the Ft. Abraham Lincoln a few miles south of Mandan. This is the place from which Gen. George Armstrong Custer took his ill-fated trip to the Little Big Horn in 1876. Of course, this is April, and nothing was open, but I could drive around, and walk to see the Slant Village and the Custer home. Earlier, a lady at the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department pointed out that this year is the 50th anniversary of the Parks Department, and each State Park will have their day. Fort Abraham Lincoln’s Day is Memorial Day, May 25, 2015.
George Armstrong Custer house at Fort Abraham Lincoln April 17, 2015

George Armstrong Custer house at Fort Abraham Lincoln April 17, 2015


Historic Slant Village at Ft. Abraham Lincoln State Park April 17, 2015

Historic Slant Village at Ft. Abraham Lincoln State Park April 17, 2015


Visit over in late afternoon, back on I-94 East, this time to Fargo.
Dominating the trip back was thinking about May, 1965, when my wife, Barbara, was released from Bismarck’s St. Alexius Hospital, and we began the long trip by car to Minneapolis where she was to be admitted for a kidney transplant at the University of Minnesota Hospital. It was her only remaining option to live beyond 22.
Near hidden facade of old St. Alexius Hospital, Bismarck ND April 17, 2015

Near hidden facade of old St. Alexius Hospital, Bismarck ND April 17, 2015


Back then, late May, 1965, someplace along 94, east of Bismarck, the radiator hose chose to burst. Luckily, we were close to one of the very few exits with a gas station. At Valley City, she and her mother and brother and our year old son Tom took the train the rest of the way to Minneapolis. I continued on by car. Barbara was admitted to the hospital, and died there July 24, 1965. 50 years ago, now. A major marker on my life path. We all have such….
I drove on, finding a motel in Moorhead MN about 9:30 pm.
In the morning, at the house breakfast, I saw a number of people wearing bright t-shirts, “Team Fred” on on one side; “Muscle Walk 2015” on the other. I asked a family of four, “what’s this about?” “A walk for ALS” the Dad said. Fred, I surmised, was someone they knew who has ALS, but I don’t know that.
I went out to the car, remembering the earlier kindness in Jamestown, the free beard trim, took out my checkbook, wrote out a check for $50 to Muscle Walk 2015, went back into the restaurant and left the check with the family: “have a great day”.
Probably the gift surprised them.
Pay it forward, thanks in part to the kind beauty salon person in Jamestown.
It was a great day….
POSTNOTE: Sunday evening came one of those calls from an Unknown Caller. It was Jim F, from Carrington ND. Turned out he was the “Fred” from Team Fred, and he was calling to thank me for the donation Saturday morning. It was a most pleasant surprise; we knew people in common, it turned out.

#1016 – Dick Bernard: Hillary announces….

If you need to know what the blog headline is about, you’re probably not much interested in politics…. The longer headline: “Hillary Clinton announces her candidacy for Presidency of the United States beginning 2017.”

This is a long post, mostly my personal political history – “me ‘n Hillary” – from early 2008. If you’re not into history, my current comments begin and end this post…. What is bold-faced from the 2008 comments, in the middle of this post, are those which seem most pertinent, then and now.
Humor me, and read on, just this once, whether or not “politics” interests you.
Please try…. Politics is what makes or breaks this democracy of ours. We Americans are very sloppy about how we go about deciding who should represent us, and we are even more careless about how our government works at all levels. It is a surprise our system works at all, and that’s a shame.
*
Sunday, April 12, 2015, Hillary Clinton announced that she’s a candidate for President. I see that as good news, though as of right now I haven’t read much about it. There’s plenty of time, and there will be, doubtless, daily polls about what the public thinks – the polls slanted, of course, in the direction the pollster wishes. A great deal of “heat”, hardly any “light”.
One thing is certain, in my opinion: Hillary Clinton is savvy, and she’ll run a very solid campaign.

I’ve long been impressed with Hillary. Most of the words which follow come from two posts I wrote at the time of the Minnesota Precinct Caucuses Feb 5, 2008.
Those who stop by this blog from time to time know that I like to add photos to posts. There are none of her included here for a simple reason: I’ve never actually seen Hillary Clinton in person, anywhere. A few days before I wrote the below comments in 2008, Feb. 2, I saw Barack Obama in person in Minneapolis. He was very impressive. He is ever more impressive; we’re fortunate to have him as chief executive of this immense country.
(click to enlarge)

Feb. 2, 2008, Target Center Minneapolis,

Feb. 2, 2008, Target Center Minneapolis,


At the end of this post, I’ll summarize what I see, at this moment. Whether you like or detest politics, the results determine what we are as a country, and you’re a participant, whether you think you’re a participant or not. (Not voting, or voting for “Mickey Mouse” or a candidate who has no chance whatever, is voting. And everyone has only a single vote, one time, in each election.)
Get involved. Your own future is determined by who will be elected for all offices in each election.
Now, a look back.
*
P&J#1566 “Super Tuesday” posted February 6, 2008:
“I’m guessing I’ve heard from everyone who has an interest in responding to last night, so here ’tis. Thanks. [Lots of people responded about their experience at their own 2008 caucus. These are not included here.]
*****
Yes, I “gotta get a life”…I got curious, yesterday, about the age U.S. Presidents were when they assumed the presidency.
My time to run is definitely past: Here they are since 1901: Teddy Roosevelt, 42; Taft, 51; Wilson, 56; Harding, 55; Coolidge, 50; Hoover,
54; FDR, 50; Truman, 60; Eisenhower, 62; JFK, 43; LBJ, 54; Nixon, 55; Ford, 61; Carter, 52; Reagan, 69 (THERE’S HOPE – not much); GHWB, 64; Bill
Clinton, 46; the Decider [George W Bush], 54. (At the end of this P&J, I list the rest of the bunch….)
Funny how they seemed so old back when I knew ’em as a kid.
If elected, McCain, 71, would be the oldest President ever elected, older even than the Gipper [Ronald Reagan]. You can bet that this point will be whispered.
*****
CAUCUSING:
I’ve attended precinct caucuses for years. Our particular caucus location for the last several years has been a junior high school a 15 minute drive from me, just off I-94.
That’s 15 minutes on a normal day.
Tonight it took almost an hour to drive to the location, most of that time spent in the last half mile jammed bumper to bumper on the freeway and the exit ramp, and then another 15 minutes to walk to the school from my car which I had to park on the shoulder of the road.
The time spent had everything to do with the precinct caucus attendance, which was HUGE.
My caucus location was teeming with young people. The young guy who serves me coffee most mornings at my local Caribou was there, volunteering for Al Franken. It is nice to make occasional unexpected connections like these.
I cast my ballot – for Hillary Clinton; registered to become a delegate to the next level – an important step, as the next level is where the state delegates are selected. We left early as Cathy needed to get home for some phone calls. It was a long chilly walk back to the car, then home.
Why my vote for Hillary? More on that in a later post.
(The presidential vote in Minnesota last night is simply a straw poll of those who actually registered at the caucus. It reflects who showed up. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see the results.)
I got a sense, last night, that people in my area are wanting their country back. This was a school full of serious looking people. I’ll hope their commitment sustains itself, and in fact grows.
For myself, I’ll be proud to support whoever ends up as the nominees.
More on my impressions at the end of this post.

… [numerous comments from other members of my list, not included here]
Some final thoughts from Dick: a friend stopped by at coffee shop this morning, and said that 2100 were at our caucus location, compared with 700 two years ago. Vote was probably 2-1 for Obama at our location, even heavier in his affluent part of town. Chatting nearby were an older guy and a younger woman, both of whom I know a little, both apparently actively Republican. They were deeply involved in fearing the evils of socialized medicine and Hillary Clinton. So goes the debate.
As candidates so well know, there are two ‘peaks’ to attain: first, the nomination of their party; second, the election by the people, hopefully somewhat fairly through the process of ballots. For eons, organizers have come to know a basic truth about campaigns: don’t peak too soon! If your campaign reaches its high point six months out, you’ll lose as certainly as if it peaks six months after the election. The careful strategists are well aware of this dilemma. The Obama campaign is well aware of this dilemma as well. Super Tuesday (a media creation more than a substantive national primary) makes necessary aggressive and expensive campaigning by all the candidates. But it is just a media creation. Now comes the hard part: keeping people interested, engaged and committed.
This continued engagement can be a real problem. A lot of people showed up last night solely to vote for Clinton or Obama, and immediately left. A heap of us will gather (in my case) March 8, for a long, long, often very boring day at our Senate District Convention where the hard process of selecting delegates to the state convention begins. In turn, the state convention will select the national delegates, and on the process goes. We will work really hard on March 8, and listen to lots of people, and try to make some kind of reasoned and reasonable decisions. The people who came, voted and left, will have no appreciation of this part of the process.
Hang in there.
Here’s the rest of the Presidents, with their age at time of election.
George Washington, 56; John Adams, 61; Thomas Jefferson, 57; James Madison, 57; James Monroe, 58; John Quincy Adams, 57; Andrew Jackson, 51; Martin Van Buren, 54; William Henry Harrison, 67 (MY AGE, but he lived only 31 days in office – bad omen. Keep my day job); John Tyler, 50: James Knox Polk, 49; Zachary Taylor, 64; Millard Fillmore, 50; Franklin Pierce, 48; James Buchanan, 65; Abe Lincoln, 51; Andrew Johnson, 57; U.S. Grant, 46; Rutherford B. Hayes, 54; James Garfield, 49; Chester A. Arthur, 52; Grover Cleveland, 47; Benjamin Harrison, 55; William McKinley, 53.


P&J #1568 Why I Voted for Hillary, February 8, 2008.
This is one of mine I hope you’ll take a moment to read.
Pro or Con responses will go into a future mailbag. (There will be a ‘mailbag’ following this one, then I may give you a break for the weekend!)
Why did I vote for Hillary, and Why am I inclined to support her?
There are no simple answers to those questions, whether answered by me, or anyone else. It is a complex matter. But I can provide some clues, with some data I find significant:
1. No less an authority than archconservative William (Bill) Bennett pronounced on CNN yesterday afternoon (Feb 7), that while he had serious reservations about John McCain as the Republican nominee, he would back him because McCain had an American Conservative Union rating of 82, while Hillary Clinton had a rating of 9. (If those numbers are incorrect, it’s Bill Bennett or American Conservative Union who’s lying, not me! www.acuratings.org is where you can check [Such old weblinks are likely no longer current or in existence]. On this list, which ranks lawmakers performance through 2006, MN Senator Mark Dayton had a ranking of 11, and Norm Coleman a rating of 75. Obama’s ranking is 8. Most conservative: DeMint (SC) 98; most awfully liberal, Ted Kennedy of MA, 2).
2. The same afternoon of Feb 7, a letter came from a good friend, a Catholic Priest friend who’s now in El Paso TX saying he’s now “on board w/the Obama campaign. Clinton has never repented for her support of the [Iraq] war….” He was talking, I suppose, about the October, 2002, resolution on which she voted ‘aye’; and on which my own Senator, Paul Wellstone, wavered until almost the last second before voting ‘nay’ (I know the circumstances on the latter, since I was on the way to banner at Wellstone’s office that fateful October afternoon and on arrival there found nobody bannering. I learned after I got home that he had declared he would vote against the resolution. At the time, I was very new to the Peace movement, and nobody was keeping me in the loop about what was happening (they still don’t, too often!). Of course, that vote was strategized by the administration and Republican leadership to take place in very close proximity to the 2002 mid-term elections. It’s easy research to find out what happened that Nov.)
Clinton was in her second year in the U.S. Senate when that vote occurred, and representing her state of New York. Her vote apparently didn’t hurt her standing with her home state folks – her constituents…she was easily reelected in 2006.
If folks take time to recall, Bush’s approval ratings were still stratospheric then, and they were stratospheric because of his WAR rhetoric and planning, and the politically massaged aftermath of 9-11. It’s useful to think back to those times. Hillary Clinton’s constituency was and is in New York City and State, where the worst of 9-11 happened, and it’s hard to imagine any other vote from her at that time, however ill advised one might think it was in hindsight. I wouldn’t expect her to ‘repent’, either. (When I became a peacenik, October 2001 and the bombing of Afghanistan, 94% of Americans approved of the bombing. Talk about being in the minority.)
3. I have mentioned more than once that in my own assessment of the candidates stated positions, Kucinich clearly was most in synch with my own personal views (40), while Edwards, Clinton and Obama were quite positive and a virtual tie (29, 28, 28), with Huckabee and McCain almost tied far down the list (12, 11), and Romney almost a no-show (4). (In my listing, Mike Gravel came in at 29 also. Thompson, Hunter, Guiliani and Tancredo were at the end, with 3,2,2 and 1 respectively. www.myelectionchoices.com [also, likely defunct as a website now]
This assessment had lots of issues, and lots of position statements from all the candidates, not labeled by candidates, so I don’t know in which areas I was most in synch with Clinton or any candidate, but it was useful for me in trying to figure out the general positions of the potential candidates for the most complex and difficult job in the world.
**
Debate rages on this network and others about Clinton, and mostly it has been pretty negative towards her. It was an act almost like ‘coming out’ to mention that I was going to vote for Hillary on Tuesday! “What will they say?” I suspect I was/am not at all alone in the big camp of folks who think Hillary is okay, and her own person, too.
I haven’t and won’t rate Hillary based on her years as first lady; nor did I rate her based on Bill, though I admit to being puzzled why even Bill has been made out to be such a liability. Best as I recall, he was very popular with the American people even after the impeachment, and through the end of his term, and most people would take the ‘Bill days’ of the 90s in a minute over what we’ve endured in the last 7 years [2001-2008].
Clinton ended his term, as I recall, with still very high approval ratings. He still is popular here, and around the world.
But the notion has been planted (and accepted) that, somehow, that this is a bad couple, in almost any way someone wants to define ‘bad’, and this includes many assessments from the Left. So be it. Could the description be a ‘spun’ one? Are we witnessing how the Politics of Division and Character Assassination works, directly and/or subtlely? From BOTH poles of the ideological spectrum?
Hillary Clinton seems to have both the stamina and the backbone to endure the brutality of the campaign trail. This is some important evidence to me that she has what it takes to be chief executive of the United States, by far the most complex job on earth (if one takes time to be engaged in the complexity – Bush didn’t. “The Decider” decided and in the process we have become a country governed by a ruler not a President.) Even as first lady, Hillary was molded by and initiated into the vicious crucible of Washington politics with the Health Care reform dilemma early in Bill’s first term. She’s criticized for not achieving the goal; I rarely hear she (and Bill) complimented for trying….
Add to the complexity of governing a monstrosity like our democracy is, the almost certain extraordinarily difficult situations and circumstances that we are entering after this disastrous eight years, and I puzzle as to why Hillary or anyone for that matter would want to be President. FDR may prove to have had a cakewalk in comparison.
That Hillary Clinton is a woman has never caused me to wonder about her ability to lead. My career representing teachers (still basically a female profession), long ago rid me of the business of sex role stereotyping, if indeed, that ever was a serious issue for me.
As I prepare to click ‘send’ on this, I have one last thought, from overnight. Hillary (and the others) are cursed by the ‘Liberal’ label as if it is the mark of Satan himself. This has been one of the most successful anti-marketing campaigns in our history. I commented on ‘liberal’ at a disenchanted conservative’s dinner table a while back thusly: “I’m definitely a Liberal, but if you truly want Conservative government, where people carefully handle your money, and are Compassionate in the process, you’ll elect Liberal every time. We’re careful with our fellow citizens money.” Liberals in my experience are, by and large, careful with the dollar (sometimes ‘cheap’) because they’ve had to be; and they tend to be, I think, more truly compassionate and understanding of other points of view. There could be worse qualities. The best ‘Compassionate Conservatives’ are, really, Liberals. (I know plenty of truly Compassionate Conservative Republicans...these folks are, by their own admission, out of power even in their own party, and trying to figure out how to regain some of the deserved stature and respect they had in the past.
We’ll see what happens these next months. Keep talking.

SOME VERY BRIEF SUMMARY THOUGHTS ON APRIL 15, 2015:
1. The anti-Hillary “attack dogs” have already been let loose onto the internet, especially. So it will be. The attack dogs are not only on the Right of the Political Spectrum. The far Left types don’t think Clinton, or Obama, deserve support because they’re too conservative,”war mongers”, etc. So be it.
2. By the time of the election in 2016, Hillary will be 69, younger than John McCain had he been elected President in 2008; about the same age as Ronald Reagan at his election in 1980.
3. If nominated by the Democrats a year and a half from now, she will be the first woman to actually run for President of the United States (our country is an anomaly in this regard. There are and have been many women chief executives in other countries. We are way behind.)
4. Perhaps there has been a President who came to office with as much relevant experience for the job as Hillary Clinton already has (U.S. Senator and Secretary of State, to name just two positions she’s successfully held.)
COMMENTS
from Corky:
Hi Dick.
Watching the MONEY MACHINES in action concerning the 2016 presidential election.
$2.5 Billion for Hillary camp..
$100,000,000 largest individual contributor for GOP candidate..
TV personality contributed $1,000,000 to Obama campaign and will give $1,000,000 to Elizabeth Warren if she runs.
Warren said she is NOT running for President.
from Fred: Read your “historical” comments and enjoyed the look-back. You have an advantage as a veteran blogger of being able to see what you actually were thinking on past topics. The rest of us can make us of selective memory—I never would, of course—and discover we were right about everything.
Your characterization of “compassionate conservatives” (don’t hear that phrase in GOP circles anymore) as closet liberals was spot on. Hey, that’s why you don’t hear that phrase anymore.
from Bruce: The Sunset guy [here] seems to boil it down to neoliberalism v republican vision and has decided the choice is clear. The neoliberal policies that led to the financial breakdown & the recession is better than that republican vision.
We solve our problems through violence. Using military force is accepted by both parties, accept when the other party’s president is in office. It’s a cynical choice that we’ve been given.
It’s sad, but the status quo may be the best we can hope for. I’ll vote for Hillary with eyes wide open.
from David: You and I choose to differ here. I supported Ralph Nader and Winona LaDuke then Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala. In 2008 I struck a deal with a Montana progressive citizen to exchange our votes for the green party, but as you may recall the various Just-Us departments didn’t like citizens taking charge of their own destinies.
Dr. Stein is likely running again. Who else in 2012 chose to be arrested twice—once for a sit-in at a bank protesting mortgage foreclosures and next trying to enter the presidential debate being held in Texas?
Residing in the camp of the lesser of the two evils, Obama/Romney and Clinton/To be determined, is like having to use stink bait in my opinion. I choose not to have to hold my nose when I go fishing.
I am 98.5 percent sure that Mrs. Clinton will mouth all the good slogans, just like Mr. Obama has, and then continue to build next generation nuclear bombs, propose ever larger Pentagon budgets, and keep the drones searching for targets.

#1015 – Dick Bernard: A Piece of Drama on an Important Issue

Mid-week, my spouse, Cathy, read an April 6 commentary on a sneaky change in Federal Pension Protection law which interested and troubled her.
At the end of the commentary was an invitation to attend a meeting on Saturday, and so we went over, not knowing what to expect.
First, I’d recommend getting to know PensionRights.org, an organization which keeps close tabs on actions relating to pension law. They were an integral part of the program.
The focus of the meeting, which attracted near 200 people, mostly older men and Teamster retirees, was (in my opinion) a sneaky and very dangerous amendment to another major piece of legislation passed in December, 2014. (see “New Law Allows Cuts to Retiree Pensions” at PensionRights.org.) There was no debate, and thus no accountability. Too many such amendments are passed these days….
SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES
Both my wife and I, retired working people, benefit from Social Security, Pension Plans and 401-k. We come from a generation where pensions were common, and during which 401-k plans were initiated as opportunities for workers to supplement their other benefits.
What is happening today is an attack on Pension Plans, coupled with a fear campaign against future stability of Social Security, that Soc Sec is not safe, leading to a psychological reliance by younger people on the seductive but very dangerous 401-k plans, the riskiest of the retirement options for ordinary citizens…and a cash cow for those whose business is making money.
Young people are at risk if they heed the siren song of relying on individual 401-k savings accounts for their retirement, and allowing Social Security and Pensions to die.
But also, in my opinion, the real long-term victims of the 401-k scam will be the very perpetrators of anti-pension and social security. They are, in effect, strangling the very source of much of their wealth: consumable income from social security and pensions which is spent by retired middle and lower class in this country.
Saturdays meeting had something of a nostalgic cast to it: it reminded me of passionate union meetings in my past, where people expressed their opinions, no holds barred. Then they went to work for needed change.
There was one “duet” of opinions Saturday that particularly intrigued me.
Among the speakers was a retired truck driver from Ohio, 31 years a Teamster, who railed on against the Law change, and said, directly, that he was a registered Democrat, but he couldn’t see any difference between Republicans and Democrats, and he was ready to become Independent and deal with people who supported his particular agenda.

31-year truck driver; I didn't catch his name.

31-year truck driver; I didn’t catch his name.


I’ve heard his type before: blame, broad-brush, and retreat into a single issue which becomes their sole priority. Lots of working stiffs buy his same line, unfortunately, at their peril.
In fact, I was recalling, as I listened to him, that it was the Teamsters and their individual members, as much as any single entity, who led to Ronald Reagan’s election in 1980, and de facto enabled anti-labor initiatives which continue. Back then, they were living the pretty good life, and didn’t think that they needed a united labor voice. It has been a bad time for unions ever since.
But I was not the only one listening to his rant against Democrats and Republicans in Washington.
Someone rose in the back, and it turned out to be Minnesota’s 8th District DFL Congressman Rick Nolan, who was as passionate as I’ve ever seen a public official about an issue.
He was angry at the broad brush labeling of all of Congress by the retired Teamster guy, and he made his case with all of us. People were listening.
I tried to get a good photo, but he was so animated that it was impossible. Here’s as close as I could get.
MN Cong Rick Nolan April 11, 2015.

MN Cong Rick Nolan April 11, 2015.


Overall, there was lots of good advice given on Saturday, about the need for workers to get off their duffs, learn about the issues, and get organized.
But there is also a need to get rid of all sorts of naive notions about how decision making takes place in a society such as ours.
If we are uninvolved, we collectively will get exactly what we deserve.
Part of the audience April 11

Part of the audience April 11


I’m glad I went to the meeting today; glad that Cathy called the commentary to my attention.
Now I’ve called your attention to it.
Time to get to work.
Here’s a photo of the organizing committee which brought us together on Saturday. They are the face of Teamsters. Thank you, to them.
April 11, 2015

April 11, 2015


Keynote speaker, Karen Friedman, Executive Vice-President and Policy Director of Pension Rights Center.

Keynote speaker, Karen Friedman, Executive Vice-President and Policy Director of Pension Rights Center.


COMMENTS
from Norm Hanson:
I enjoyed reading your blog regarding the attack on many current pension and security plans by uninformed people and/or people who buy into the rhetoric about the “beauty” of going to 401K plans and other plans tied to the stock market. Most of us are like you in that we depend upon Social Security, private or public pensions, investments and, of course, our good looks, to live during our senior years.
It always amazes me that some of the most outspoken proponents for such changes…or as you correctly noted, support for Reagan several years ago…are the folks most likely to be hurt by such changes…or by the election of Reagan…I just never have been able to get a handle on why that is so often so.
I know that in some cases there is s social issue hook such as pro-life/pro-choice, patriotism as they define it, fear of the changes taking place around them and hoping for a return to the good old days that probably never actually existed other than in their nostalgic minds and so on.
They openly support such changes…or Reagan…for such reasons even though those changes…or Reagan…can and do hurt them as much or more so than anyone else.
Thanks
PERSONAL POSTNOTE:
I am soon 75, and more by happenstance than intent I inherited the wisdom of elders, and later, colleagues, to achieve what I do not take for granted today: Social Security, a Pension, and a 401-k.
Of course, like all workers in our country, I paid into Social Security my entire career, with employer participation. Social Security was and is a “savings account” for future needs. The system was painless and worked extremely well for those who needed its benefits (not only people who retired at age 62, but those whose retirement came early due to disability, etc.)
Social Security is insurance, and has been since its founding. Those who were covered paid their premiums, like regular insurance.
From time to time its flaws have been corrected. It has always been there (in my lifetime) and it will always be there unless its future beneficiaries don’t insist on its being protected for them, later. (If one reads further about the Law above described, and other similar pieces of legislation, there seems always to be a clever exception added to such laws, for people who are already receiving the benefits. The exception says in one way or another, “you older folks don’t have to worry. This only applies to future recipients.” It is seductive and it is extremely dangerous.)
I also have a Pension, a private plan, which some of my colleagues had the foresight to lobby for early in my own career as a union staff member. I don’t recall thinking much about the issue at the time, which was in the early 1970s when I was in my 30s. Pension benefits are not freebies. They were paid for by reallocation and deferral of wages earned at the time. They were, in effect, a savings account for every member. In recent years they have been re-framed as unearned entitlements by their enemies. They were earned benefits.
About the same time as my Pension, we received an option for additional personal Savings, the 401-k. The plan I was in, and other plans, varied a bit, but in their essence they all worked the same. They were a system of deferred income, to be open for withdrawal after retirement or for certain specific reasons. Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) were in the same family.
For us, personally, the Social Security and the Pension are our income foundation. We are very fortunate to also have moderate 401-k’s, but such a vehicle would not, I can absolutely assure young people, work long term. It is far too risky, and too tempting to not contribute to when something like a vacation, or a new car, looks too tempting.
Caveat emptor.

#1014 – Dick Bernard: Farewell to a Special Lady

Yesterday my cousin Mary Kay and I traveled to Dubuque to the funeral of Marion Placke. It was a long day: the odometer read 550 miles traveled when I arrived home; and the clock showed 16 hours from the time between when I left and arrived home.
But it was an extraordinary day; a very, very rich day.
Marion was one of those folks who, unsung, bring richness to the lives of those around them.
In the casket, she was 98, by her own self-declaration a month or so ago, “an old lady”.
A solitary photo by her casket was from some long ago time:
(click on photos to enlarge)

Marion Placke

Marion Placke


She never married nor had children of her own. Most of her life her occupation was “housekeeper” at various places. Her obituary did not include a listing of this or that degree, or such.
The fall and broken hip that preceded her death by about a week occurred at her long-time home on the slope of Sinsinawa Mound in southwest Wisconsin, a few miles from Dubuque, only half a mile or so from the nearby house in which she was born August 1, 1916.
But these few words hardly do justice to Marion Placke.
Her nephew, Fr. Wayne Droessler, himself a retired Catholic Priest, gave a wonderful tribute to his Aunt Marion, as part of his homily at the Mass. At the end of the Mass, before dismissal, he kissed her casket in a fond expression of farewell. At the mausoleum, the casket was surrounded by young people who up until the most recent years had been “babysat” by Marion and her sister Lucina Stangl. I particularly noticed one young person near the coffin, who was obviously grief-stricken at the loss of the person she quite likely called “Grandma”.
Fr. Wayne Droessler April 10, 2015

Fr. Wayne Droessler April 10, 2015


Farewell, April 10, 2015

Farewell, April 10, 2015


For we travelers from the Twin Cities, who seldom actually saw Marion in person, much of our trip down and back was dominated by memories of this or that about Marion and Lucina(Lu) Stangl.
Marion was a superb story-teller and this, coupled with her love of family history, brought the Berning family (our common root) and the old days alive in a extraordinarily rich way.
The two sisters – Lu was 6 years Marion’s senior, and died in 2010 at 100 – were adventuresome.
Mary Kay related that some years back, when Lu was a spring chicken of 92 (Marion, 86), Lu and Marion went white-water rafting. At the end of the trip, they learned that Lu was the oldest person who’d ever done that trip!
Ten years ago, in July, 2005, the ladies and several family members made the trip up to a mini-reunion at the North Dakota farm.
While there, they expressed an interest in visiting Whitestone Hill Battlefield monument, perhaps 25 miles away.
Those of who’d been there know that there is a rather daunting climb up to the monument itself, so we expected that Lucina and Marion would stay at the parking lot, and we younger “kids” would do the walk up the hill.
Not these ladies: both of them climbed the hill, reached the top, and spent some time at the monument itself (photos below).
That trip up that hill helps define, for me, the example left by Marion Placke and her sister. I could give more examples, but that will suffice.
Others will have their own memories.
A fond farewell.
Marion Placke and Lucina Stangl, LaMoure ND  July, 2005,

Marion Placke and Lucina Stangl, LaMoure ND July, 2005,


Walking up Whitestone Hill, July, 2005.  Marion in white slacks; her sister Lucina, in blue slacks just behind her.  Lucina's son, David Stangl at rear.

Walking up Whitestone Hill, July, 2005. Marion in white slacks; her sister Lucina, in blue slacks just behind her. Lucina’s son, David Stangl at rear.


A small reunion at the Vincent and Edith Busch farm, Berlin, ND, July 2005.

A small reunion at the Vincent and Edith Busch farm, Berlin, ND, July 2005.


Marion Placke (2nd from right) at Memorial Park, Grand Rapids ND, July 1920.  Her mother had come up to assist her Aunt Rosa Busch, who gave birth to Edithe.  Others in the photo are Busch's and possibly other Placke's

Marion Placke (2nd from right) at Memorial Park, Grand Rapids ND, July 1920. Her mother had come up to assist her Aunt Rosa Busch, who gave birth to Edithe. Others in the photo are Busch’s and possibly other Placke’s

#1013- Dick Bernard: Flossenburg

In today’s Minneapolis Star Tribune I read a most interesting column about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the noted German Lutheran Theologian and Pastor, who was part of the conspiracy to remove Adolf Hitler during the dark days of the Third Reich. He died by hanging 70 years ago today, April 9, 1945.
The first paragraph of the commentary noted “Bonhoeffer was hanged at the Flossenbürg concentration camp in Germany for participating in the conspiracy to kill Adolf Hitler.”
The mention “Flossenburg” especially peaked my interest.
For a dozen years, now, I have been privileged to have as a close friend, Annelee Woodstrom. Annelee grew up as Anneliese Solch in Mitterteich, Germany, near the Czech border.
Now 88, Annelee grew up in the time of the Third Reich, and speaks often of her memories then.
She was 18 when the war ended.
A vignette she always mentions in her talks was the time, very near the end of the war, when a group of POWs were marched past the family home. They were from Flossenburg, she said. Until then she didn’t even know there was a prison at Flossenburg, much less that it was a concentration camp, and she admits that fact may be hard to believe.
(Until this moment, when I looked it up, I didn’t know that Flossenburg was just 20 miles south of Mitterteich.)
It is simple to say, now, that “she must have known. That town was only 20 miles away.”
But if you factor in everything about the place and the time and the circumstances, there is little doubt that townspeople knew only what was told to them. Even today, with all of the means of communication we have access to, we are regularly deceived and misled. Think now of some town 20 miles from you, where you don’t know anyone. Even today, lots could go on in that town without your knowledge….
I sent the commentary along to Annelee this morning. Three weeks from Friday, in Minneapolis, Annelee Woodstrom will remember, among many other memories, the end of World War II as she experienced it in Germany (Adolf Hitler killed himself on April 30; VE Day came on May 6, 1945.)
Here is the flier for the event: World Law Day May 1 2015.
Reservations are requested.

#1012 – Dick Bernard: Wikipedia

Last nights 60 Minutes had a fascinating profile of Wikipedia, the ever-more respected (ever-less maligned) people’s encyclopedia.
You may be able to watch the segment here, though it seems like CBS has constructed hoops now, which one now needs to jump through to watch their programs on-line…. At any rate, it is worth the hoop jumping to watch this segment. Right or wrong, once you’ve made 60 Minutes, you’ve made the big time!
Wikipedia has always been free, and apparently intends to remain that way. Hoorah! But it does ask for contributions, and when it does, toss a few bucks in the kettle. It’s a service that deserves to continue to thrive. (Here’s wikipedia’s wiki entry about itself. I notice it doesn’t even mention the 60 Minutes appearance last night.)
Just out of curiosity, I put the word “Wikipedia” in my e-mail archive search file. It told me it came up with 670 matches, the earliest one from February 9, 2005. (There may have been others, but back in the old days, permanent records tended to die prematurely, from things like viruses.)
For this blogsite of mine, which originated in March, 2009, 159 matches come up. So I lean on Wikipedia a lot, and it has been and remains a valuable resource.
Here’s the first use of Wikipedia in my e-mail, 10 years ago, Feb 5, 2005 (ancient history!): P&J Feb 9, 2005001. Note the yellow hi-lite. Back then Wikipedia was just becoming recognized as a force to be reckoned with, but there was considerable game-playing with the citizen edit feature, thus I urged caution. Danny Schechter, media person and media watchdog, who’s referenced there, recently died. You’ll note his wikipedia entry is updated. We met him and saw the film referenced in the post. A very interesting and enlightening evening.
I am more and more confident in what wikipedia has to say on most anything. Having over 100,000 editors on staff worldwide is very, very helpful. “BS detectors” are built in to get rid of obvious public relations moves for or against someone or something. Vigilance is still prudent, and I really try to be careful to send along credible information, from any source. This is never easy, in this headline, soundbite driven society.
Back in those earlier days I found myself referring back to my 1977 Encyclopedia Britannica to at least attempt to verify information pre-dating 1977. This was before the advent of word search, and while the Britannica still occupies space on my bookshelf, it hasn’t been referred to in quite some time.
And as Wikipedia found Gary Wills said, in the 60 Minutes segment last night, Wikipedia is as accurate, if not more so, than any other traditional encyclopedic source.
We citizens are absolutely barraged by information (which is often mis-information, or hopelessly biased and one sided information) so that it is very difficult to be even somewhat informed.
At least, Wikipedia gives us a running start on some semblance of the truth…if we take time to use it.

#1011 – Dick Bernard: Easter Sunday.

Today, per usual, I ushered at Basilica of St. Mary at 9:30 Mass. It was a cool sunshiny day in Minneapolis. I took a couple of snapshots.
(click to enlarge)

Basilica of St. Mary Easter Sunday 2015

Basilica of St. Mary Easter Sunday 2015


Basilica of St. Mary about 10:30 a.m. April 5, 2015

Basilica of St. Mary about 10:30 a.m. April 5, 2015


Of course, the juxtaposition of the season of Spring and the Christian observance of Easter is intentional. Wikipedia says this about the setting of the date of Easter: “It has come to be the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or soonest after 21 March.” This year this full moon was April 4.
I hope your Easter Day was a good one, whatever meaning today had for you.
Have a great spring.