This morning, Monday May 31, 2021, at 9:30 on the Minnesota State Capitol grounds, at the Vietnam Memorial, will be the annual Veterans for Peace observance of Memorial Day.  Except for last year, when the Pandemic made it a virtual event, it has been at the same site for almost all of the 18 years I’ve known about it.  I rarely miss it.  I’ll be there again this year.  All are welcome.  It is always meaning-filled.

The last year, particular beginning with the Pandemic, have seared us all.

This year my focus on this day is the contents of a single page piece of mail I received from my friend Padre Johnson on May 23.  Here it is in pdf form padre johnson philosophy, below in jpeg.  It is shared with his permission.

I’ve known Padre for more than a dozen years.  He’s my senior by a couple of years.  This one page creed is a single sentence, every phrase within food for personal thought by myself…and anyone.  He lives this creed.

A descriptor of Padre’s amazing career from 1992 is summarized here: Padre Johnson 20200304_12272801.  In specific context with today, here’s the portion about his service in the U.S. military: “…he was officially assigned for the first time in American military history to serve in an independent duty position as both the chaplain and in a leading field medical officer position with his Black Beret “River Raider” Assault force One Special Forces unit in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta Region.  For his many successful life saving medical rescue mission efforts under some of the most impossible combat situations during which he was twice wounded in two separate battles he was very highly decorated with two Silver Stars, the Legion of merit with Valor, the Bronze Star, the Vietnamese Cross and two Purple Hearts – becoming one of the highest decorated chaplains and medical officers in the history of the U.S. military.”

Here is the front cover of the book which includes the above descriptor:  Over a period of about 13 years, Padre spent significant time with people in 149 countries and all U.S. states.  The resulting art, by Padre, became a major exhibition at the United Nations in New York in 1992.

Let there be peace within ourselves, our families, our neighborhood,our communities, our countries, our world.

POSTNOTE: I also want to call attention to another gift, received recently from my friend and peace activist, David Logsdon, former President of VFP27.

POSTNOTE 2, after The Vets for Peace gathering:  Memorial Day is complicated, granted.  It is a day to remember those who died in service to or country.  But is is also good day to party and celebrate, etc. etc.  We watched the annual PBS Memorial Day Concert last night.  The emphasis was again on 9-11-01 and foreign wars, nary a mention of domestic in-tranquility, like Jan. 6, 2021.  We are a nation badly divided.

It is as it is.  I was at the annual event of Vets for Peace.  It is my tradition.  It was nice as always.  Beautiful weather.  There were about 100 of us, which is pretty usual.  Mostly the folks who have organized it for years are Vietnam Vets, not high on war, certainly.

MAY 31, 2021, Capitol grounds, Minnesota state capital.

One year ago, May 28 and 29, 2020, was a terrifying time in our area.  The fires in Minneapolis and St. Paul started the night of May 27, and continued to the early morning of May 29.  I asked my friend, Ruhel, when his restaurant burned down.  “May 29” he said with no hesitation.

The fires the first night were totally unexpected.  Ours is a major metropolitan area and problems and protests are not unusual.  But not violent.  The last such time I can remember was Minneapolis, 1967.

May 28, 2020,  caught everyone by surprise, and rumors were flying about outside agitators and criminals coming to town.

There is now a year under our national belt – an opportunity to put those nights in context.  Of course, crimes are committed in secret, and people like myself are not insiders when it comes to information.  So what I am going to offer is strictly opinion, informed by a career of looking for evidence.

First, Nancy sent me a comment which you can find in my May 29, 2020, post, “A City Burning”, as follows:

“Here’s a post that I saw on Facebook today — very important message:

‎Jesse Haug‎ to Lowertown, Saint Paul
9 hrs
A reminder that on nights like these, there are multiple distinct groups in action, with distinct goals and behaviors. Do not confuse one with another.

I’d group them into at least 5 categories. [emphasis added May 29,2021]

1/
ACTIVISTS: They have clear goals, at least in their own heads. They are out to be heard and noticed. They may be nonviolent. If there is property damage, it will be targeted. Diff activists may have diff targets, but it won’t be indiscriminate.

2/
GRIEVING CITIZENS: They aren’t (yet) organized activists. They’re hurting deeply. They haven’t been heard. They have more anger than they know what to do with. They may cause unjust damage, even though their anger comes from a place of justice.

3/
ROWDY IDIOTS: They don’t give a shit about justice. They just want to fuck shit up. They’ll mingle with the activists, even though activists are ultimately a nuisance to them. They’ll come like moths to a light any time things are going off the rails.

4/
CHAOS AGENTS: Like rowdy idiots, they want to fuck shit up. But like activists, they have a goal and are self-controlled. They’re here to escalate, create an opening, make others look bad. Prime examples: alt-right instigators and crooked police. (There’s overlap.)

5/
PROFESSIONAL THIEVES: Whenever there’s chaos, there’s an opportunity to make a buck. Some of the “looting” has actually been well-organized, coordinated hits: post a lookout, designated grabber, getaway car.

6/
There may be more groups I’ve overlooked.

I say all of this to point out the danger of using the word “protesters” for everyone out there tonight. If, for example, you say, “protesters need to stop burning buildings,” which of these groups are you are referring to? Be specific, not vague or generalizing.

Above all, be careful that you do not wrongly ascribe to ACTIVISTS and GRIEVING CITIZENS the actions of the other three groups. That is just what those other groups want.

The need for justice is real. The grief is real. Take them seriously. Respect them.

Addendum: just in case it’s not obvious, the first two groups are the vast majority of people out there — but the last three cause the vast majority of damage.”

*

I want, here, to focus on #4, CHAOS AGENTS.  #3 and #5 could be added as well.

The death of George Floyd on May 25 was certainly tinder for the protests.  We have watched this play out for an entire year.

But there has been shadow activity all along, right up to today.  Very visible, in plain sight, in the news, frequently.

You might remember the Tuesday following May 29, 2020.  That would have been June Tuesday, June 2, 2020, when the then-President called in the troops to clear the riff-raff from Lafayette Park from the White House, and posed for the infamous photo with the Bible in front of the Church.

The June 3 Minneapolis Star-Tribune, on page one, headlined an article, “Bipartisan rebuke of Trump move”.  Here’s the entire article:Minneapolis burning June 3, 2020.   The Minneapolis-St. Paul crisis was made to order by Mr. “Law and Order” and his acolytes.  Later came places like Portland and Kenosha, all useful as false equivalences, using legitimate protests as cover for chaos.

You might remember the insurrection of January 6, 2021, where a mob and mayhem descended on the U.S. Capitol building.

You might remember, yesterday, May 28, 2020, and the vote in the U.S. Senate against hearings about January 6.

I still have hopes that justice will be served in Minneapolis-St. Paul for all places that were damaged in the aftermath of May 25.

There will be peaceful resolution if we make it so, as we have done ever since those awful events.

Have a good Memorial Day.

May 25, 2020, was Memorial Day, the day George Floyd died on a street outside a neighborhood store in Minneapolis.  At the time we were all immersed in the pandemic.  The front page of the Minneapolis Star Tribune had a sub-headline above the fold: “A GRIM STATISTIC U.S. likely to surpass 100K deaths in coming days.”

We all know what made one year ago different.  I had been keeping the front section of all the newspapers since the pandemic was declared, and here are the front pages of the days beginning May 27, the day when ‘George Floyd’ became a name for history:

May 27 – June 4, 2020, front page, Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Sunday, May 23, 2021 – two days ago – I went over to Chicago at 38th Street, the crime scene where George Floyd died a year ago.  It was about noon.

A parking lot preacher was holding a service kitty-corner across the street; there were a few of us walking around.  It was a respectful place, not a fearful one.   Some might consider me a ‘tourist’, but I wasn’t.  I wanted to witness the place I had first seen from a half block away a day after Floyd had died.

Back then, there, a concerned group had gathered at the intersection, in the street.  I was close, but didn’t get out of my car – my only concern was being in a crowd during the pandemic.

Two days ago, I took a few snapshots.  Here are three.

38th and Chicago Ave Minneapolis MN May 23, 2021

May 23, 2021, Cup Foods, Minneapolis MN, on Chicago Avenue.

Lutheran Church at the corner of 39th and Chicago, Minneapolis, May 23, 2021

*

Today, a new year begins.  My only thought: “what can I do, as an individual, towards positive change?”  I am only one, but I am one.

So are you.

POSTNOTE: Today’s Minneapolis Star Tribune, front page, and two of eight page special section on George Floyd

May 25, 2021 Minneapolis Star Tribune

Early last week I’d written my financial adviser with a question.  Joe wrote back and what I noted particularly was the quotation he apparently uses on all correspondence with clients:

“Nothing can stand up to gratitude. There’s no negative emotion—not fear, not self-doubt, not sadness, and certainly not anger—that can survive exposure to the radiance of gratitude.”   Nick Murray

I liked his selection of a quote, and told him so.  In fact, I replied with a TED talk on the very topic which I first saw in 2011 and have referenced ever since.  It is worth your 10 minutes, here.  Joe responded almost immediately: “I really enjoyed the TED talk.  Thank you.”

Note: Joe’s business is money.  The stereotype for money men might be different.  I know Joe, not well.  But what I know of him is consistent with his choice of quotation.

I had planned a “Gratitude” post before I’d written to Joe, so his letter was just positive reinforcement.

My plan was to emphasize the positive turn – at least for us, now – on Covid-19.  This morning I went to my coffee shop to clarify my thinking on the topic, and started a list of positive things this week, for which I could be grateful.  I got to 19 specifics. So much for making a list of good things.  “Lots” suffices.  Joe’s letter simply jogged me to actively think of those positives, rather than the “stinking thinking” so easy to descend into.

On my “gratitude list” was Melvin, who I’d met on Friday.  Melvin is a long-time good friend, well known locally – the ‘peace bubble guy’ – most recently on a wonderful TV ad spot seeking organ donors.

Melvin’s card

Greeting me this day at Caribou was Julie, an older server who I hadn’t seen for the entire year of Covid-19.

It was a pleasant surprise for both of us.  She said she worked only infrequently at the coffee shop; her full-time job was elsewhere.  It was great to see her.

In between, many other mostly small but very significant demonstrations of the positives in my community…and in yours as well.

As I found out, you may have to consciously think about them, but they’re there.  Check out the Gratitude video (even if you’ve seen it before).  Another suggestion was a film we saw on Netflix last night, “Cuba and the Cameraman”, a documentary which doesn’t sugarcoat but brings local life of real people into focus.  I found it uplifting and inspirational.

May your today “really be a great day” (David Steindl-Rast).

Yes, there are very important issues.  But take time for Gratitude, too.

COMMENTS (more at end of post)

from Judy: as usual a profound communication.  Thank you.

from Mark: Thanks for the shout out to “checking the box” – one of my top passions.

from Annelee: Dick, thanks for today’s blog, it made me reflect. Believe me I am grateful and I thank God every morning and night. My reflection got rather long, well I am living a long time, right?

In my nine decades of life there were hills and valleys. I tried to walk and cope with the valleys, but I always was grateful for the many hills that life gave me.

I am grateful for how blessed I was to be born to parents who loved me and by example taught me right from wrong.

Am grateful because I survived WWII when throughout the world lives were taken long before their time.

I am grateful for living in the best country in the world, married for half a century to a man  who became my partner; my friend.  I am grateful for our children and the life-long friendships  that brightened  and still brighten my days.

I am grateful for 22 years I was given the privilege of teaching and sharing in the struggles and successes of my students.

Now as I am nearing 95, I am most grateful for my extended family, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

I am grateful that I live in a community where I feel safe, have friends and neighbors who tend to my needs and help me to keep my balance

On good days, which are the majority, I am grateful or good health, on others I am grateful that my back or age-pain isn’t as bad as it was the day before.

Dick, dear friend, I am grateful that you made me aware how truly blessed I am.

from DJ: I’ve been focused on gratitude / random acts of kindness for yrs.   I have a dailygrateful prayer time.     I have realistic gratitude and not irresponsible gratitude.

from: Sandy: Thanks Dick for your words of wisdom as always and I am so grateful for you and your family and I am just writing to you rather than out on your blog post but thanks for all that you do and the great words of wisdom that you seem to bring forward to the world

Back on August 1, 2020, I opened a long post about why I’m a Democrat with these words:  “Among 7.8 billions citizens of planet earth 331 million in the United States, I am one. I have 80 years of experience in my native land, the United States of America.  Everyone has their own story.”

Back then, in the old days of American politics, we were beginning the hot times of the U.S. Presidential campaign, and its aftermath.  Oh, such a long 10 months.  But my statement, then, was not a statement of hopelessness, rather of empowerment.  We, the people, are the sole source of power in our own society – not anyone else.

I need to say nothing more, particularly if you are someone who more or less regularly reads some of these posts, now 12 years running, and every one archived.  Nearly 80 of them reference Israel or Palestine.

Along with every other piece of tinder tossed on the fire, come the events of recent days in that land called in the Bible, Palestine, and possessing today’s political designation as Israel, a place approximating the size of New Jersey.

Today’s Just Above Sunset deserves reading in its entirety.  It simply summarizes recent history.

Then assess where YOU stand and why, and how this newest looming disaster is resolved, along with all the other disasters looming.

Every one of you is like me.  We’re part of the problem, or part of the solution.  There are no bystanders.

Here are maps from history: Bible 1906005 (click to enlarge.  All of these from an early 1900s Bible  of my grandmother.

Personally, I’ve been to Israel, in a powerful group tour in January, 1996; and to places like Auschwitz and other holocaust sites with a group roughly equally Jews and Christians in 2000.  I’ve been to the fresh grave of Yitzhak Rabin (assassinated November, 1995), and tried to follow the geopolitics of the region from the time the country of Israel was created, beginning with the partition or the region at the end of WWI.

There is nothing easy about this situation.  There are no winners in fights to the death.  This is a dangerous place.  I am one voice.  So are you.  So is everyone.