I always observe Memorial Day, being a veteran myself, from a family full of military veteranss.

This year will be a bit unconventional since the normal time designated – later morning – will be occupied by a visit to a friend who recently had heart surgery.  So I’ll miss the Veterans for Peace observance at the Veterans Service Building at the State Capitol Mall (9:30 a.m.) and an alternative I planned also to possibly attend, at the Woodbury City Hall area about the same time.

I choose, this year, to remember two memorable Memorial Days, in 1946 and 2014.

Sykeston High School ca late winter or early Spring 1946, most likely photograph taken by my Dad, Henry Bernard.

At Memorial Day, 1946, I had just turned 6 years old: old enough to remember stuff; not old enough to attach significance to what I was witnessing.

The family had just moved to the tiny town of Sykeston ND, where my Dad had, the previous September, become the Superintendent of the public school.  He had moved earlier than the rest of us – Mom and four kids, me, the oldest, the youngest born in mid-November, 1945.  At Sykeston, we lived in a rented small house just to the left of the above photo of the school.

That Memorial Day, I remember as a pleasant spring day.  I was standing more or less where the above photograph was taken.  There were people on the lawn, but mostly I remember the few men who simultaneously shot rifles into the air a few times.  It was a somber time – even a kid could feel that.

The experience stuck in my mind.  It was not until years later that I connected the dots of that day immediately after WWII.

Dad’s brother had died on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941, one of the first American casualties of WWII.  One of Dad’s colleague teachers was his brother-in-law George Busch, who had spent three full years as a Naval officer on the destroyer USS Woodworth (DD 460) in the Pacific Theatre.  George’s wife, Jean, filled in for him the first months of the school year, as his tour of duty didn’t end until late October when the Woodworth, which docked at Tokyo in mid-September, 1945, docked at Portland, Oregon.  Doubtless Uncle George and Dad had something to do with the observance I was witnessing.  Doubtless some residents of the town had been casualties.  Likely there were a few crosses on the lawn, which I don’t remember.

More than 50 years after 1946 – it was 1998 in San Francisco – I learned about another family story of the horrors of war.  I had a cousin, Marie-Josephine, two months younger than me, who was born in the Philippines.  She was the namesake of Dad’s mother and my grandma Josephine.  On a summer day in San Francisco in 1998, her brother, a couple of years older, told the story of the liberation of Manila in the late winter of 1945.  The family, mother and three children, took refuge in a churchyard, and in the ensuing chaos, shrapnel from somebodies shell hit Marie-Josephine, killing her instantly.  She was in her mother’s arms.  Her brother, Alfred, was also there, and he broke down as he told the story of his sisters death.  Such is how it is with memory.  (Their Dad had spent most of the war imprisoned in Santo Tomas POW camp in Manila.)

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Fast forward to Memorial Day, 2014, at the Veterans for Peace observance on the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul.

On that day I was with two Pakistani men who were Fulbright scholars through the Human Rights Center of the University of Minnesota Law School.  One of them had decided on a final project that involved interviewing at least 10 persons involved in peace-making, and I was asked to be the supervisor of the project, which went very well.

On Memorial Day they joined me at the observance and had the opportunity to interview the guest speaker for the day, Jim Northrop, noted Ojibway author.  Their film of that observance, including Northrops comments, remains available online.  Be sure to read the preliminary paragraph, then scroll down to Veterans for Peace.

Peace is complicated, as is obvious particularly now, Without peace there is no future, and hats off to all of those who labor on,.

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A moving story: Heather Cox Richardson May 25, 2025.

I cannot recall a more crucial national decision than the resolution of the Federal Budget now being debated, the first round being adopted by the House of Representatives by a single vote: 215-214.

We all need to be involved in this through our elected representatives at the Federal Level (House and Senate members).  Obviously the President is the third leg of this stool.

Essential summary information is in the links below.  When the time comes for vote, your representatives have essentially four options:

1. YES.
2. NO.
3. Not Voting (which can be for any reason, from critical illness, to simply not voting).
4. PRESENT (available, but choosing not to vote).

This process can drag out for a long while.  The only absolute action you can take is to be on record with YOUR respresentatives as an individual.

There are also collective options available, such as “Indivisible”, etc.  The more personal, the better.  Best if your representative actually knows you.

Don’t waste your right to speak up.  Take time now to get well informed.

Heather Cox Richardson May 22, 2025. (Summary of May 22 action by the U.S. House of Representatives); see also May 23, 2025.  [Also May 24, 2025.]

Suggestions from the national group Indivisible:  Here and Here.  (These links are within this past week).

Political tee-shirt at MN State Capitol May 17, 2025

“EXTRA CREDIT:”  Chuck passed along this 20 minute YouTube with wellness advice for seniors.  This is non-political.   I watched it all.  It has some good ideas to consider.

Chuck’s summary of the video:

Key tips:

Each week of inactivity equals six months of aging.  90-year-olds can double their strength in 12 weeks.

Instead of avoiding challenges, seek them.  #4 is the social isolation time bomb!

Social isolation is as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.  Doubles the risk of dementia, kills brain cells, weakens immunity, and accelerates physical decline

Research discovered that seniors with strong social connections live 22 percent longer and have 50% less cognitive decline

Mistake #5:  The memory myth massacre:  The brain can grow new cells at any age. It’s neural plasticity – the ability to rewire itself – Does not stop at 60. 70 or even 90.

POSTNOTE MAY 20: If you are wondering what you can do, I’d recommend reading this from the national group Indivisible, received yesterday.   And read the slogan on the red tee-shirt in the below picture: “Stand Up, Speak Up, Show Up“.  The solution is you, and all of us.

The real world we’ve chosen to live in is, unfortunately, rife with division – always someone else’s fault.  We see this play out every day.  The Minnesota legislature is almost equally divided, by constitution had to complete its work by last night, didn’t, so now a special session looms.  What is maddening is that ultimately, regardless of the passion on either or both sides, settlement has to be reached, and will be.  We know how this works, because this is common.

Who’s fault is it?  In my opinion, all of us, collectively, everywhere.  We are still a democracy where every vote (including not voting at all) matters.  As the saying goes, we “need to wake up and smell the coffee”.  Get engaged.  “Show Up”!

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Saturday, on spur of the moment, I decided to go to a demonstration at the Minnesota State Capitol, about a half hour from where I’m typing this post.  The snapshot below is my interpretation of the event, which I found most worthwhile.

Actions like this demo are not intended to be ends.  Their intention is to increase awareness and later and greater action by a much larger constituency.  The lesson from this action, and any other, is what happens later, when the participants are back home..

may 17, 2025 at the MN State Capitol St. Paul MN photo by Dick Bernard

This demo was specifically about teacher pensions, which might make one who knows me wonder: “he’s been retired 25 years, he’s not on a teacher retirement pension, why bother to come to such an event?”

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If you’re reading this, you know we’re at an intensely divided time in our countries history, with boatloads of very serious issues.  If you look at the back of the red tee-shirt you’ll see the reasons the people were there on Saturday: ‘Stand Up, Speak Up, Show Up”.  Regardless of your own personal issues, these words have never been more important.

As my life moves along incessantly, I’ve come to grips with the fact that I am one person among an immense number of persons – the proverbial grain of sand.

I once had the audacious notion that if each one of us could reach two others, and they repeated the action with two more, there could be dramatic results in a short time.

I did the experiment.  It didn’t work, for all sorts of reasons.

So I modified my strategy to “each one reach one“.  That is more doable, but not a slam dunk, and it takes effort to find the one to reach, and then repeat and continue.

So, when I do these posts I am always in argument with myself.  Am I making sense to me, personally, in these words?  This requires some self-reflection – arguing with oneself – and acknowledging that there are legitimate differences of opinion on almost anything, and this ratchets up dramatically in a complex society such as ours is.

What doesn’t work is to get mired within a cell of persons who subscribe to the certainty of the rightness of their position, at all costs.  A win at any cost is a guaranteed loss in the long term….  But we have a society that is accustomed to that.

What led to the demo yesterday was the fact that the Minnesota legislature is almost exactly evenly divided, and negotiations and compromise are a required certainty, including the specific items at issue which led to several hundred showing up at the state Capitol on Saturday.  Likely they all agreed on the general issue which brought them together.  Certainly, there are lots of differences of opinion even amongst ‘birds of a feather’ on other issues of personal concern.

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So, again, “why come to such an event?”, as I did, yesterday.

First, I was a teacher for nine years, I represented teachers for 27 more, my parents were career public school teachers, two of my children are educators, all of our nine grandkids have gone to school….

But I had no particular reason to go to this demo.  Because I’m a life member of Education Minnesota, the sponsoring entity, I received its mailer, brief and very effective, that alerted me to the essential details: “Our state legislative leadership and governor will be in final negotiations on the state budget before the Legislature must adjourn on May 19.  This is a critical time to make our voices heard loudly to advance strong schools and strong pension reform!“.

Even with the flier, I probably wouldn’t have attended, but  I was at a meeting a few days ago where a teacher was simply announcing to the group she was with that she was going to attend this rally.  Saturday, I decided to show up.  I didn’t have a sign, but I did stand up and show up.

On publishing this post, perhaps one or two or three or more folks will want to learn more.

I’m not sure, of course, how the organizers will assess their effort; nor do I know much about the specific issue, nor what is on the table for the legislature whose session is supposed to conclude this week, though may end up in a special session.  I don’t know.

Personally, I think the rally was very effective.  Organizers know you don’t need tens of thousands at a demo.  What they’re looking for are the people who will attend and then go back to their fellow citizens and make sure the message is shared much more broadly.

In the end analysis, politics is people, period.  If you wish to make a difference on anything you have to Stand Up, Speak Up, Show Up.

Thanks to everyone I saw at the rally on Saturday.

POSTNOTE May 19, 2025: Pope Leo XIV was officially inaugurated as Pope on May 18.  Basilica of St. Mary Pastor Dan Griffith wrote on the new Pope in the weekend church newsletter.  His comments are here: Leo XIV a Pastors View 5 18 25.  The Vatican website is always available.  I will continue to emphasize the words “tone” and “positive” regarding the new Pontiff.  It’s an impossible ministry, but my guess is that “Pope Bob” will be equal to the task.  May 23, 2025: Here is a fascinating front page article about the new Pope’s long time friendship with a St. Paul Lutheran Pastor: Pope Leo XIV Catholic Spirit 5 22 25

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I’m writing at 2:40 p.m. CDT May 8.  Earlier this afternoon we were listening to Shostakovich at the Minnesota Orchestra.  My phone was on silent mode.  Afterwards was a message from a friend that a new Pope was chosen: an American.  Cardinal Robert Prevost, native son of Chicago, Illinois..

I’m lifelong Catholic, so I certainly have an interest, but I wasn’t at all into speculation.  I had no information at all about Prevost.  The name sounds French, which I’m partial to!  My narrative has always been that the main function of the Pope is to establish a positive tone as a leader.  I’ve learned in the last few minutes that Pope Francis had appointed him as Bishop and then as Cardinal, which is also a positive for me.

More later.

First, best wishes to all at Mother’s Day, May 11.  In our state, Mother’s Day competes with Fishing Opener, and in my town it is immediately preceded by the Community Garage Sale….

Here is the postcard from early 1900s I’ve chosen for this Mother’s Day.

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More on the election of Pope Leo XIV.

9:20 a.m. May 9: It goes without saying that the news is awash with information about the new Pope.  My brief comments will be hopefully off the beaten path of the avalanche of words and images about what this all means.  These are just my thoughts.

If you wish to relive the time when the new Pope was announced, here is the YouTube from Vatican TV.  (The white smoke comes at 1:23, scroll ahead to near the end for the introduction of the new Pope at about 2:40.)

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I like the descriptor “positive”.  His selection was not a casual exercise by the Cardinal-electors.  He will become the visible face of the Church: a positive role model for people generally: like a Mr. Rogers Good Neighbor; rather than a Mr. Grinch.

I liked the selection of Pope Francis a dozen years ago as well, and the ensuing results.  Here’s my post from March, 2013.

Francis seems to have had a considerable role in advancing the prospects of the new Pope, and I consider that a real positive,

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9:30 pm. Saturday, May 10: Personally, and from friends, the initial reaction to Leo XIV (Robert Prevost) is positive.  In an institution as ancient and as immense as the Roman Catholic Church, the task for a leader is daunting.  The Pope is 69, and presumably has a goodly number of years ahead, though one of his predecessors in recent years, Jean Paul I, was Pope for a single month, in late summer of 1978.

Whatever ones feelings about the institution, the Catholic Church is an immense group of persons of endless diversity, in all ways.  Roughly one in five Americans are counted as “Catholic”; about one in four Minnesotans.  There are 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide among the approximately 8 billion people on the planet – about one of six, all unique.  The mantra at Basilica for many years has been to welcome everyone wherever they are at on their faith journey, and it follows this declaration in action.

There is much more to be said; many opinions already, which were expected.  This is a story to be continued.

Leo XIV is the 8th Pope in my lifetime.  You can read about any of them at the Vatican website.  In my case, Pius XII was Pope through my first 18 years; then came John XXIII in my college years – the ecumenical years.  Then Paul VI, John Paul I (for one month), John Paul II (the Polish Pope), Benedict XVI, then Francis (for 12 years).

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A single point of personal privilege: I had no idea there was a Cardinal Robert Prevost before the Conclave.  Immediately, his French name was very intriguing, since my father was 100% French-Canadian, which makes me 50% French-Canadian.  The ethnicity story is just beginning to develop, and my cousin in Montreal offered the first tentative ideas shortly after the new Pope was announced.  Here’s how Wiki has the story.

As a first draft of that aspect of this Pope, I offer what Remi had to say on May 8:

“I came across something you might find interesting. Many of the new pope’s ancestors on his mother’s side were French Canadians. One of his ancestors was a Senegalese slave who had a child with a French-Canadian settler. Another line traces back to Acadian roots. As it turns out, I’m related to several of them—and you might be too, through the Bernard line (not the Collette side). I’ve attached a short list of some of these ancestral links. I don’t think many know this.  Maybe it’s even worth a post?

French Canadians founded the colony of Louisiana and New Orleans. Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville (16 July 1661 – 9 July 1706) or Sieur d’Iberville was a French soldier, explorer, colonial administrator, and trader. He is noted for founding the colony of Louisiana in New France. He was born in Montreal to French colonist parents. His brother Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne Bienville, founded New Orleans. The priest-chronicler Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix described New Orleans in 1721 as a place of a hundred wretched hovels (of Canadiens) in a malarious wet thicket of willows and dwarf palmettos, infested by serpents and alligators; he seems to have been the first, however, to predict for it an imperial future.

When the United States purchased Louisiana in 1803, there were 40,000 French speakers in the territory (ibid).  The Mississippi River was a vital waterway, facilitating travel between Canada and New Orleans. Consequently, a notable portion of the early settlers in New Orleans hailed from Canadien families. Over time, however, immigration from France and the Antilles gradually surpassed the Canadienpopulation in New Orleans. In contrast to the “gay and fickle Parisian” residents, the Canadienswere often described as “staid and sober.” It was not until the end of the 19th century, after more and more ‘Americains’ moved into New Orleans, that English replaced French as the primary language (Ekberg, 1998).”

COMMENTS (more at end of post):

from Gail: Thanks, Dick!  I was shocked to learn that the new Pope opposes gay marriage and women bishops, but my concerns were reduced when I heard that he had been made a Cardinal by Pope Francis.

response from Dick: Your concern would merit a very long conversation.  Of course, I understand, being a lifelong Catholic on the liberal side…beyond everything the Church is an immense and unwieldy institution.  The best a Pope can do is to softly articulate a more reasonable way of looking at things – to be the “good neighbor” I mention.  I’m about to go to Basilica for Church.  I’ll add to the post when I get home if anything significant is said.  [After Church]   All I’ll say for now is that today’s presiding Priest, retired after over 50 years in the Priesthood, gave probably the most powerful sermon I’ve ever heard on the general issue of how this Pope and Francis were chosen, and the role of women in the church.  I can’t summarize it.  But I am hoping that Basilica will make it accessible on their website – I’ll make the request.  Change in the church, which has such a long, long history, is not abrupt, but it is constant.  See also the comment from Catherine below.

from Brian: Thanks for posting!   And the pope was born in the same city I was, Chicago.  He’s younger than I.   And he also, as you may know, has Haitian roots.

response from Dick: There is no doubt more to the story as it evolves.  The relationships between French-Canadians, Acadians, New Orleans, Haiti, on and on.   One of my early French-Canadian ancestors in what it now the United States was identified as the first white woman in what is now St. Louis….