Entries by dickbernard

For Peacemakers…

A special event in the Twin Cities. Tomorrow (March 20) 6 p.m. at the Weyerhaeuser Auditorium at St. Paul’s Landmark Center : ‘Myths, Legends and Epics’ through the lens of veterans’ experience All details here: Storytelling Day 2019    

Christchurch

Yesterdays mayhem in Christchurch, New Zealand, overwhelms. Best I can do is to share an overnight e-mail from a group I highly respect, the Islamic Resource Group. You can read it here. My brief blog post, yesterday, Time for Ilhan, directly pertains, as well.  If you are anywhere near the “camp” that I’m in: that […]

TIME FOR ILHAN, film

Thursday evening was dismal, weather wise, but I decided to make the crosstown trek over to First Unitarian Society to see a new film, “Time for Ilhan“.  I knew no more about the film than the text of an e-mail from a mailing list a day or so earlier; Rep. Omar has been in the […]

Golan Heights (earlier titled “Ilhan Omar”)

POSTNOTE March 22, 2019: Golan Heights, etc.  Read  and reflect on “Not Thinking Things Through”, Just Above Sunset for the first day of Spring, 2019.  It is an important piece for the conversation about the issue of Israel. I have found it dangerous to express opinions on the topic of Israel, but I need to […]

“The Long and Winding Road”

Tonight (Monday Feb. 25, 9 p.m.) and Thursday 8 p.m. : “MINNESOTA EXPERIENCE: JIM CROW OF THE NORTH Roots of racial disparities are seen through a new lens in this film that explores the origins of housing segregation in the Minneapolis area.  But the story also illustrates how African American families and leaders resisted this […]

The Wall, etc.

“The Wall”: A tiny primer to help keep your sanity.   My favorite home atlas is the Life Pictorial Atlas of the World, a major compendium, which I purchased in 1961. Of course, “The Wall” is about all that we’ve heard talked about recently.  Here is the Life Atlas map of the U.S. Mexico border: Here […]

Amy Klobuchar

Sunday, MN Sen. Amy Klobuchar made her first comments as one of the candidates for the President in 2020.  You can listen to her speech or read numerous commentaries about her candidacy here. I don’t recall ever actually meeting Amy Klobuchar in person, but she has always impressed me as a leader who makes a difference.  […]

Before the “State of the Union”

Last weekend I participated in the annual Men’s Retreat at Franciscan Retreat House in Prior Lake MN.  It was, as always, stimulating. Other than the general framework, I  simply attend and participate, with the certainty born of experience that there will be insights gathered from the conferences and conversations and reflection time.  This years Retreat […]

Heart Month

A sign at Cardiac Rehab at Woodwinds Hospital reminded us  this week that today begins Heart month.  I asked for a good link, and the recommendation was this one.  There are many other potential sources of information. This topic is, shall I say, rather close to my heart.  I have an informal update maintained at […]

A Personal “State of the Union”

PRE-NOTE:  I have struggled a bit about where I, personally, fit into being part of the solution in the current mess that is the United States…and it is a mess.  It is so much easier to be a part of the problem: to lament and to blame.  The thoughts which follow, which took root a […]