Bits and Pieces

By my count, today is Day 68 of the first 100 days.  Our democracy is under assault, we have to be the ones who defend it.  Do something, every day.  There are at least 75 million of us.

It seems pertinent this day to reprise my first and only reference to Tesla in these pages.  It was September 29, 2024.  Also, Heather Cox Richardson’s Letter from an American for March 27, 2025, is very important and. worth your time.  If you’re one of those who isn’t worried yet, even with new alarm bells every day, hopefully something will be the cold water in the face you need to get on the court.  Every one of her daily letters is worth your time.

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Monday was the occasional Coffee Conversation gathering of local Democrats in my city.  There were 11 of us.  Whoever shows up, shows up.  I attend most sessions.  There are few folks who I can honestly say I know.  This makes for a stimulating conversation every time, shall I say a bit like “herding cats”?  I say this not as a criticism.  Democrats are a big tent.

One question from the facilitator to the group: do you support Senator Schumer’s recent action?   It seemed clear to me that “yes” was the prevailing opinion, though not unanimous.  At the end I’ll add a little more.  Such conversations at the grass roots are very important, whether two people, or eleven, or whatever….

A few Bits and Pieces from the week, if you wish:

1. My sister, Mary, is a very active senior citizen.  Her occasional letters are always interesting.  The most recent one had a list on “The evolving Landscape of Scams”: Scam Tips.  Mary:  “I’ve discovered way too many lunch and learn opportunities for seniors so pepper my calendar with forays presented by great, good, and mediocre retired peers…some talking points from an interesting look at scams-and no, seniors are not the prime target for scammers!“
2. March is Women’s History Month: The March 24, 2025, Star Tribune had an interesting commentary by the Minnesota leaders of AAUW and League of Women Voters: Women’s History Month MN Startribune 3 24 2025.  Recently I was looking at the 1971 roster of the Minnesota Legislature which had been included in a newsletter I did as a teacher 54 years ago.  The roster is here: Minnesota legislators 1971.  As best I can identify, there was one (1) female legislator (of 201) that year.  There has been a considerable change since then, which varies year by year.    The current rosters of the Minnesota House and Senate show that 49 of 134 Representatives and 21 of 67 Senators are women.  More information here.  Improving from one female representative to seventy among a total of 201 representative is a great accomplishment, still short of parity, but still worthy to celebrate.  Here is an interesting  web reference. The last page of the above legislator link is tips for how to most effectively communicate with legislators.  Technology has changed methods, but tips are timeless.
3. The link to the four-hour James J. Hill documentary is here.  If you have any interest in U.S. history in the expansion years about and after the Civil War, you will want to watch this.
4. My personal commentary on Social Security history is here.
5. My personal commentary on U.S. Department of Education is here.

…Towards the end of Monday’s Coffee Conversation, Jim asked each of the 11 of us to focus on and share something positive.  We each took our turn.

When my turn came I said my nature has always been towards optimism. I noted that there were 11 around the table, with different ideas.  I said what a difference it would make if each one of us would commit to impact on a single individual we know who either didn’t vote at all in November, 2024, or voted for the opponent and might be second-guessing their decision as time has gone on in these 100 days.  I noted, as I have many times since Nov. 5, that there were 75,000,000 of us who voted for Harris/Walz, and what a huge difference it would make if in one way or another each of those 75 million would do something to reach just one other.

Yes, it’s a big audacious dream.  But it make sense to me.  How about you, and that one other, who is someone you know.  There’s 18 months till the next election.  That is a heap of days….

(At the beginning of this post I mention Tesla.  At the same conversation on Monday, the man sitting next to me said he owns a Tesla and he said it is a very good car.  It was a reminder that every issue has sides to it.  I don’t know the man, but he was there as a Democrat, and he stayed for the entire conversation, and the comment was civil.  When I got to my car in the parking lot, I noticed my 2010 Toyota. with its 253,000 miles, was parked next to a Tesla – likely his, bright blue….)

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Epilogue: March 22 I prepared a post that was published titled AMillionCopies.  Ultimately I discarded most of what I’d written, since it was a distraction, I felt.  But I kept the draft, and some readers might be interested in the recovered portions which follow.

“AMillionCopies” is a personal website I’ve had on line since March of 2008.  It will take a few seconds to scroll through.  Take a quick look.

In June, 2007, I was in my last year as President of a coalition of groups, the Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers, and I decided to visit the annual meeting of one of them, then World Citizen, now World Citizen Peace.

That particular day an old man who I didn’t know, rose and sang his version of “Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream“, a favorite rendition by John Denver in 1971.  (The same summer, Denver performed the same song in the 1971 movie at the website.  It was the old man’s production.)

The old man was Lynn Elling, founder of World Citizen, long time peacemaker, and a few days later he, his wife and I were sitting at the same table at another organization we both were part of, Citizens for Global Solutions, whose visionary leader was a hero of mine, Dr. Joseph Schwartzberg.

Over the next few months I decided to launch the Million Copies website, including the two men as roommates, so to speak.  (Both gentlemen are deceased; their personal philosophies are preserved in videos here.)  I’d really recommend watching the two videos to get a sense of how elders viewed the landscape from their own perspectives going back to WWII era.”

BONUS: to close, here is a haunting song sung by Bob Dylan in 2002 Domenech jo-an.  If you can understand what he’s saying, you’re better than I.  It is just a gripping instrumental tune.  Thanks to Brian, who I think first aimed me towards it months ago.  It is 9 minutes.