As I write, I’m watching some talking head being interviewed by Andrea Mitchell, passionately arguing that the current situation in Afghanistan is the problem of the last three American administrations, leaving the Bush administration, which started this, out of the problem.  The problem, basically, the guy suggests, is Obama and Biden missteps.  I gather, he was an advisor in the room with #45, who basically seems to get a pass, after four years on the job.

Advisors give often conflicting advice, and argue their positions passionately.  Bush, Obama, #45, and Biden, and every President, are the ones left to make the final decision…and be crucified or idolized by one side or another…like the persuasive sounding idiot I was listening to this morning.  Truman’s sign on the desk, “The Buck Stops Here”, was accurate.

Just another day in disinformation, this time presented persuasively – but nonetheless BS.

History is  a good teacher.  Endings of wars are messy.  WWII was not a pleasant memory to Germans, and it was years till it recovered, thanks to things like the Marshall Plan.  Millions of Americans had German ancestry, including myself.

While you’re deciding which talking head to believe, if you’re old enough to remember, think back to the end of other wars – WWI, Vietnam, Iraq, Korea et al – and the abundant lessons to learn from them, among which is that wars are never really won; they simply take a break til the next war, premised on the excuse of the day.

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I headline this post “Seeing Ike” because of a recent question answered about the President I knew as a kid.

I was 12 when Dwight Eisenhower was elected President.  He was, of course, hero of heroes in WWII.  He was President until I was well into my college years.

I liked Ike.

Ike could have run for President as either a Republican or Democrat.

For years I have remembered the single time I actually saw Eisenhower in person, in a motorcade in Minot ND.  I thought it was in 1953, when I had just turned 13, just out of 7th grade.

Little more than a week ago, August 18, I decided to try to find out if my memory was accurate, and I decided to ask a question of the Eisenhower Library in Abilene Kansas, a place I had actually visited with my Dad in 1983.

I was amazed at the fast turnaround, and the precisely presented answers to my question.

With thanks to Linda Smith at the Library:  “Thank you for your inquiry.  President Eisenhower did visit Minot, ND, on June 10, 1953..  According to our trip database, he made a trip to the northern states of Minnesota and North Dakota.  Here is what the log says about the trip:

Primer on Afghanistan, published August 19, here.

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The school year begins in my local school district on August 31 (Grades K-6 and 9); and September 1 (the rest).

In Minnesota, the traditional start of the school year used to be the day after Labor Day, this year September 7.

Times are no longer traditional, as we so well know.  Today’s paper headlines that the Minnesota State Fair is opening at its traditional time, ending Labor Day (this year August 26-September 6).  There was no State Fair last year; and no one expects any record setting attendance this year.  Even the State Fair spokesperson is quoted: “To those who aren’t attending…we hope that we’ll see you in 2022.”

One of my kids is Principal of a 1,000 student middle school about four miles from where I live, but I have made it a point to not bother her for any inside information about 2021-22.  She has a great plenty to deal with as it is.

Another headline on the front page today “State’s ICU beds are filling up again“.   While we’re a good state when it comes to being vaccinated and masked, there are resistors under the guise of “freedom”.  At the coffee shop more patrons, including myself, show up masked; yesterday the conversation with my barber was about vaccination and crowds and such.  The ‘variant’ will be in the air, at least on people’s minds, at church tomorrow, in one way or another.

And on and on it goes: two grandkids graduated from high school last year, in a year of universally unconventional high school graduations.  Both were born in the year following 9-11-01.  Another headline “Biden vows U.S. citizens will leave” Afghanistan….

Communal celebrations and commemorations (as funerals) went unattended last year.

Back to school, Joni (my Principal daughter) will do okay, as will her peer administrators, but it will be a stressful start to what with little question be a stressful year.  In the best of times, “school” is like that.  The night before school begins is not a relaxed time for most who’ll answer the bell the next day.  This is not the best of times, lots and lots of patience is needed and often in short supply.  “Freedom” is being demanded; but isn’t free, and can’t be guaranteed to some, and deprived from others.  We need to work together, to sacrifice together.

“Public School” is the essence of community.   It is never perfect, though it always aspires to that.  The mix of students, their parents, staff requires patience and cooperation, no different than living in society, as most all of us do.

This summer someone I had just met braced me about my opinion about vouchers for students who’d rather not attend the public school.  It didn’t take me long to respond: schools are imperfect, but so are all of us.  At the very least, school is an opportunity for kids to learn from each other about the need for people to work together, to get along.  Going to home school or similar only delays the reality of becoming an adult.  Staying insulated has its downsides.  I suppose the same can be said for the probably continuing era of meetings via Zoom and other remote means.  There are advantages to not having to travel to work, and do committees via tv screen.  But there are downsides, too….

I have two parting thoughts as the new school year begins.

1. Some weeks ago my great elder friend, Marion Brady, who’s had a lifetime in public education, sent me some quotes to ponder about “Core Curriculum”.  They’re here for your perusal.  Marion has been about the mission of public school ever since he attended one-room rural school in the 1930s.  He is a personal hero of mine.
2. Back in the 1990s I was doing a workshop for teacher union leaders, and decided to start my session with a question: “Think about a teacher who made a difference in your life.”  I gave them a little time to ponder this, then I asked them to describe in one or few words why they picked the person.  Here are the words they came up with (from among the participants): Yes, one person in one of the circles – a teacher – couldn’t come up with a single teacher who inspired him, and admitted it. The exercise, as I recall it, took up the entire hour (unintended on my part), and those in the circle were completely engaged.

We all learn from each other, and as you know, it doesn’t take the entire village to help you in life; what you really need is the one person who in one way or another clicked with you at the time you were receptive.  (Success is a team sport!)

Let’s make the best of 2021-22.

POSTNOTE: Most likely I will be doing a few interim posts on differing topics.  Please check back.  Alternatively, you can get notice of posts as issued by checking the block in the comments section below.

COMMENTS: 

from Larry: Dick, I’ve written some stories about great teachers in my life.  A few times have done small story circles, asking people to tell their own great teacher stories.  Among the too many things to do, too little time, things is to do more with this.

from Fred:  A very enjoyable musing about the coming school year. After 20 years on the shelf following 34 in the line of fire, I no longer salivate at mere mention of the coming Labor Day. Yup, I actually liked the beginning of another school year.

Today’s Minneapolis Star Tribune front page, above the fold, says it all:

Afghanistan is no stranger to this blog.  Three times so far in 2021 I’ve made mention, most recently in “The Zip to Zap” post on August 14 (see especially comments from John, Joyce and Sue, and my responses at that post).

The other recent posts are April 7, 2021, and July 7, 2021, which include a link to the CIA Factbook, not yet updated to the recent events, but still useful.  I’d encourage you to at least take a look at the relevant parts of these posts.

Ironically, one of the other posts shares attention with the country of Haiti, now beset with another tragedy – the recent earthquake.  Unfortunately, it is too hard to imagine these other places and their people are irrelevant to our daily life.  Not so….

I have many comments.  To suffice, for now, will be the other referenced posts, and the below:

Here’s the pdf of the above article that got me “off the couch” and into activism: Afghanistan Bombing Oct 10 2001.  (The bombing actually began on Sunday October 7; October 8 was Monday).  Responding to violence with more violence didn’t make any sense to me then, nor does it now.  But, as a society, we almost unanimously approved retribution and it was an exploitable emotion and here we are, 20 years later.  WE are the problem, and the solution…whatever that turns out to be.  Always.

Of course, there is endless chatter about whose fault this disaster is:  all fingers point at someone else.

This is a policy matter at the level of the U.S. government, which has a legislative branch, House of Representatives and Senate, who have the ultimate responsibility for the U.S. policy on everything.  And, of course, we the people elect these folks.

Some time back for my own enlightenment I made a chart of which party was in charge, when.  I have published it before.  Here it is again: U.S. Government001.  The tally does not include the 117th (current) Congress of 2021.  President Biden has been in office for 7 months.  The current House is Democrat 223-213; the Senate is 50 Republicans, 48 Democrats and 2 Independents who caucus with the Democrats.

If you qualify or will qualify to vote, YOU are the GOVERNMENT.  Period.  All the rest is editorial.

Back to you….

COMMENTS (see also end of this post):

from Joyce: I wish you could have met my late husband, also Dick. He died in early 2003 and he spent his last months cursing GWB for launching two unnecessary (and destined to be disastrous) wars. He was an army veteran (JAG, like my son) who had also opposed the war in Vietnam.

from Brian: Dick, thanks for sharing.  President  Biden is totally correct in getting us out of Afghanistan.   He had the conviction and courage to do it.

from Len: Does it really make a difference “who is to blame”? The ugliness of a protracted war  is about to be history for us and the hardened will rationalize this as “it is what it is”. From one perspective it is success for the Taliban and failed policy for the West. I hated it when I heard of our casualties each time they were reported over the 20 years, and I hate it and am d saddened when I observe the events of the day . I like peace and despise war. I thank and recognize those who  those who worked toward a peaceful place there. it seems we are incapable to change the place.Security for evacuation is a tall order. Thank you to those now  in harms way attempting to make that possible. Let us give credit and cease the blaming. Let us work toward the possibilities.

from Chuck: “If there is a sin superior to every other it is that of willful and offensive war. Most other sins are circumscribed within narrow limits, that is, the power of <b>one</b> man cannot give them a very general extension, and many kind of sins have only a mental existence from which no infection arises; but he who is the author of a war, lets loose the whole contagion of Hell, and opens a vein that bleeds a nation to death”.  – Thomas Paine The American Crisis.  [March 21, 1778].  Things haven’t changed.

A week or so ago I took a short trip to North Dakota, my home state.  I’m no stranger to North Dakota, having spent most of my first 25 years there, and until Covid-19 interrupted, taking nearly annual journeys there for visits.

I’m a North Dakotan, native to the tiny towns that make up the prairie.  Growing up I lived in eight of those towns, taught one year in another, and visited many more in the years during and since.

Two days on the prairie, between Fargo and Bismarck basically, is just a moment.  At the end of this post I’ll include several photos.  The meat of this post became memories of a rural post office, which was stimulated by a photo display at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck, then a book I saw at the gift shop the same day, July 27.   The book title is “The Prairie Post Office” by K. Amy Phillips et al, published by NDSU Press in 2017.  I have it.  I recommend it.  Here is the portion of the book relating to North Dakota Postal History, by Kevin Carvell: NDakota Postal History 3.  It is very interesting..

The photo display included four of the eight post offices of my youth: Sykeston, Eldridge, Rutland and Karlsruhe, then and now tiny towns.  What follows are some memories of the Sykeston PO from the time period 1946-50 when I was a youngster.  Here’s one of the photos, of the Sykeston Postmaster in 1903:

Sykeston post office and postmaster 1903, photo at North Dakota History Center, Bismarck July 27, 2021.

Here’s the ‘business end’ of a typical rural postoffice, also seen at the ND History Center:  You can see the resemblance to the Sykeston Post office (above).  This is how it was.

The Sykeston Post Office of my memory was in a small but impressive brick building on Sykeston’s single block Main Street.  I think the postmaster when I lived there was Ed Sondag, and the rural letter carrier was Elmer Eaton.  I write from the vantage point of a kid 6-9 years old in the 1940s.

The position of postmaster had stature in every town.  One of my Dad’s cousins, Ernest Collette, served as  postmaster of Grand Forks ND for 20 years.

In those now-olden days, the mail came by railroad, a necessity of life for every place connecting with the rest of the world.

Route map for the branch line serving Sykeston ND 1914.

In those years, the branch line train to Sykeston came twice a day – the morning train brought the mail bags and assorted freight, mostly for the farmers.  The branch line went about 90 miles, from Carrington to Turtle Lake, where it turned around and came back in the afternoon, I suppose five days a week, though it may have gone west one day, and back the next as it stopped at every town, which at that time were roughly seven miles apart.  There was a single non-freight car that carried the mail and any passengers.  I suspect most of the cargo aboard was items purchased from somewhere by local residents, probably from the ubiquitous catalogs; or provisions for the local stores.  Most of the cargo out was grain or other harvest from the farms.

At Sykeston, the post office was a block or so from the Depot.  The mail ritual was always the same: a clump of folks, all men in my memory, would gather and share news while waiting for the mail sort to be completed.

I remember a large push cart with a flat surface, open sided, with two large diameter metal wheels.  It was easily maneuvered by one man – Mr. Spitzer? – who pushed it down to the train, and back.  It was specifically built to transport mail sacks and parcels from train platform to post office.  The load could be balanced so as to be easily moved by a normal person.  No motor!  I tried to find an example on the internet.  The closest might be an old fire hose cart without the hose, like here, with a wider wheel base, and a flatbed.  Perhaps the local blacksmith built it.  I’ll never know.  It was a push cart, not a pull cart.

In the lobby – a small space – the window didn’t open till the postmaster had finished putting the mail in the boxes.  I don’t know if the mail came every day.  My guess is that it did, during the normal week.  My little kid sense was that the mail was an important town event every day.  “Mail call” in the Army, which I experienced directly, is analogous.  There a mail clerk delivered the mail to the troops.

Larger items, like somebodies plow parts, or such, would be picked up as freight at the depot; some possibly delivered by the rural mail carrier.  Rural mail boxes could be very large, designed to hold larger items like from the catalog.  Things like baby chicks would be delivered to the farm door.  This was long before UPS or Fed Ex etc.

July, 2020

The postal delivery man at Oriska ND way back in the day, from Larry, last year.  Special thanks to Carol for reminding me that I used this in mid-August, 2020, in another blog, The Postal Service.

The depot agent was also a very important person in the town.  People like Mr. Neustel, or Mr. Luiten, or endless other depot agents were every towns connection with the rest of the world.  Folks like them could send telegrams.  The local phone operator also comes to mind….

Time changes things of course.  All of us who grew up in these small towns know that they are ever smaller and have often become ghost towns.  Whatever passes for population growth in North Dakota and other rural states is concentrated in the larger cities, which also are the trade centers.  Rural rail, what remains of it, is basically for transportation of grain.  Trucks basically replaced trains years ago.  On and on….

But the exhibit and the book brought back lots of memories.

POSTNOTE August 14:  Here’s how Sykeston remembered the Railroad and Postoffice in its 1983 Centennial History: Sykeston 1983 Railroad Post Office.

Here’s the map of ND railroads in 1914:

Here are some other photos from a whirlwind trip to my home state.

A bit of the North Dakota prairie near Medina ND July 27, 2021

North Dakota’s State Capitol and prairie skyscraper, built in the 1930s to replace the previous capitol which had burned.

The Medina Water Tower. Medina is near the Chase Lake Wildlife Refuge which is best known for Pelicans.

Free Covid-19 shots at the Tower City Rest area on I-94 east of Valley City July 27 2021

Aging base of pillar of the iconic (1907) hi-line railroad bridge, Valley City ND July 27, 2021

Setting sun Red River Valley July 25 2021, reminder of Manitoba wildfires east of Lake Winnipeg.

“Elders” are now contemporaries of myself, so I’m a bit biased.

Recently, three for whom I have a great amount of respect sent some offerings I recommend.

1.  Marion Brady invested his life in public education.  I first met him in an on-line chat group of the National Education Association in the mid-1990s.  Here is his website.  No, I’m not asking you to read it all.  But I do have a recommendation to get a sense of who he is.  You can find it in the Personal section.  Scroll through this, and at the very end click on the last link below the picture of the country school in West Virginia which he attended in the late 1930s.  You’ll get a sense of who he is.  Let others know about this website, especially folks in public education.  Marion has long since paid his dues….
2. Fr. Harry Bury, Catholic Priest, also in his 90s, earned his accolades in his passion for peace and justice.  He, too, has a personal website; note the link “about Harry Bury”.  He wrote recently about his passion, which started a few years ago as Twin Cities Nonviolent, and this year is Sep 18-26 as organized here.  Click on Action Week.  In a July 31 e-mail, Fr. Bury said “Please register. They are our partner.”  There are many ways to participate.
3. Alan Pavlik is also a senior citizen, whose blog Just Above Sunset is an almost daily stop for me.  As a subscriber, I also receive each week, a specific compilation of other aspects of Alan’s work. Most recently last Sunday came a collection of quotations about Courage.  You’ll be glad you visited.

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Last night I watched Episode Two of Rise of the Nazis on the local TPT PBS station.  A few hours later came a column sent on by Joyce by Heather Cox Richardson about Hungary’s slide towards authoritarianism (August 2, 2021).

We are fools if we think “It Can’t Happen Here”.  The process is in the open, and continuing, today, in our own country.  We watch it on the daily news, or wherever we choose to get our information.  Of course, the topic is a forbidden one.  A curse on anyone comparing anything with the Nazis.  I disagree.  We have lots to learn from the wrecks of history.

The perpetrators are fools, as was Hitler and his loyalist, as were any pretenders to permanent dominance.

Hitler and the Nazis had a twelve year run towards their 1000 year Reich.  Actually, they had about 10 years maximum, till everything came crashing down.  You know the story.  Throw in others fakers, like Mussolini, Stalin, and many etceteras, and you know the end of the story for all such disasters.

But there are always new fools – leaders and followers – who think their new way will work, and that they are justified.  It always ends, for everyone, in death, with consequences for those who happen to survive the tyrant of whatever stripe.

Hitler’s chief lieutenant was a brilliant guy named Hermann Goering.  Before his death by suicide in a cell at Nuremberg Goering had a chat with psychologist Gustave Gilbert and was quoted as follows.

“Why, of course, the people don’t want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece?

“Naturally, the common people don’t want war, neither in Russia, nor England, nor for that matter, Germany. That is understood, but after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simpler matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship.

“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.”

(Quoted from the book Nuremberg Diary, p. 278, Gustave Gilbert, Farrar, Straus & Co., 1947. Gilbert was a psychologist assigned to the Nazi prisoners on trial at Nuremberg.)

Never forget: it was the people of one of the bastions of then-civilization, Germany, who by their actions and inaction facilitated the disaster that ultimately befell them.  It happened there, it can happen here.

POSTNOTE August 4: After publishing the above, came the latest news on Andrew Cuomo, New York Governor.  The overnight Just Above Sunset summarizes the national spin: https://justabovesunset.wordpress.com/2021/08/03/the-new-hippies/

I want to comment as an individual, at least to go on record for myself.

I come from a background of valuing Due Process…a way to reach some kind of verdict involving some kind of evidentiary hearing which comes to a conclusion.  Even in the primitive old days that I witnessed, I don’t recall the accused being dragged into the public square, and summarily executed….

What is happening here, is no comparison to Due Process.  The process is charge, conviction, execution.  Likely there will never be any trial, however one describes that word.  The Governor will resign.  There will be outrage, then the next case.

If this was an unusual scenario it would be one thing, but this new means of execution is now very common, as effective and no fairer than the good old-time lynching which continues, justifiably, to raise outrage among fair-minded people.

Due process was no priority in a lynching.

Neither is it here (regardless of potential for such due process down the road).

I want this on the record, even if I am the only one who gives a damn.

Just my opinion.