The New Pope

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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….

 

 

 

US

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Some weeks ago I went shopping for a kid-friendly map of the United States, specifically for this space.  It was not a simple search, basically I ended up looking for a stand-alone puzzle. Finally, the folks at Barnes and Noble came up with this one. which is more than adequate – 100 pieces.

(If you’re interested, the product is for sale online by Noljaplay of Brooklyn NY, distributed by Toysmith.)

Today, May 4, I’m 85.  I won’t modify it by “years old” or “years young” or such. It is a marker on the road of life.  My first grandparent to die was 85 when he passed.  It was May, 1957.  I was 17 and remember Grandpa Bernard well.

Today, lots of people can say to me “you’re just a kid”, but that number is decreasing.  Age has its way of reminding all of us that there is a finish line.  It also provides us with the experience of history lived, and perspectives that we wish we’d learned earlier on.

Years beget memories for all of us: I was 18 when I drove on one of the first stretches of Interstate Highway in the U.S., (I-94 between Jamestown and Valley City ND).  Over the years I’ve been to 49 of the 50 states (sorry, Alaska) and 16 (of 194) countries.  I grew up in a succession of tiny ND towns, and say my hometown is North Dakota.  The remainder of my life, the United States of America.  All of my life, planet earth.

You can assess how the artist decided to summarize your home state (I have no complaints about the rendition of my two: North Dakota and Minnesota).  Really the U.S. 3 million or so square miles of geography are pretty magnificent.  So it is for Canada, home of my dad’s ancestry, and where I’ve travelled several times.  Mexico, like Alaska, is another I’ve missed for no particular reason.

If I were to distill my philosophy down to a single word, I’d most likely choose the concept “community”.  Together we are everything.  As individuals, regardless of perception of power and influence, we are really nothing.  The whole is far more than just the sum of its parts….

In my view, we are all North Americans, part of a much larger entity, the planet on which we live with billions of others.  Pick any place on the map above and below, and anyone and every one there depends on the rest of the nations and the world.  At some earlier point in our nation’s history, perhaps go-it-alone individualism could be argued.  No longer.  There are no boundaries, and we are better off for that.  We are interdependent.

“The World” as I recall seeing it on the campus of Clark University in Worcester MA June, 1972. If you look closely you’ll see son Tom, then 8, at the base, “holding up” the globe.

The odds are pretty strong that regardless of how I feel today my time as a live being is limited.  I’ll keep trying to articulate “thoughts towards a better world” until it’s no longer possible.

Just a couple of days ago, Garrison Keillor’s “What I’ll Do For The Sake of Love” popped up on my screen, and is a good commentary to end this post.

Have a great day.  We are in this together.

Law Day 2025

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PRE-NOTE: Sunday we had occasion to see an excellent comedy at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, “The Nacirema Society”.  It is worth your time.  It runs through May 24.  Details at the Guthrie website.  More description from the program booklet here: Nacirema Society.

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Five years ago – mid-March, 2020 –  was the official acknowledgement of the Covid-19 pandemic in Minnesota.  We all have our memories.   Two months later, May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed in front of a store at 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis.   This too a day in infamy.

In between, May 1, 2020, was the 59th observance of Law Day in the U.S.  The Law Day observance comes to mind as assaults on the U.S. 250-year tradition of Rule of Law.  As a white non-lawyer, I want to share some observations that might help stimulate conversation and reflection in these times.

Law Day was first proclaimed by President Eisenhower in 1958, and Congress established the official date as May 1 in 1961.  The day was first proposed by the American Bar Association in 1957.

Since at least 1964, Law Day was a visible presence in Minnesota with ofttimes major observances.   I came to know Law Day in Minnesota.  My personal mentors were Minneapolis businessman Lynn Elling and University of Minnesota emeritus professor Dr. Joseph Schwartzberg, and personal long-time friendship with Jim Nelson, Minneapolis, an activist since 1964. Lynn and Joe are long deceased.  Jim has extensive personal history with Law Day and I asked him for his personal memories of the day in Minneapolis.  He responded:

“The first Law Day program was in 1964.The speaker was General JH Rothschild head of UN peacekeeping and [Oscar Knutson], chief Justice of the Mn Supreme Court. 

The 1966 speaker was Governor Luther Youngdahl.

There were 600 people who attended the 1967 dinner. International press correspondent David Schoenbaum was the speaker.  

I was present when the UN flag was raised in Minneapolis on May 1, 1968, [former MN Governor] Elmer Andersen was the speaker.  [The United Nations flag flew alongside the U.S. and Minnesota flags on the Hennepin County Government Center Plaza until removed by County Board action in March 2012 – 44 years later.  This initiative was an outgrowth of the work of Garry Davis’ World Citizenship initiative.] 

There were efforts to bring UN leaders to our Law Day program.   The 1973 program featured Bradford Morse, Undersecretary of the United Nations.

1974 program featured Elizabeth Mann Borgese, famous author spoke on the need for laws regarding the “global commons” well attended 800 people, public radio.

In 1977, [Delaware] Governor Russell Peterson [was speaker].

In 1982 the Law Day program featured Admiral Eugene Carrol who spoke on nuclear disarmament at Northrop Auditorium.    Mayors of Minneapolis and Saint Paul spoke as well as religious leaders and the University president. [It was a very impactful program with 1200- 1300 people. carried by Minnesota Public Radio.   Probably the best event I attended.

1983 Law Day program also at the U of M featured famous pediatrician Benjamin Spock and scientist Dr Charles Price.

1987 featured speaker Adam Yarmollinsky, disarmament expert.

In 1988 instead of a single Law Day dinner, WFA [World Federalist, now Citizens for Global Solutions] organized a day-long conference with multiple speakers including John Anderson head of World Federalists and former Minnesota Governor Harold Stassen.  

During the 1990’s Lynn Elling tried to keep the Law Day traditions alive by organizing events in the High Schools e.g. Washburn May 1, 1989, Bloomington Kennedy 1991 etc.

[These are some of the] events that I have attended and have some records.   Law Day observance was and is unique and powerful organizing principle, I wish we could keep it going.”

Different activities replaced Law Day as time went on.  The Nobel Peace Prize Forum at Augsburg College and four other Midwest Lutheran colleges was an ongoing program for many years.  In addition, Augsburg had an annual Nobel Peace Prize Festival for young people.

In 2013, Lynn Elling asked that the Law Day dinner tradition be continued, and the first revival featured David Brink, past president of the American Bar Association, as keynote speaker.

The tradition continued through 2019, every program at the Gandhi Mahal restaurant at 3009 27th Ave S in Minneapolis.  We had set up the program for 2020, when Covid-19 cancelled all such activities.   On the night of May 29, 2020, Gandhi Mahal, a single short block from the Third Precinct, was destroyed by fire, one of the many casualties that brutal week.

Gandhi Mahal restaurant May 30 2020

To this date, the restaurant site, as well as the surrounding businesses, is a vacant lot, providing its own lecture on the Rule of Law.

Gandhi Mahal site April 28, 2025 Former Mpls 3rd Police Precinct in center background.

Perhaps this Law Day and the days following can help be a springboard for renewed action on behalf of the Rule of Law, as envisioned by our founders.

100 days

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NOTE: Thursday 8 p.m. MSNBC special about/with Federal Employees affected by the DOGE actions in the first 100 days.  Also, see post on Law Day published Thursday, May 1, 2025.

At the beginning of the 100 days I made a decision to save the news section of each days Minnesota Star Tribune.  The above photo is of the pile, the most recent (April 30) on top.  Anything additional I might have to say is superfluous.  The papers will go in a box, labeled, and I won’t be the one to throw them out.  They are the day to day evidence of the 100 days of Jan. 20 – April 30, 2025 which includes, best I can tell,  139 Executive Orders signed by the President.  The link lists all of the Executive Orders filed as required in the Federal Register.

I came across what appears to be a credible source of the record of Executive Orders by Presidents.  It speaks for itself.  Remember, this 100 days is compared against previous Presidents entire terms of four or eight years in most cases.  The list starts with Richard Nixon, and includes the last ten U.S. presidents.  (It is worth your time to go to the About page for this source, and listen to the approximately three minute video by Steve Ballmer, founder, former CEO of Microsoft.)

In addition, on his first day in office #47 pardoned 1,500 people charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

Heather Cox Richardson’s Letter from an American for April 29 give another perspective on the first 100 days here.

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I have only two pieces of advice: 1) the solution is in the hands of each and every one of us, wherever we live, whoever we know, whoever we are.  The ball is in our court.  Period.  2) wherever you live, get to know your local member of the U.S. Congress – get on his/her mailing list; and for sure follow the performance of your U.S. Senators.  It is also very important to know your areas State Representative and Senator, and Governor.  Political decisions have huge consequences.  Pay attention to who you vote for in any election, and vote in all of them.  Get in action.

What we are living in now was created by our collective selves, and it is incumbent on each of us to do what a little bit more than what we think is the minimum we can do: something once a day, one person at a time, will make an immense amount of difference two years from now.  There were, after all, 75,000,000 of us who actually voted for an alternative in November (see below); there were 90,000,000 or so eligible voters who didn’t vote at all, and about 2 1/2  million who voted for fringe candidates who could not win.

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Brad recently sent on a recent commentary Mark Twain quotes Shelly Fisher Fishkin 2025 from the April 15, 2025, San Francisco Chronicle: quotations of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) included in Shelley Fisher Fishkin just published book about Mark Twain.  The quotations are very interesting.  Clemens time of influence was roughly from the time of the Civil War to the end of Teddy Roosevelts presidency, much of this time period is called the “gilded age”.  He lived  1835-1910.

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Here is the graphic I printed when the voting totals were finalized back in January.

Re-shared is another graphic I did back in January.  Numbers thrown around with abandon are incomprehensible to most of us.  This is intended to get a little context.  At the end I add a comment about the price of eggs in January.  I went to the same store on April 30 and the general price range is consistent with the price range 3 1/2 months ago.

Wealth

 

Earth Day 2025

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Yesterday was Earth Day.  The death of Pope Francis was top priority on the news.  On the other hand, it would be hard to find a more enthusiastic ‘fan’ of the whole range of sustainability than Pope Francis, and that is already being remembered in news we hall continue to see.

Heather Cox Richardson gives a good summation of the news of Earth Day here.

Each one of us has to be the solution we have been waiting for.  As the famous song said: “We are the World”.

Here is my post about Earth Day for this year, from April 12, 2025.

Pope Francis

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Tomorrow, Tuesday April 22, is Earth Day: here’s what I wrote last week. Yesterday was Easter Sunday, thoughts about community.  Finally, some thoughts on immigrants on Good Friday.

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Pope Francis died overnight.  I’d like to briefly share some tiny bits and pieces from my perspective, the first from a post I wrote on March 31, 2013,  about two weeks after his election as Pontiff.  You can read that post here.

It is no secret: I was and I am a fan of this Pope.  He walked the talk, a positive example for us.

Regarding what’s ahead, for anyone interested, I’d recommend looking up the recent film “Conclave” which gives a peak behind the curtain of the process for selecting the next Pope.  It is worth your time to at least learn a little about the College of Cardinals who will be the electors.  It is said that roughly 1 1/2 billions are Catholic world-wide, perhaps one-sixth of the worlds population.  Just considering the number, it is obvious that it a population of great diversity in all ways.  The Pope is more the image of the Church, than commander.  It is an important position.

Last night, hours before I heard Pope Francis had died, I’d leafed through Francis’ autobiography which I purchased a short while ago, but have not yet read.  The cover is pictured below, copyright 2025.  It comes highly recommended.  It will be my post-Easter project.

We were at Easter Sunday Mass at Basilica yesterday. and there was no inkling that the Pope was near death.  Later in the afternoon I happened across the last in a series about Christianity and Constantine and the Catholic Church.  I wasn’t looking for it – I don’t remember for certain whether PBS or History or other channel.  But it drew me in and was informative.

In the evening news, was a still alive Pope giving a brief message to the throngs at the Vatican, and taking a last ride in the Popemobile through the crowd – something I’ve witnessed personally, one time, in 1998 with Pope John Paul II.  It was very impressive.  I think we’re seven time zones west of Rome.

This morning, before leaving home, came a photo from my brother, taken yesterday at the Cathedral in Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City Cathedral Apr 20 2025

This is a big world and there are lots of opinions.  I think this particular Pope made a big difference by his personal example.

 

COMMENTS

from Jeff:  I guess i find a photo of a full  Roman Catholic cathedral in Salt Lake City kind of funny…  having lived out west for a few years and the understanding that SLC is base camp central for the LDS…one wouldnt guess that many Catholics live there…but my guess is lots of Hispanics?

response from Dick: my brother has lived in SLC for over 50 years so the place called Utah is not unknown to me.  When he sent family members this photo last night, I had to use it.  Definitely, the census numbers belong to the LDS in Utah, nonetheless it seems that the Diocese of Salt Lake City, which comprises the entire state of Utah, counts about 10% of Utah’s population as Catholic.  I have been to this Cathedral and it is close to the downtown area, and a welcoming place.

from Carol: My cousin who lives in Central Europe sent this  Crol’s Cousin April 2025] out today to I think around 70 people.  Mike teaches American history and political science at a university.  Back in Bush’s run-up to invading Iraq, Mike sent out an alarmed e-mail that really impacted me.  I think he was very reluctant to do that again – but said that some things I had forwarded him  pushed him into doing so.

from Georgine: in below comments, Georgine attached a letter from Pope Francis to American Bishops 10 Feb 2025 relating to the migrant question.  It is a powerful letter, three pages.

three comments came about the same time today from people who don’t know each other: Carol:  I’m not Catholic, of course.   But Pope Francis was the most decent, genuine, humble and impactful Pope of my lifetime.  I love it that he hung on until after Easter.  Almost like he had some final business to take care of.  Flo: Thanks for sharing your views on Pope Francis. He had many positive beliefs, but I am still saddened by the Catholic Church’s view of women. Carter and I joined the United Methodist Church when we moved to Park Rapids in 1974.  Three years ago Carter decided to live his faith at Skunk Lake. I like it there too, but continue to attend services at Riverside UMC, walking there from home when the weather is good or otherwise getting rides to and from church by Carter or friends.   Peggy and Dale: out of the blue a comment from one of them, they attend what would be considered a ‘lefty’ Catholic Church, and were noting that their kids were raised Catholic but unchurched and that the hometown pastor where she grew up in very conservative in point of view.

The takeaway from myself, a lifelong Catholic: nothing that was said was unusual to me.  The church, regardless of what one thinks of it, is huge, and what is even more important is a creature of endless diversity which commenters try to interpret to others.  For myself, who often is ‘in the pew’ I see the diversity every time I’m in my church, which is very large.  For me, Francis gift to everyone was his ability to set a positive tone for all of us, regardless of where we are at on our own personal journey..

from Ellen:  He is a vibrant part of our human tapestry. I have gained a much clearer warmer understanding of our soul and everyone’s essence since Gary died. He and Mom were quintessentially Catholics. Gary called himself a Recovering Catholic. I am completely fascinated by the number of Catholics that I come accross. I have found my sense of belonging in Al-Anon, the 12 Steps and near death experiences. Quantum physics is also part of my tapestry. And of course the base beliefs of Catholisim.

He was a fine human being.

 

The Community of US.

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Today is Easter Sunday.  This morning about 6 I was treated to a wonderful skyscape right before sunrise.  My choice for Easter Sunday is an e-mail received from a LaMoure County ND friend on April 3.  She sent me the below clip from the LaMoure Chronicle, the long-time weekly newspaper for the community of LaMoure and surrounding area.

I’m very familiar with the paper, as my maternal family, the Busch’s, subscribed to the paper for many years.  Each time I looked at the paper, there was always a looking back column, of happenings from a previous time, in this case “10 Years Ago, April 1, 2015”.  This particular snip brought back lots of memories for me, and an idea I want to share with you.

LsMoure ND Chronicle April 2025

Uncle Vince, age 90, was the last member of the LaMoure County Busch family, whose parents came to break ground in rural Berlin-Grand Rapids in 1905.  Vince was the last survivor of 11 people who lived and/or grew up on the farm.  He died in early February, 2015.  He had designated me to represent him.

The Busch’s were an ordinary rural family.  There had been pretentions of more back in the day, but the Great Depression in particular took its toll.  For Vince and Edithe, brother and sister, and indeed their parents and in a real way their siblings who went on to lives elsewhere, LaMoure County services were crucial components of their personal quality of life their entire life.  For instance, Vince loved to watch the LaMoure American Legion baseball in the summer.  On and on.

He and Edithe were regulars at the Grand Rapids Veterans Memorial Park.  Indeed, their Uncle and Aunt, Art and Lena Parker, were the first caretakers of the Park when it opened after World War I and through the 1920s.

The services were all either free or virtually so.  There was no admission to go to the park.  Nobody charged visitors to go fishing at the James River Dam area, maintained by volunteers.

After Vince died and I was trying to figure out what to do, with first responsibility to pay any bills due by the Busch’s, it occurred to me that there were many bills due, for which bills were never sent to the recipients of the service rendered, so I made a list of the places and services I knew Vince and Edithe supported by their attendance over the years, and from this came a list of, to my recollection, 16 local services, most of whom are listed above.  Also listed was what I decided to do to pay the bill, so to speak, to the providers of the service.

I really didn’t think of this until after Vincent died.  It just hadn’t occurred to me.  Nor had it occurred to him or his sister or his parents.  Of course, it was a bill subject to challenge, but it was also unique, and, long story short, the expenditure was acceptable.

Out of this experience comes a suggestion to everyone who has something to leave behind.  Perhaps you can build a similar list of similar services you’ve utilized in your community.  Consider making a list for whoever it is who will have to close your estate when you pass on, as you certainly will.

Happy Easter.

April 18, 1775

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All best wishes to everyone on this Easter weekend.

250 years ago was a momentous moment is the history of the United States.  On the 250th anniversary, at the Old North Church in Boston, Heather Cox Richardson talked about the events leading later to the United States of America.  I am a subscriber to her commentary (I highly recommend subscribing) and I share here what she had to say on April 18, 2025.

Below is a snapshot I took of Old North Church in June, 1972.

Old North Church Boston, June 1972 (Dick Bernard)

The google map link of the church and area (which includes a panoramic overhead view centered on Old North Church, is here (caution and suggestions: go to this link last as you may be unable to go back to the post; also, to have the panoramic tour of the area, hover your cursor over the red marker showing Old North Church),

Personal Privilege: my father’s ancestry was 100% French-Canadian which means I’m 50%.  His last French ancestor to arrive in Quebec was Francois Collet, who arrived in Quebec in 1757 (St. Vallier), and as a 16 year old was likely attached to the French military.  The military connection was short.  In 1759, the British defeated the French at Plains of Abraham, Quebec City, thus beginning the English regime in Canada.  Only 18 years later came the events in Boston which led to the United States of America.

At the time I visited Boston in 1972 I really had no idea of my own French ancestry, or how inter-connected were the events in Quebec and in New England.  and didn’t actually visit my ancestral home country of Quebec until a 1982 visit there with my Dad and four others.  (My first French ancestor in Canada was Jean Nicolet, who arrived in 1618, 157 years before 1775.)

POSTNOTE: There is plenty more to write about, concerning current events and their implications.  These can wait till after Easter.    If you want an early start, I did posts on April 15 (Taxes) and 18 (Watch).  There are several more in the works in the next few weeks, and probably others not yet in mind.  A reflection piece is planned for Easter Sunday.

COMMENTS (more at end)

from Fred: I read it earlier and also endorse it. She did a terrific job.  We all know the story but she reconstructed so well. Actually, it brought tears to my eyes.

Watch

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Today is Good Friday in the Catholic tradition, nearing Easter, at the end of what is called Holy Week which began last Sunday, Palm Sunday.  I have 84 years of experience with Holy Week in the Catholic Church.  Lots of memories.  More in a bit on that.

This week the really intense news emphasis is on a prisoner in the notorious Cecot prison in El Salvador.  The man is Kilmar Abrago Garcia of Maryland.  Yesterday Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland flew to El Salvador and met in person with Garcia. The news is flooded with stories about this prisoner and the others who were snagged by ICE and flown out of the country to this same prison.  Succinctly, I support Sen. Van Hollen’s efforts, as I support the Rule of Law, now under active attack in our own country.

A couple of days ago, a friend from a small conversation group I’m privileged to be part of, shared with us a memory, which seems an especially appropriate story for this dismal time in our history.  Her story in its entirety is shared with her permission:

“When I was living in Venezuela (1983-85), I met an Argentinian woman married to an oil man from Mexico. She told me about the military takeover of her country. People were “disappeared” by being snatched off the street, put on airplanes, and thrown out. No one would ever see them again – they were “the Disappeared.” She said she would never go back to Argentina. I was appalled, as I had lived a very sheltered life and had never heard of this bit of global news.
Never thought I’d be living in an America where people could be “disappeared.”

Her short story immediately brought back to memory a truly awful period in Argentine history.  I googled “Argentina Disappeared” and lots surfaced, including this summary.  My long ago and far away memory of this war was news back then of people being disappeared, and we later learned that many of them were flown out to sea and thrown out never to be seen or heard from again.  It seemed like a good idea to somebody –  the “disappeared” don’t leave evidence and will never talk.  Of course, the disappeared remained in the minds and hearts of people like their mothers, who slowly but surely took up the cause, and slowly but surely the despotic regime was finally disappeared, itself….

In the present circumstance, the architects of the current deportation hysteria thought they had it all figured out: round up the bad hombres, stick them on a plane and fly them to a private prison in another country.  Who needs Due Process or Habeas Corpus?  Nobody will give a damn about that – only that we got rid of them.  Out of sight, out of mind…or so they thought.

We’re probably not near the end of this story, but the cat is out of the bag now.

I think back to other fairly recent deviations from rules: torture (water-boarding) of bad guys in Iraq days; prisoners flown to Guantanamo, etc.  etc.  All supposedly legal according to a lawyer.

At the end of February, 2004, the U.S., Canada and France cooperated in removing the President of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and flew he and his family to, I believe, the Central African Republic.  It was not a benign decision.  He was disappeared.  (To my knowledge, Aristide and family live quietly in Haiti now.)  In the same era, 2003, I met in person Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste, a supporter of Aristide,  and later in Miami’s little Haiti in 2006.  In between Jean-Juste had been snatched up and imprisoned in Haiti, and later was essentially exiled to the United States….  Apparently it was decided he wouldn’t be able to stir up trouble in Haiti if he was in Florida.  I don’t know.  When I saw him in Miami, he seemed free as a bird, though in Haiti terms he was a crook….

There are many more stories, of course.  Hopefully, there will be some lessons learned in the wake of these first 100 days of #47’s first year.  That remains to be seen.  That is largely up to all of us, now.

Which brings me back to Good Friday and the Passion story, long a staple of Holy Week in the Catholic Church.  Last Sunday the story was read, as it always is.  This years booklet is here: Passion2025.   I ask you to look at the emphasized portions of page 4-7, and reflect on how you, personally, fit into the “crowd”, and other individuals and groups in this time in history, and consider what you can do to make a difference in today’s United States of America.  

Another word in those pages is Jesus.  Put yourself, in Jesus’ shoes.  Or the criminals, or the rulers, or….  Where does Justice fit in?  Forgiveness? “Rule of Law”…?  

Hard as it will be, leave religion out of your thinking.  This is about all of us, now.

Have a good Easter.

COMMENTS:
from Brian:

Oh, this is great, your post. 
I think A LOT about Haiti, as you know I volunteered there over the years working in microfinance.
Also, as you know, Haiti is the big reason the USA grew all the way out west.  Why?   Well,  Haiti in the early 1800s fought back against another control-freak, Napoleon, from France.    Napoleon was having his other wars back east.   So guess what?   He decided to sell a lot of what is now central USA to the USA when it was just at the east coast.
 
Yay Haiti!

 

Taxes

/1 Comment/in /by

Today is tax day,   Ours is not yet filed – an extension because one piece of paper remains to be received.  There is no worry.  We file our taxes with no complaint.  We are ordinary people.  We feel taxes are the reasonable dues for a livable society.

I think my attitude is representative of the vast majority of my fellow citizens.  Taxes are shared responsibility for community debts for things we need, individually and collectively.  The closest-to-home taxes we pay are homeowners association dues.  They are not called “taxes” but in a real sense they are – for mowing grass in the summer, and shoveling show in the winter and repairing roofs and common elements after a storm; and taking care of garbage….  There are 24 buildings, 96 dwelling units in our association.  There is an Association Board.  As you know, even in smaller units, disagreements happen, and rules are necessary.  In short, Association, too, are conversations about ‘government’ and ‘taxes’, with neither word really ever uttered.

We want police and fire protection, and good streets, and parks.  And good schools for our children and those of our neighbors and relatives and friends.  And we live in a still United States (the concept is constantly at risk), where most of us have relatives and friends who live in many different states in all parts of the country.

Everyone of us could make a long list of why we choose to share responsibilities for many things.  And which things we pay for that we personally don’t use, but are important to someone else.

We are an immense world, with near 200 countries and billions of people, of which the U.S. is a relatively small part with an immensely disproportionate share of the worlds wealth.  I’ve previously shared a table illustrating this, which is several years old but basically still current I believe: Wealth of UN Countries.  I knew the creator of this table, and he was extraordinarily careful in use of data.  When he did his chart we had less than 5% of the world’s population and controlled near one-fourth of the world’s wealth.  What’s more is the huge disparity between the low and high wealth persons in the United States.

The real visible public debate seems to be about the issue most distant (seemingly) from our day to day life: The Federal Level, as in Income Taxes.  The Internal Revenue Service.  On an on.  Easy to throw stones at.

This issue has come out of the shadows: DOGE, chain saw, eliminating non-productive people, slash and burn….  You’ve heard of all of these.  If you can’t get rid of taxes, make it more difficult to enforce the rules – cut staff, etc.

In my opinion, briefly, the real issue in the U.S. now is whether the already wealthy will continue to have huge tax breaks, and if so, how to pay for them.

In December, 2017, the end of the first year of #45’s administration, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was passed by Republican House and Senate and signed into law by the President.  It is very complex – even the Wikipedia version runs to 45 printed pages.  But probably worth a scroll through.

From Wiki, here are the generalized tax tables carrying pre and post 2018 tables.:

Now, as any tax filer knows, the chart is just the framework.  The crucial parts of the 2017 Act were that corporate tax cuts were ‘permanent’, while the lower rates for the wealthy were set to expire in 2025.  In addition, every taxpayer got a ‘bonus’ check of $1,000 in 2018, the check signed by the President.  Supposedly this was ‘free money’.  Of course, nothing is free.  I remember complaints that the tax breaks for the corporations weren’t used to improve products or working conditions or more employment, rather they tended to be folded into other uses to make money for the corporation such as stock buybacks and the like.  The wealthy liked the lower taxes for the highest income, and don’t want to lose that largesse when the 2018 rates. expire in a few months.  In my opinion, that is the entire battle.

The results of #45’s term was a massive increase in the national debt.  Taking the chainsaw to things like medicaid for the disadvantaged doesn’t yield enough to make a difference, and brings out the protestors. Nobody knows how the sausage making will end up this year.  The Republicans again have the advantage, but it is closer this time.

I decided to look up the National Debt.  Investopedia has an interesting year by year data which seems credible.  Of course, the debt is huge – $36 Trillion which comes out to about $100,000 a person.  But then I looked up personal debt in the United States and that was about $18 Trillion.  My cynical view is that debt is essential to a very large sector of our population – mortgages, new car notes,  access to credit,etc., etc., etc.  Debt has fueled prosperity, in a sense.  But it has to be monitored carefully, both personally and politically.

Here’s a couple of more links I found which you may find of interest: How the $1,000 bonus in 2018 affected American Workers, from Los Angeles Times Feb. 9, 2018 ; and U.S. Personal Debt

COMMENTS:

from Jeff:  I think the Repubs have no choice but to pass the extension….so expect it.  The real battle is in the cuts…personally I suspect that Medicaid will be cut, but at less than the House wants…because there seem to be about 3 to 4 Republicans who are not happy about the steep cuts. (they realize they will hit Republican voters in Red states and rural areas, and they will, probably be the most impacted)  That means that the hole in the deficits and the national debt will continue.

Debt: you are indeed right, there is good debt and bad debt….bad debt is when you borrow on a high interest credit card to buy things you don’t need or take trips beyond your means….it adds up and gets worse.   Good debt is mortgages that make sense, borrowing to build new facilities ,  even govt debt for valid purposes.    Debt is and has almost always been a fundamental lever of capitalism and economic growth.  there are parameters…and obviously when it is monkeyed with like in 2006-2008 it had big repercussions.
The other thing I keep mentioning is the rule of law.  (obviously we know the authoritarian issues with civil liberty which is beyond frightening).  In the economy the rule of law props up debt by enforcing contracts.  Investors buy bonds and expect a return on their investment and return of their principal.  If the rule of law is eroded, then crony capitalism takes precedence (already seeing it)
and of course the mad king eventually decides who and what gets paid and repaid.  This has huge repercussions and I believe we have seen it short term in the first bond market collapse that was halted by Trumps recent postponement of the insane tarriffs.  There have been things posted on FB that Canada, France and the UK and Germany were joining forces to sell U.S. Treasuries before Trump relented.  Personally I believe China is already selling and will continue and they are the biggest single holder …moreover the lack of trust in the USA due to its breaking of global alliances and norms will eventually keep hurting the USA and the treasury market.  and …of course if tax cuts are extended and spending is not cut then rates will have to go up anyway…with less buyers…which means higher yields to attract buyers…  inflation and then recession.

from Carol: I saw where someone suggested that residents of the “blue” states for which Trump has threatened to cut off federal funds they’re entitled to (i.e., disaster relief) should refuse to pay their federal income taxes, and instead that money could be used to pay for their own state’s unmet needs.  Works for me.


from Fred:  I am a willing payer of taxes! It is amazing what we get for them. Fire and police protection and an emergency number to summon them. Lives saved by EMT’s responding to auto accidents and gun fire, round the clock. Safe water, safe food, safe utilities, a matrix of sanitary sewers to wash away our sewage and rain and flood waters. Streets, curbs and gutters, bike paths, public schools, public PARKS, public servants with credentials to keep all public assets in good shape. Round the clock snow plowing, six-day mail service, a military second to none to protect us from global bad actors. An incredible highway and road system and then keep them in repair. That’s just off the top of my head.

My problem with taxes is with those wealthy chiselers who work their way around them. Not all of them are pikers, of course, but the number is significant. I am fortunate enough that I have the financial situation that keeps me comfortable. I don’t waste any time worrying about crooks, but it would be nice if they would pony up their fair share.