Like most Americans, I have been extremely disturbed by the sad news coming from the Ukraine.  The images of burning cities and suffering civilians are distressing, and we wish that there was some way that we could stop the carnage. Personally, I believe that we should render all possible assistance to the Ukrainians short of […]

Mores refer to the social conventions of a society.  They define what is acceptable behavior in that society.  Morals relate to those behaviors that an individual himself or herself believes to be right or wrong.  A person’s morals may or may not conform to the mores of the society of which he or she is […]

Yesterday we had a late cold snap after a few days of spring-like weather.  I loved the beauty of the snow coming down, but I did not like the drop in temperature.  As I grow older, I have become more sensitive to the cold. At times like this my mind tends to fill with visions […]

What fools we mortals be! On my 10th birthday in 1939 I witnessed a madman lead his nation into a war of conquest that eventually consumed the lives of more than 50 million men, women and children. Short days ago, another godless madman sent his armies into a neighboring nation, causing death and destruction and […]

Climate change is a real issue.  Perhaps some alarmists exaggerate the immediate danger, but there is no doubt that the earth is warming.  The glaciers are disappearing, and forest fires are becoming an increasing problem in the American west and in Europe.  There are contradictory reports on polar ice, but if we experience significant shrinkage […]

During the summer of 2020 many of America’s cities suffered riots.  What can we do to end the rioting? What long term solutions are possible that will bring an end to these episodic periods of racial and social mayhem?  What will bring a sense of real fulfillment and freedom to our black brothers and sisters? […]

In my March 3 post I wrote about “bureaucratic tyranny.” Conservatives like to label the Federal bureaucracy as “the swamp’, and conjure up images of alligators and venomous snakes that are poised to destroy any elected official foolish enough to contest bureaucratic control over the levers of government. In truth, the bureaucracy is mostly composed […]

When Congress passes legislation and the President signs it into law, enforcement is placed into the hands of the appropriate Federal department.  Bureaucrats within that department then develop the procedures and regulations that govern how the law is enforced.  Depending on how tightly or loosely the legislation was written, the enforcers may have considerable discretion […]

For most of my life I had no foot problems at all, but then I suddenly began to experience pain in my right foot – between the arch and the heel.  After a few weeks I spoke to my family physician about the problem, and he referred me to a podiatrist. The podiatrist examined my […]

There is an old story about members of various Roman Catholic orders arguing about which religious order was the greatest.  Finally, a member of a small, obscure order spoke up. “Well,” he said, “we might not have the scholarship of the Jesuits, or a reputation for piety like the Franciscans, but in humility, we’re tops.” […]