Boy, can I step into a fire, or what? I probably use Facebook too much and lose sight of my own dictum that social media does not contain nuance and tends to absolve false premises but I enjoy the laughs it provides and posts that stimulate debate. Sometimes I will repost a meme that I…
Category: Gary Kroeger
Doggone it! People LIKE me!
It occurred to me….I’m not helping. I’m not calming anyone’s nerves, I’m not making fewer people angry, and I’m not convincing anyone who didn’t already agree with me to listen or, God forbid, change their mind. When I was door knocking as a candidate for the Iowa House, 4 years ago, I often joined a…
The Wrath of God
Whenever there is a disaster, natural or human-caused, it seems that an evangelical will make a statement that it confirms God’s wrath. And each time I hear a new pontification regarding Holy punishment due to gay marriage, legalizing pot, or for debunking trickle-down economics, I am compelled to look critically at their religious cause. Evangelicals…
“Put your bodies upon the gears…”
There sure is a lot of talk lately about that venerable old document we call the “Constitution.” There’s a lot of disagreement over how it is to be interpreted, and the intentions of the original Framers, but one thing everyone seems to agree on is that no one is getting it right. Except for ourselves,…
Feeling Social?
Since “socialism” and “social democracy” are going to be hot button topics for the next several months, it might be a good idea to calibrate some understanding. I have repeated until I am blue in the face that many people think they are saying “communism” when they say “socialism” but I’m not resonating. Even pundits…
New Deal
As Bernie Sanders shows strength toward the possibility of becoming the Democratic candidate, the issue of his association with “socialist” ideas will weigh more and more heavily within our political rhetoric. Sanders identifies with Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the New Deal. Fair comparisons can be made with regard to how Sanders proposes to focus federal…
The Bartender of Gettysburg
Let’s say you’re in school and your assignment is to write the most interesting, yet factual, account of the Battle of Gettysburg. You are told that you can choose one of only two options as your source for information. ONE option is a college history professor who is a world renowned expert on the Civil…
Letters From An American
I did not write the following. It was written by historian Heather Cox Richardson who is a Professor of History at Boston College. One week ago she posted this on her blog “Letters From An American” and I am reposting it on mine. I have a fair amount of my own subscribers and I want…
The Art of the Deal; the Former Agreement with Iran
As events in the Middle East cause alarm with regard to where American policy in the region is headed, it is useful to consult sources outside of our own media to reach a better understanding of counter perspectives. That does not betray American interests and the safety of our citizens, it is, rather, a more…
An Apology That Isn’t Sorry
The other day I posted a story on Facebook about a woman in Des Moines who attempted to run someone over because she thought they were Hispanic. The woman was also shown in a video from that same evening hurling racial epithets at a black man in a convenience store. My post included a reprimand…