Terminology matters. As the 2020 presidential election cycle heats up, there is a great deal of banter in the air, among politicians, pundits, journalists, citizens, etc., about terms such as “socialism,” “Democratic Socialism,” “the radical left,” “welfare state,” capitalism and others. I am not an expert in economics or political science, but I offer the […]
Present
Blog posts relating to the present such as social justice issues
Celebrating Black History Month in Vermont Part II: Steps in the Right Direction
In Part I of our examination of blacks in Vermont, we noted how Vermont got to be where it is vis-à-vis “whiteness” and saw some signs of hope in the area of increased diversity but, on the flip side, we witnessed examples of negative developments and even backlash. Here we will offer an array of […]
Celebrating Black History Month in Vermont Part I: History, Demographics and Setbacks
Happy Black History Month! In this and the subsequent blog post, we will be exploring African Americans in Vermont. As many people are aware, Vermont is among the whitest states in the Union. Some of us white Americans, and many non-white Vermont residents, would love to see this change and are committed to diversity and […]
Elizabeth Warren and Capitalism: She’s in Favor
As the 2020 presidential election already heats up (too soon, for some of us!), it is important that we are clear on where candidates stand on the important issues. We also need to beware of strident propaganda that distorts the truth, raises irrational fears, and blurs the picture. Here we will focus on Massachusetts Senator […]
Updates on Issues Previously Raised
We have commented on a number of issues in the past which we can now update. First, we noted in “Hillary and Helen: Women ‘Deleted’ by the Texas Board of Education,” posted on September 21, 2018, that the Texas Board of Education had voted preliminarily in September 2018 to delete several significant figures from the […]
Medicaid Expansion in Red States
Health care proved to be a significant issue in the 2018 midterm elections throughout the country. According to Annie Lowery, writing in The Atlantic in November, the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) “came up in more than half of Democratic ads and nearly a third of those for Republicans,” a much higher rate than in the […]
Chanukah Observances in Southern Vermont With a Social Justice Focus
We are currently honoring the eight-day observance of the Jewish holiday, Chanukah (also spelled Hanukkah), December 2 through 9. Chanukah traces its history back to the second century Before the Common Era (BCE). At that time, the Jews were under the authority of Antiochus III, the Seleucid king of Syria. His son, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, […]
Giving Thanks
On this Thanksgiving weekend in the US, let us try to find things (and people, of course!) for which we are thankful. Living a life of gratitude is good for our health! Prayer for Thanksgiving Day (Book of Common Prayer, modified) Almighty and gracious God, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth […]
The House is Blue
The midterm election is over, and the House of Representatives has turned blue. So have state legislatures and governorships around the country. What will we really do with this important change in our national make-up? We still have Donald Trump as President. But in many places throughout our country, especially in the districts where Democrats […]
What Americans Want and the Importance of the Midterms
Let’s look at some recent polls about the state of our nation on a range of social, economic and political issues, taking the pulse of what most of us want as a society. If we know some of what we want, we can then examine which elected officials and/or political parties can best bring about […]