Say What?

It was Martin Luther King Jr Day yesterday. His words resonate more with me as each year passes and I make note of how we're no closer to his vision of America than when he called on all of us to do our part and unite. I was 10 years old when Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated on April 4th, 1968. I have a vivid memory of being in our living room with my parents and asking them if it was okay if I updated our World Book encyclopedia with a pen to reflect his death. For all of the progress I had assumed we've made all these decades later concerning civil rights, it's become clear that we still have so far to go. It's disheartening.  I had a friend reach out to me last week via Facebook Messenger. I've known Ed for more than 20 years but we've never met in person. We got to know one another through an online forum dedicated to a musician we both admire: David Baerwald. David is half of the David & David duo from the late '80s. You may recall their song

We're a full two years into the pandemic and we're still trying to understand how best to manage it. It's become an ever-moving target as each new variant presents its own unique variables. Schools bounce between in-school learning and virtual learning as the virus ebbs and flows. Some restaurants are operating at reduced hours due to staffing shortages while some have closed. Airlines are canceling hundreds of flights daily due to a lack of flight crews who are out sick with the virus or are in quarantine. Hospitals lack both staff and beds to care for the overwhelming number of sick and dying patients showing up in need of help, forcing them into triage mode where they at times have to choose who to treat based on who can expect the best outcome. The vast majority of those in need of care are unvaccinated. Mask mandates are in effect again for Minneapolis and St. Paul (including sports venues) as the omicron variant is causing a surge in admissions to hospitals leaving ju

Yes, he mentioned walking peacefully to the Capitol but that's not what they heard. "We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore." That's what they heard. Trump watched for more than 3 hours as our nation's Capitol was assaulted, and with it, the heart of our democracy. He sat in glee watching it unfold (as told by witnesses), unmoved by those pleading with him to make it stop. But he wouldn't. Is this the kind of leader you want? What am I not seeing? What am I not understanding? Or is it you that's got this all wrong? If you're still willing to stand with this man, I have to ask you to please search your soul. You've been misled. You've been propagandized. It's time to wake up. We need you. All of you. Never Forget.  That's all I've got.