rpoydock

Vergangenheitsaufarbeitung

I love long German words and I first saw this one in a New Yorker article and in an op-ed in the Washington Post. It means “the process of coming to terms with the past”. In other words, there are no statues of Nazis in Germany. They have done the hard work of truthfully evaluatingContinue reading “Vergangenheitsaufarbeitung”

Repeal and Replace the Star-Spangled Banner

I’ve never been a fan of the National Anthem. At a ball game, I politely stand and remove my hat and try not to roll my eyes. But my dislike of it has intensified since the Former Guy turned it into a wedge issue. And I support the athletes who kneel in protest because theContinue reading “Repeal and Replace the Star-Spangled Banner”

Reimagine the Police

One political slogan that harmed the Democratic Party during the last election year was Defund the Police. I understood was advocates of police reform were saying, that some of the money in police budgets should be redirected toward social workers and mental health workers. But some folks, urged on by Trump’s law and order rhetoric,Continue reading “Reimagine the Police”

Adding Another Ism to the List

I just read an opinion column in the New York Times by David Brooks about lookism, the advantages that good-looking people have in our society. The people who are thin, have symmetrical facial features, nice teeth, etc. have a distinct advantage when it comes to success in life. And it tends to be a subconsciousContinue reading “Adding Another Ism to the List”

Mercy, Mercy, Me

This week was the 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s classic album “What’s Going On” and there are three tracks that remain very relevant: “What’s Going On”, Mercy, Mercy, Me (The Ecology)”, and Inner City Blues (Makes Me Want to Holler). Although much of the popular music of the late 60s and early 70s dealt withContinue reading “Mercy, Mercy, Me”

Climate Change Isn’t the Only Environmental Threat

In 2009, a group of scientists at the Stockholm Resilience Center published the Planetary Boundaries Framework, nine processes that regulate the stability and resilience of our planet. These boundaries are: Climate change Biodiversity integrity Ocean acidification Depletion of the ozone layer Atmospheric aerosol pollution Biogeochemical flows of nitrogen and phosphorus Freshwater use Land system changeContinue reading “Climate Change Isn’t the Only Environmental Threat”

Is America a Racist Country?

In the Republican response To President Biden’s speech, Senator Tim Scott made the statement that “America is not a racist country. “ Say what?! Now Senator Scott is not one of the extreme members of his party. And his comment was greeted with inappropriate name calling in social media. My immediate reaction was a desireContinue reading “Is America a Racist Country?”

The Legacy of RFK

I grew up in the 1960s and one of my social justice heroes is Robert Francis Kennedy. One of things I admire about him is that he became more liberal over time. Remember that he got his start working for Senator Joe McCarthy, that he fought organized crime in the labor movement, and ordered theContinue reading “The Legacy of RFK”

On Neurodiversity

At a conference session on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, I learned that we need to be allies of those on the autism spectrum. Since I am physically clumsy, socially awkward, and have my share of personality quirks, I wondered if I was on the spectrum. So I took the Autism Spectrum Quotient test that wasContinue reading “On Neurodiversity”

Thoughts on May Day

Tra la, it’s May! The lusty month of May … so goes the song from Lerner and Lowe’s musical “Camelot”. A time to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of spring and to dance around the maypole. But it’s also time to reflect on the status of labor in our society. On the church calendar,Continue reading “Thoughts on May Day”