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This category contains 32 posts

The Elephant in the Abortion Clinic Waiting Room

One of the biggest contributors to the hoopla over abortion, and one that is seldom discussed, is men; specifically, patriarchy. That is the elephant in the room, or in this case, the abortion clinic waiting room. These men are typically right wing, religious fundamentalists and evangelicals. More specifically, they are men of the today’s Republican … Continue reading

Tragedy of the Commons and the Tragedy of Civilization

“Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own best interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons. Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all.” — Garrett Hardin   Way back in 1968, an ecologist, Garret Hardin, wrote a now-famous essay for the journal Science called … Continue reading

A Night of Terror in Tulsa’s Greenwood District in the Summer of 1921

Last October HBO’s series, ”Watchmen” began its run. The opening scene in the first episode was part archived film and part re-enactment of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot, which is now called the Tulsa Race Massacre.   As a longtime Tulsa resident, I only learned about the TRM in the early 2000s. And then it … Continue reading

Race, Reality and Reparations

“It’s a cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.   The Democrat candidates running for president are talking about it. The House of Representatives is holding hearings on it. And the media are running stories about it. The “it” … Continue reading

A Few Thoughts on Socialism

“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”– Winston Churchill   There’s a big brouhaha these days over socialism. The president declared that we would never become a socialist state. And virtually all of the Republicans use the word socialist as … Continue reading

Not a Happy Fourth of July for the GOP

“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies” – Groucho Marx   Who doesn’t like the Fourth of July? The inspirational speeches, the patriotic music, Tchaikovsky’s’1812 Overture with its booming cannons, the hot dog eating contests (gag) and the evening sky filled with colorful … Continue reading

Healthcare – A Moral Right?

“I hope that all physicians, including those who are members of Congress, other health care professionals, and professional societies would speak with a single voice and say that health care is a basic right for every person, and not a privilege to be available and affordable only for a majority. The solution for how to … Continue reading

The Problems with Equality

 It seems like almost every person in our society these days is seeking equality – economic equality, racial equality, gender equality, legal and social equality, health care equality, educational equality, opportunity equality, and on and on. Those who plead for equality are obviously seeking a remedy for inequality. In that regard, they see themselves as … Continue reading

A Couple of Problems with Wannabe President Donald Trump

Donald Trump’s Narcissism In the American Psychiatric Association’s “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.” narcissism is defined as a personality disorder. The Mayo Clinic provides a list of symptoms indicating that those with this disorder may come across as conceited, boastful or pretentious, that they often monopolize conversations, that they belittle or look down … Continue reading

Why Supreme Court Opinions need a Supermajority

  . “Law is reason, free from passion.” – Aristotle . And then there were eight. The passing of Justice Scalia in February 2016, left the Supreme Court in something of a dilemma. There are four left leaning Justices and four right leaning. Therefore, the chances of tie votes, an equal split in opinions, would … Continue reading

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