Old Glory by Opa
“I pledge allegiance to the flag…” It unites us. Whatever our different backgrounds and beliefs, we are allAmericans.It divides us. Conservative or liberal, patriotic or not, it reinforces our differentloyalties.It reminds us of past heroes, causes, and sacrifices.It represents our freedom, even freedom to burn it, celebrating that freedom.It honors our military.It intensifies our patriotic […]
It Ain’t Necessarly So
By Opa In George Gershwin’s opera, Porgy and Bess, Sportin’ Life slyly sings, “It ain’tnecessarily so. The things that you’re liable to read in the Bible, it ain’tnecessarily so.” Well, I’m not about to descend into the murkiness of theologicalarguments, but examining other Eternal Truths may be helpful. For most of us, absolute truth begins […]
You’ve Got My Vote by Opa
This is an election year and everybody wants to tell you how to vote. Me too. Well, I won’t tell you specific candidates to vote for (or against), but I want to present some Important Things to Consider in choosing your leaders. First, there is the matter of party affiliation. If you are 100 percent […]
Echo Chamber by LM
Many of us who grew up before the Internet probably remember protracted debates with friends over matters of trivia. A buddy of mine and I argued for several years over which NFL player had the most all-purpose yards. Short of a trip to the library, which we weren’t going to do, the debate remained in […]
Isolation
ISOLATION By Opa When our first child was born, my wife and I protected her. From everything. From heat, from cold, from hunger and thirst, from wet diapers, and, most of all, from germs. We sterilized her bottles and everything else that might come within ten feet of her. Eventually a solitary germ must have […]
I Tried Counting Your Stars
I Tried Counting Your Stars By Wisconsin Poet Augustus Merrill I tried counting your stars, America– Those dizzying rows so cleverly arranged My head ached like Sunday, My stomach spun like organ music, I grew sicker and sicker And gave it all up. I tried counting your stripes, America. That was easy: Thirteen stripes and a […]
We’re Number One
WE’RE NUMBER ONE Or are we? By Opa Competition is our way of life. Grantland Rice once wrote, “It matters nor if you win or lose, what matters is how you play the game.” Someone else has offered a more cynical version of this famous quote: “It matters not whether you win or lose; what […]
Virtuous Lies
We don’t give lies the virtue they deserve. Afterall, a lie has a purpose, an agenda withbenefits. Truth does nothing more than exist. Lies and its many forms, deception,misdirection, spin, propaganda, and manipulation predate civilization and permeate allsocieties not just because they’re effective, but because they’re efficient. Consider thema long lever that can turn a […]
THE TEN VERY GOOD SUGGESTIONS By Opa
There is currently a movement afoot in some of the so-called “red” states to pass laws requiring the prominent display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom. The proposed laws stipulate the size of the display, where it is to be located, and which version of the commandments is allowed. How could any […]
WOKISM EXPOSED
Many people believe, incorrectly, that the term “woke” refers to people who have “awakened” to alleged injustices perpetrated by dedicated public servants upon innocent victims. This is not historically accurate. The real truth about wokism is much more complicated and sinister. The woke people are actually an insidious group of demented individuals devoted to the […]