Mitt Romney’s political career may be over soon. Not for the usual reasons: not because he broke faith with his constituents, or lied on TV, or committed adultery, or used his public office for personal gain. He did none of these things. Instead, his career may end because he took a stand on principle, a […]
I’ve never known a political season like the one we’re in today. I’ve heard stories of political differences separating families, separating friends, but until this summer those stories always seemed like urban legends, like useful morality plays that might help illuminate some of the darker corners of our humanity. But as this summer gave way […]
Last Wednesday night, a woman was killed in the Boundary Waters area between Minnesota and Ontario. It’s a huge wilderness area, where you can stay for a week and see no other people except the ones who ventured in with you. It’s a place where you can spend a few days completely off the grid, […]
I spent last week with my family in the mountains of Colorado. The cabin we stayed in is a precious place to us, with everything we need to be comfortable–with the notable absence of TV, internet, and cell reception. It’s a place where we have no choice but to unplug and get off the grid. […]
I can’t remember an election cycle like this. For the first time in my memory, it seems our country is going to select a president based on which candidate the majority dislikes less. This doesn’t seem like a recipe for success. And as long as we spend our energy focusing on which presidential candidate we […]
I choose to make time to vote today. Our American political process, the way we select our leaders, the way those leaders govern, is often ridiculously frustrating. Even as I resolve to go vote today, I have to admit to myself that none of the current pool of candidates for president is at all exciting […]
Both sides are pointing fingers, calling each other names, each blaming the other for the violence that consumed much of Baltimore last week. Politicians are trying to figure out what to say about race and law enforcement in our country, scrambling for words that minimize their own commitments and do as little damage as possible […]
This is my fourth post for the Your Turn Challenge. Status of my goals: Marathon: Back on track. I completed yesterday’s run this morning. Two Square Yards of Earth: Behind schedule. No change since yesterday. 100 Posts: Behind schedule. This is my sixth post for the year, of eight planned by the end of this […]
I’m on a backpacking trip with a few Boy Scouts as I write this. It’s cheating a little bit to pull out my phone and post this on a Scouting weekend, but it’s cold out, it’s not yet 7:00 in the evening, we’ve all retired to our sleeping bags and I didn’t bring a book. […]
Dogma is a coward’s refuge. And it isn’t the same as faith. Faith is a choice to believe in something–a god, a doctrine, a political philosophy, a person’s character–in the face of evidence to the contrary. Dogma is a refusal to believe in something because it differs from what you choose to believe. Faith need […]