Tragic story offers something that connects with our humanity and kinship

Officers Painter (R) and Jefferson (L) were close friends

Officers John Painter and J.J. Jefferson were killed in the line of duty Tuesday, responding to a suspicious person report on the campus of Bridgewater College in western Virginia.

The suspect was captured alive and taken into custody.

Ever heard of Peleliu? Here's why it should mean something to you

Of late I've been reading, re-reading and listening to books about World War II, specifically the war in the Pacific, where, unlike the European theatre, the rules of the Geneva Convention were ignored. War itself is awful, brutal and a hellish thing, but even a cursory study of the war in the Pacific — waged in a series of attritional battles on tiny islands made of untenable topography — reveals unthinkable horrors. It left its brave survivors with a lifetime of nightmares.

Speaking of race: I broke the law 40 years ago, and my whiteness probably helped me get away with it ... now what?

The red and blue flashing lights cut through the darkness and scared the teenage hell out of us.

It was the middle of the night, well after midnight — probably after 2 in the morning, through the years have erased many of the details — and neither I nor my new friend had a valid reason to be where we were.

And neither of us had a valid driver’s license.

Wokeism meets the Second Amendment: Why did Yale kinda advocate for gun violence?

 

Yale School of Medicine

Academia gone mad.

No, seriously, this is borderline insanity.

It's bonkers, and highly disturbing … yet hardly shocking coming from an institution of higher learning.

The 60s called ... they said take that stupid mask off

Dr. Timothy Leary (New Yorker photo)

Yesterday I went to the drugstore and purposely didn't wear a mask. This was part defiance, part convenience.

I'm fully vaccinated, and growing tired of the charade of wearing a mask to make fearful people happy.

I got some dirty looks at the store, and maybe a few good-for-you looks, too. But when I got to the cashier, she was not happy.

Hate won't go away until you do this ...

Hate has always existed. It's nothing new.

It didn't begin with Donald Trump and it isn't going to end with Joe Biden. The notion that somehow hate speech and violence wasn't an issue prior to 2016 is delusional, and laughable if not so disconcerting.

Do this and win every time, guaranteed

I've got a secret. 

Keep this just between us, but uh, I know the secret to the perfect political strategy. 

It works every time, and it's remarkably simple.

Ready? Here it is:

Why LeBron must've missed some homework

Say this for LeBron James: If he’s not the greatest athlete walking the face of the Earth, he’s on the short list. And in keeping with someone so gifted, he’s got elite-level chutzpah.

Elite level.

If you’re expecting one of those “shut up and dribble” columns, wherein a writer demands a politically-active athlete to mute his or her opinions and simply play ball, keep searching. This isn’t what you’re looking for.

Like Trump, Limbaugh could be a bully and a jerk ... apparently you are, too

Reaction to Rush Limbaugh’s death Monday was as predictable as an eastern sunrise. Why, given the divisive nature of America in 2021 and the unsettling totalitarian bent of social media, would anyone expect anything different?

Honestly, did you expect Twitter or Facebook or anyone in the neo-Leftist universe to respond with dignity to the passing of a broadcasting legend? Did you expect even a modicum of respect toward Limbaugh’s family?

Quoting Dr. King on matters of race, and the simple way we can heal each other

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Last summer, as a lot of the George Floyd protests/riots broke out across America, I got into a debate with one of my sons. It began with back-and-fourth texting and ended with some harsh words over the phone. 

At one point he quoted Dr. Martin Luther King’s letter during his incarceration in Birmingham, Ala. It was — and is — a thoughtful quote from an insightful and sincere man of God.

We need more power, Scotty: Why nothing changed and how that might just destroy us

Contempt, condemnation and cancellation live on in 2021, just as they did in years past. Nothing has changed, and it sure seems unlikely anything will. 

Although I often try to pawn myself off as one, I’m no political genius (as I type those two words I suddenly see that expression for what it is: an oxymoron). So far it appears nothing has changed despite the recent regime switch.

And why would it?

Hammerin' Hank left a lasting impact on me, and the brick wall in my backyard

We all need a little Hank Aaron in our lives.

Especially in this day and age when we all seem to be at each other’s throats, looking for something to be mad at. Sadly, Hammerin’ Hank — the very definition of a baseball legend — died Friday at age 86. But his legacy lives on, like a beacon for the rest of us.

As a kid, I loved baseball — still do actually — and Hank was one of my favorites. The house I grew up in had a rather nondescript backyard. Our neighbors had a swimming pool in theirs, and I was jealous of that, especially on hot Texas summer days. But our backyard had something I used almost every day in the spring and summer.

How I lost my mind and my voice arguing politics, and why it can't happen again

I knew I was angry, obviously. I was yelling. I struggled to find words fast enough to keep pace with my raging mind. If there had been a mirror in front of me, I would’ve seen the flashes of anger in my eyes and I may well have become frightened by my fury.

If only I’d seen a mirror maybe what I’m about to write would be a moot point. But, unfortunately, I didn’t see a mirror, so I kept on getting angrier and angrier; wilder and wilder. I knew I was mad at my friend, one of the dearest I’ve had in my life; I knew I was saying some pretty angry things to him. But it wasn’t until later, after we’d hung up, that I realized I was on the verge of losing my voice. It was hoarse — and coarse — and my throat was sore.

C'mon, Joe, show us what you know ... step up and stop this impeachment charade

• "I represent all of you, whether you voted for me or against me. And I'm going to make sure you're represented."

• "(President Trump is) a very confused guy. He thinks he's running against someone else. He's running against Joe Biden. I beat all those other people because I disagreed with them."

• "Two hundred twenty thousand Americans dead. If you hear nothing else I say tonight, hear this … anyone that's responsible for that many deaths should not remain president of the United States of America."

The above are all quotes from Joe Biden during the final 2020 Presidential Debate.

The day I made Tommy Lasorda laugh

I became a Los Angeles Dodgers fan fairly late in life. In fact, you could probably accuse me of being a bandwagon jumper (I’m wincing just a little as I type the words). 

When the Kirk Gibson hit his famous home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the Oakland A's in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, it was easily one of the craziest things I'd ever seen in sports. I was already a serious baseball fan, but Gibson’s homer was just so astonishing — so exhilarating — I fell in love with Kirk, the Dodgers and famous manager Tommy Lasorda right then and there.

I’ve never looked back.

Considering what 2020 has taken from us, Tiger and Charlie Woods are a needed gift

I've been a big golf fan most of my life, though not a huge Tiger Woods fan, simply because at some point he just got a little too good and too popular (call me a contrarian, I guess). That certainly didn't mean I didn't respect what he could do out there, I just wanted to see other players win, and for a stretch, that didn't happen all that often. 

Politics of hypocrisy: Stop telling me about your humanity as you cancel people

Don't tell me how much you care about people who've been marginalized, dehumanized or disenfranchised. Don't tell me how much you care about the people whose voices aren't heard. Don't tell me how much you hate, hate. 

Don't tell me about all the moral high ground you own.
The plain truth is that you don't care, otherwise your ideals would at least be consistent. Your desire for unity and understanding rings hollow. It appears you either lost or never had the ability to self-evaluate. You're not nearly as compassionate as you think. 

Presidential debate: Welker fumbled on First Amendment, cast Trump as chump

At Thursday night's debate President Trump was asked a question about race, wherein moderator Kristen Welker referenced a statement he made advocating that NFL players should be fired for taking a knee during the National Anthem. Welker indicated that Trump wanted players fired for exercising their First Amendment right of free speech.

Intruding on a special moment: Let this image inspire you to be kinder today

What makes a powerful image? It has to convey something that touches the soul and elicits a strong, sometimes raw emotion. It is almost always candid and often simple.

This one is worth a thousand words ... and more.

How to make a difference: Let's make sure the good cops keep on protecting and serving their fellow human beings

I did not know Ogden Police officer Nate Lyday, but I know this: In the midst of the sort chaos, unrest and turmoil that has me, personally, struggling with genuine feelings of anxiety, I am comforted by the idea that there are brave men and women who run toward danger while others are running the other way from it. Even in today's divisive climate ... ESPECIALLY in today's divisive climate.

Officer Lyday, whose funeral took place yesterday in Ogden, Utah (a city that has come to mean so much to me), protected and served. And he gave his life doing so, responding to a May 28 domestic disturbance call. He was only 24 years old.