Radical Thinking
I seldom agree with Cal Thomas, the syndicated editorial writer. However, his piece titled, Wage War on Radical Islamists, which appeared in the 13 November 2009 issue of the Lansing State Journal, raised a valid point. That is, we in America do need to fear being killed by radicals. His editorial centered upon the recent massacre on Fort Hood Army Base. The perpetrator, Major Nidal Malik Hasan was Muslim. As he shot and killed 13 people and wounded 29 others he is alleged to have yelled Allahu Akbar—Allah is Great. It is also reported he often dressed in Muslim clothing and recen

Thank You For Your Service
In 1968, at the age of 18, I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Four years later I was honorable discharged at the rank of Sergeant. I did not serve in combat but did serve overseas. I am proud to have been a Marine. Occasionally I meet people who, upon learning I was a Marine, tell me, “thank you for your service.” This is meant well, although their thank you is always tinged with guilt. People learned after Vietnam not to visit their dislike of America’s misguided politics and wasted wars upon the veterans who had to fight them. I am conflicted about being thanked for my military service. Should I be gracious and accept it? Or should I tell the person to st

What is Socialism?
From where Kate and I were sitting we couldn’t help hearing their conversation. The two couples, like us, were in the railcar at Clara’s Depot restaurant, for a late Sunday afternoon dinner. One of the men asked the other couple, “What do you think about this health care thing?” One of the women replied. “It sounds like socialism to me.” This past week Nidal Hasan was alleged to have  killed 13 people and wounded 29 at Fort Hood in Texas. Presumably those victims who are active duty military will have their medical expenses paid for by the United States Government. Should their wounds force them out of the service they will likely be eligible for continuing benefits t

Another September 11
September 11, 2009 began much like that terrible morning eight years ago. I rode my bicycle along Lansing’s River Walk to my wife’s office. The sky was blue and the air crisp, just like it had been when the Twin Towers were struck. On that day I had not known the planes had crashed into the Word Trade Center until I walked into Kate’s office and she and Stacy told me the “we (the United States) are under attack.”  I was stunned. This September 11th I was stunned when I arrived home and checked my email. A message from my sister tersely read, “somebody killed the sign guy, across from the high school.” The “sign guy” was a fixture in Owosso, Mi

In Black and White
Backyard Memories Black and white photography is neither inferior or superior to color photography. Each has its merits. However black and white photography allows the photographer to explore form and light in ways that color prevents or obscures. A particular quality of the black and white photograph is its ability to immediately confer an aura of nostalgia on its subject—to remove it from and lock it in time, principally by the reduction of local color to a range of gr