Sharing of Power

    While the axiom that “power corrupts” has shown its validity in many instances, it would not be fair to extrapolate that every person possessing power or occupying a position of power is corrupt. What might be closer to the general rule is that those holding power, without any effective checks or balances, have a tendency (if I might borrow a basketball term) to “hog the ball.”

   The test of power—and of integrity of character--is the degree in which there is a willingness to share it as opposed to hoarding it and using questionable means to perpetuate and institutionalize it.

   Our ancestors here in Michigan, no doubt aware of this weakness, crafted Constitutions—the latest one in 1961—that in their wisdom spread out power as much as possible.

July 4th & a Medicare Birthday

    Old age hath yet his honor and his toil.

Death closes all; but something ere the end, 

Some work of noble note, may yet be done.

Lord Alfred Tennyson—Ulysses

* * *

    Barring foul weather or an unforeseen circumstance, on July 4^th I’ll once again be standing next to the reviewing stand in Downtown Fowlerville with camera in hand. And as I’ve done numerous times before, I’ll look down Grand River at the approaching parade—the police car with its flashing lights will be leading the procession, followed by the Honor Guard marching in unison, the car with the Grand Marshals  waving to the crowd, and the rest of the line-up of participants.

    With this event, the fireworks show later that evening, and other activities, the community of Fowlerville will once again celebrate the nation’s founding.

The Middle Class- A Daydream or Worthy Vision?

    A young lady, writing of her future plans for a college scholarship application, indicated her intent to major in computer science.

     “I cannot wait to learn from experts in the field,” she stated, adding, “I believe that technology is such an important part of our lives, and that as we progress as a society, it is only going continue to grow in the way it impacts us.”

   Reading that statement, there’s no doubt of the excitement and optimism this soon-to-be high school graduate feels about what lies ahead. As for computer science, my guess is that she’s right; it will to continue to play an important role in the coming years. Whether the outcome of technological advances, in every case, will constitute “progress” remains to be seen.

Trying to Find the Why

    What is the why in your life?” That was the question asked by Mark Wilson, lead pastor at the Fowlerville United Brethren Church, at the recent meeting of the Fowlerville Business Association. Pastor Wilson was a guest speaker at the morning session and the overall theme of his talk was “Leadership: Intentional Living in Business & Life.”

   In his discussion on what motivates us in our work as well as our overall life—what we perceive as our purpose and what energizes us—he noted that many people have great ideas but fail to follow through with actions. In pursuing a more purposeful, fulfilling, and rewarding life, not only do we need to dream boldly, but at some point we ought to act upon those aspirations.

Kingsley Farms sell off milk cows: Way-of-life, for them, is over

     The rapid-fire cadence of the auctioneer, the buyers nodding their heads or raising their hands to put in a bid, the sound of the hammer hitting the gavel when a final price is reached, the word “Sold” serving as an exclamation mark to the end of the transaction, and one-by-one—as this sequence repeats itself--a herd of dairy cattle is dispersed.

   That was the scene on Friday, April 22, at the Kingsley Farms, located at the corner of Nicholson and Mohrle Roads in Conway Township, northwest of Fowlerville.

Long-Ago Sunday Afternoons in the Summer

Originally posted on Facebook on April 12--The past two afternoons I had journalistic duties beyond the comfort zone of Fowlerville; ones that required me to drive around for a couple of hours. To keep myself company, I tuned the radio. But instead of hearing music from the Oldies station or getting educated on NPR, I found a station broadcasting the Tigers’ games.

A Storm Approaches, But Afterwards There Is Light

  Originally posted on Facebook on March 31--As I look out the window of my room at this dwindling day, March is ending with an eerie western sky. The sound of thunder and the flash of lightning draw near. I’ve just recently checked out the news of the day on my computer, addict that I am. Politics dominate the headlines, mainly the Trumpster. I think fatigue is setting in. I feel lethargic. The senses can only stand so much assault.

Tracing the Family History

    Genealogy is a fascination for many people. Starting with the three most important people—me, myself and I--the researcher starts tracing his or her tiny branch back to ever larger offshoots with the goal of finding their roots. But, of course, there are a lot of branches to follow in this pursuit when you start factoring in the paternal and maternal sides of the equation. Two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents—all of the related kin--and pretty soon it seems that everyone’s a shirttail relation. Like the chronologies in the Old Testament, there’s a lot of begetting.

Return of Spring

     (Note: This column appeared in the May-June 1990 issue of Hortons’ Country Reader, a magazine that we published for a couple of years.)

* * *

    As I begin this piece I’m sitting in my backyard, just outside the sliding glass door. It’s seven o’clock in the morning, and the warm weather has been with us, here in Michigan, for a few days now. 

History: Some Points to Ponder

     “History is not made only by kings and parliaments, presidents, wars, and generals. It is the story of people, of their love, honor, faith, hope and suffering; of birth and death, of hunger, thirst and cold, of loneliness and sorrow.”— Louis L’Amour.

* * *

    “What is history but a fable agreed upon?”                             

                                                             --Napoleon Bonaparte

* * *

On Becoming “Slightly” Addicted to Facebook

    A confession.

  

  I’ve become “slightly” addicted to Facebook. A few years ago, long after the young folks had discovered and embraced this new form of social media and after a number of older, more hip, computer-savvy users had realized this platform offered a great way to share photos and otherwise keep up with distant family and friends, I wandered in and set up an account.

A Few Thoughts on the Michigan Presidential Primary

   I don’t consider myself particularly qualified to be a political pundit, mainly because I get most of my information the same way the rest of the public does—reading newspapers, watching news on TV, and listening to interview shows on the radio. However, the guys and gals who are regarded as knowledgeable in this field, who earn the big bucks offering their learned prognostications for public consumption, haven’t exactly been setting the world on fire.

  Conventional wisdom, it seems, has been taking its lumps.

The Presidential Campaign: What Say I?

It All Happened So Fast Back Then—Part 1

    It all happened so fast back then. The National Socialist German Workers Party, led by Adolf Hitler, had been barely a blimp on the radar screen of German politics during the 1920s. But with the arrival of the Great Depression, with millions out-of-work, with the democratic Weimar Republic viewed as weak and chaotic, with many conservatives worried the Communists might gain control as they had in neighboring Russia, and with the defeat in World War I and the reparation payments to the victorious allies still a bitter pill being swallowed, the Nazis gained traction.

Political & Public Advocacy— From Pamphlets to the Internet

         Abraham Lincoln, when speaking at Gettysburg, cited the nation’s founding as occurring with the Declaration of Independence, a document approved on July 4, 1776 by the Second Continental Congress which was meeting in Philadelphia. He noted that the country, at its inception, had been “dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

  In using July 4^th and the Declaration as the date and document that “brought forth” the country, he was putting it above the Constitution, the legal agreement ratified by the original 13 states in 1788, five years after the successful conclusion of the Revolutionary War; a contract that had created the current federal government and might arguably be considered the real start of the United States.

The Importance of Understanding Economics

   Like most of you, my life has been influenced and impacted by the economy, both adversely and beneficially. However, truth be told, I possess only a rudimentary understanding of how it functions.

     I’m aware that economic policies and strategies are used by the Federal Reserve Board, the President and Congress, and our Governor and Legislature with the intent of causing certain desired outcomes. These include monetary policy, job creation, trade agreements, taxation, tax credits, budgets, regulations, and much more.

Lack of Easy Access to Quality Food Adds to Flint’s Woes

     Flint’s water crisis has been a dominant news story during the past few months. Front and center were the reports of high lead levels found in water samples, which do not bode well for young children who ingested too much of this neurotoxin and could suffer long-term damage to their mental and physical development .

     Added to this public health calamity is the suspicion that the water caused Legionnaires’ disease, resulting in several deaths. In addition, there were the claims by residents that bathing or showering caused skin rashes. The question of accountability—what happened and why— while not nearly as crucial as the well being of the residents, has also been part of the news stories. And despite pleas to not point fingers of blame or allow partisan politics to enter into the fray (Let’s focus on solving the problem instead), heads have already rolled, lawsuits have been filed, political spinning is in full force, and the tug-of-war over blame (or perhaps more accurately over who’s more to blame) is churning up the landscape.

Rose Hamlin Tennis: Still Teaching

This was the photo of Rose Hamlin Tennis in her book
The School That Was: A School Marm's Tale

     On an afternoon, sometime in 1990, I was at my desk when Rose Hamlin Tennis walked into our newspaper office. I offered her a chair opposite me.  Rose, who passed way in September of 1995, needs no introduction to many readers, but if you are unfamiliar with her, she taught school for 35 years—from 1931 through 1967—with many of them spent at the Fowlerville High School and Junior High. I was among her legion of former students.

Gov. Snyder ‘tone deaf’ with hiring of national public relations firm

    An article in this past Saturday’s Detroit Free Press reported that Gov. Rick Snyder has hired Mercury LLC,  a national public relations firm known for its expertise in crisis management, to “help with communications during the Flint water crisis.” In addition, the governor also hired another communications expert, Bill Nowling, who is a former Snyder press secretary and also worked for former Detroit emergency manager Kevyn Orr.

    The announcement was made by Snyder’s current chief of staff, Jarrod Agen, who (oh, by the way) is married to Mercury LLC’s senior vice president. The article noted that she operates out of the firm’s Ft. Lauderdale, Florida office. So, we had a spokesman telling us that additional spokespersons have been hired to speak to us. The familiar put down “How many people does it take to change a light bulb?” comes to mind.

Covering Michigan State of the State address remains an enjoyable occasion

  We have been to several State of the State addresses in recent years. It’s an enjoyable occasion as well as a nice break from our normal (at times mundane) routine of providing a newspaper for the local audience.

    An aura of excitement permeates the Michigan Capitol building on this evening, much of it coming from the invited guests who have been allowed access to this center of political and governmental power. Reporters aren’t supposed to cheer in the press box, so I disguise any hint that the event is anything other than journalistic business as usual.

Michigan may have impact in current presidential campaign

 The presidential campaign, now on the eve of the caucus and primary season, has reached (to borrow a phrase from Winston Churchill) "the end of the beginning." During the just completed year, the would-be successors to President Obama have announced their availability, held rallies and shook hands, spent a lot of energy courting wealthy donors and key interest groups and participated in several debates.

  Reality, in the form of poll numbers and cash-on-hand, has forced several of the contenders to withdraw before any actual decision making has taken place. After the upcoming Iowa Caucus on Feb. 1 and the New Hampshire Primary on Feb. 9, the field will presumably be whittled down even further.