Vol. 12 No. 40 -- The Nightmare Before Christmas
December 21, 2018
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We are living the Nightmare Before Christmas - and I am not writing about a silly Tim Burton movie. In just the last few hours, the dumpster fire known as Donald Trump has unilaterally without forethought and warning undermined American credibility by announcing via Twitter an abrupt pullout of American forces in Syria. Trump says ISIS is defeated and it is time for our troops to come home. He is getting ready to do the same thing in Afghanistan. Almost everyone in the U.S. military and the Western world disagrees. (Echoes of "Mission Accomplished.") However, Vladimir Putin says "Donald is right" - which, alone, should be enough to give one pause as to the wisdom of this action. To add insult to injury, President Bone Spur made  a video statement evoking the memory of Americans killed in action as justification for an action that undermines everything for which those brave Americans fought and died. That apparently was the straw that broke the camel's back and forced Defense Secretary James Mattis - often referred to as "the only adult in the room" - to resign in protest. Unfortunately, that was not the only chaos emanating from the puzzle palace once known as the White House. Facing pressure from Fox News and other Republican wingnuts, our ever-erratic president reversed himself and vowed to not sign a budget resolution unless it has $5 billion earmarked for a southern border wall that 60 percent of Americans do not want. As this is being written, the federal government is careening toward a partial shutdown with no resolution in sight.  One could say the situation is fluid, much like urine flowing down a Washington, D.C., back alley. All of this uncertainty has sent the NYSE 30 Industrial Index down 1,700 points in just four days. (So much for our 401Ks.) Trump has lifted sanctions against against a Russian oligarch who also happened to be the intermediary in the now infamous Trump Tower Moscow deal. (I wonder if he has the pee-pee tape?) Evidence also has emerged that Trump's acting attorney general and attorney general-designate may be gearing up to derail Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Donald Trump's growing portfolio of high crimes and misdemeanors. (There are 17 - count them - 17 federal investigations currently underway against the Trump crime family.)  Impeachment is the air. And, as noted in my last post, so is revolution. As this rattled republic prepares to plunge into a new year, there are dozens of red flags telling us that the United States is headed into the greatest constitutional crisis it has known since the Civil War. Instead of singing "Silent Night" in these hours before Christmas, many Americans are having restless nights wondering how things could have gotten this bad - and dangerous.

Vol. 12 No. 39 -- Dark Clouds, Weighty Questions
December 14, 2018
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Remember January 21, 2017? That was the day after Donald Trump's inauguration as the 45th President of the United States. It was also the day most people in the nation were introduced to Trump's first press secretary, Sean Spicer. Remember "Spicey" and how he used his first White House media briefing to tell easily discredited lies about the size of Trump's inaugural crowd? That briefing set the tone for the dumpster fire of an administration that followed. At last count, the Washington Post has estimated that Trump has told more than 6,000 lies as president. Finally, those lies appear to be catching up with him. People who were once considered close friends and allies of Trump are cutting deals and testifying against him to save their own skins. With their cooperation has come thousands of documents and recordings that collaborate their  statements. (One can't but wonder how long it will be before the Russians decide to cut their losses and release the "pee pee tape.") Yes, Trump is being cornered. But let us not forget that a cornered animal is also a dangerous animal - especially when that animal has absolutely no moral compass. Say what you want about Richard Nixon. But he knew when it was in the country's (and his own) interests to resign. And that was before the whole House had an opportunity to vote for his impeachment. While pressure is clearly building on Trump, I don't see him voluntarily giving up power. If anything, I see him inappropriately and unconstitutionally using his power to maintain his stranglehold on the executive branch of the U.S. government. He's even suggested that his impeachment will result of a violent outburst from his supporters - a new low in American political discourse. The Supreme Court soon may be forced to deal with some weighty questions. Can the president pardon himself? Can he be allowed to use the power of the pardon to obstruct investigations into his own criminal conduct? Can a sitting president be indicted? If not, does the clock on the statute of limitations continue to run while he is in the safe harbor of the presidency or can he escape prosecution by being reelected? Even more frightening questions may confront the U.S. military. Is it willing to ignore unlawful orders given by the president? Will the military obey lawful directions provided by either the Congress or the Supreme Court? Is the military loyal to the man or the Constitution? (I'd like to think the latter.) Democrats need to ask themselves if they are willing to act upon evidence or will be driven by their intense hatred for Trump? If Trump didn't collude with Russia, are they willing to admit it? As for the Republican party, there is one fundamental question to be answered: Where does your greatest loyalty lie, with the party or with the country? (Outgoing U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch of Nevada - the longest serving republican U.S. senator in history - suggested this week that Trump comes first.) Storm clouds will soon be upon us - perhaps before the Democrats assume control of the House in January. The answers to these questions will determine the future - and perhaps the existence - of our republic. We should pray everyone involved gets the answers right.

Vol. 12 No. 38 -- George H.W. Bush
December 1, 2018
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I woke up this morning to the sad, albeit inevitable news that George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st President of the United States, died overnight at the age of 94. His death comes as no surprise as he has been in failing health for some time. When one strips away the partisanship that naturally accompanies anyone who seeks elective office, we are left with the memory of a true American hero. Born of privilege, President Bush followed his father's admonition toward a lifetime of public service. He was not only our last president to serve during the Second World War, but he was a distinguished combat pilot. He was shot down in September 1944 after attacking Japanese installations in the South Pacific. Had the Japanese caught him, they would have killed him as they did with other downed pilots. Having flown 58 combat missions, Bush was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and three air medals. After the war, he went to Yale, where he served as captain of the baseball team and played in the first two College World Series. After a stint in the oil business, Bush embarked on a distinguished career of public service as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, ambassador to the United Nations, chairman of the Republican National Committee, liaison to the the People's Republic of China, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, two terms as Vice President of the United States and one term as President of the United States. After the presidency, Bush was a tireless fund raiser, especially in the area of disaster relief. He was also the founder of the Points of Light Foundation, which encourages global volunteerism. In my lifetime, there has been no other person better qualified to have served as president.  While his predecessor Ronald Reagan deserves much credit for the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, it was George H.W. Bush's patience and intellect that helped provide a soft landing for our former adversaries and created a period of stability. When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, Bush engineered a multi-national coalition to restore order in the Middle East. Most notably, he did not go beyond the war's stated objectives -- something none of his successors, including his son, have understood. Domestically, Bush vigorously supported passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, a civil right law that prohibits discrimination based on physical disability. Bush lost the presidency when he relented to democrat demands, broke a campaign promise and supported a tax increase in 1990. It made a lot of people angry. However, under the circumstances - the threat of a Middle East war and economic uncertainty at home - it was the right thing to do.  And that, in a nutshell, was President Bush. He tried to do the right thing. Sure, he made mistakes. He was human. And perhaps more than any of his predecessors or successors in the Oval Office, George H. W. Bush embraced that humanity. And our nation is much better for it.

Vol. 12 No. 37 -- Thankful
November 27, 2018
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Being a widow or widower is an experience like none other. While the marriages of surviving spouses may run the spectrum of lousy to great, they all (with few exceptions) share the fact that the end of the marriage was involuntary and beyond their control. I cannot describe the emptiness that comes with the loss of the love of your life. However, time passes and most (but not all) wounds heal. Those like me who are lucky enough to find love again also confront very real fears. When one remarries, there is lingering doubt about being unfaithful to the departed spouse. Fortunately for me, a close family friend relayed to me a conversation she had during a walk with my wife Jan a few months prior to her death. In it, Jan said that if anything happened to her, she'd want me to be happy and hoped that I'd remarry. (I'd have felt the same for her.) That knowledge lifted a huge burden from my shoulders. When a widow/widower remarries, there is also the reaction of the children to consider. I would have had difficulty finding happiness if my daughter hadn't approved of my new partner. And I know that my second wife Maureen shared the same concerns in regard to her son and daughter-in-law. Again, our union was blessed to receive acceptance and love from our children. This past Thanksgiving weekend provided even more evidence of the bonding within Maureen's and my blended family. On Saturday night, I sat on the living room floor playing with my three grandchildren.  While Nolan, 9, Mary, 7, and I were entertaining my infant granddaughter Marlee, the remaining adults - including my daughter's husband of two years - sat at the kitchen table talking and laughing. It was joyful noise and evidence of a powerful bond being built. While I never doubted that my daughter and I would emerge from the overwhelming grief that comes with the loss of a deeply loved mother and wife, last Saturday night's giggle-fest was tangible proof that we had done it. E pluribus unum - out of many, one. We had become a family. And as thankful as I am for that, I am equally comforted in the knowledge that Jan was looking down on us with her loving approval.

Vol. 12 No. 36 -- "When Will We Ever Learn?"
November 11, 2018
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One hundred years ago today, the "War to End All Wars" ended. But did it? Not really. In the century since the armistice ending World War I, this world has repeatedly slipped into more - and often more deadly - armed conflicts. An estimated 17 million people died during the so-called "Great War." However, that's just of fraction of the 73 million people killed during the Second World War. And let's not forget the civil wars, the genocides, the "police actions," religious wars, the wars of liberation and the wars against extremists. The fact is that humanity has spent more time in armed conflict during the past century than it has enjoyed peace. The United States has had more than its fair share of war since the end of WWI. Most of the time, we were provoked into taking up arms. World War II was a righteous crusade that saved civilization from a new dark age of totalitarianism. But even that became a Faustian bargain. The aftershocks of the world's bloodiest war are still being felt seven decades after its conclusion. Perhaps the most important thing we should have learned from WWI is that everyone on this planet lives within a global community. The First World War was the product of a series of miscommunications and miscalculations among nations arrogantly looking after their own self-interests. The world literally stumbled into that war. When it was over, the world ignored two important lessons from earlier wars. If the Allied Nations had followed the example of General U.S. Grant and showed mercy and reconciliation toward a vanquished enemy, they would not have accelerated conditions in Germany that ultimately led to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Another lesson we seem to have forgotten is the danger of unbridled nationalism. While we need to protect our national values and heritage, there is great danger when we do so in the extreme. The "America First" movement prior to U.S. involvement in WWII did as much to bring that war to our shores as it did to keep us in ignorant isolation. The irony is that as I write this, the President of the United States, in Paris for the centennial of the WWI armistice, continues to spew his own version of "America First." In his jingoistic attempt to "Make America Great Again," he fails to understand that American greatness comes from its willingness to open its doors to new ideas and new people. America has been at its greatest when it acted as a responsible global leader providing moral leadership. However, the MAGA movement has shunned our traditional allies, given aid and comfort to our enemies, perverted the notion of American exceptionalism and rendered us impotent on the world stage. And that's a recipe for yet another great war. In his haunting protest song Where Have All The Flowers Gone?, Pete Seeger wrote about the never-ending cycle that leads humanity to a near-constant state of war and death. And at the end of the song, he asks the most important question: "When will we ever learn?" When will we ever learn?

Vol. 12 No. 35 -- The Midterms
November 7, 2018
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Congratulations, Mr. President!  You have done it! You have made America great again! The American people have rewarded your heroic leadership with a landslide election in the 2018 midterm elections. Nancy Pelosi and her Democrat mob have been turned back at the border. The Big Blue Wave has hit a Bigger Red Wall. And that's no surprise, since you are a genius when it comes to building walls.  Your victory is HUGE.  The lyin' Democrats are SAD. You are the Greatest President of All-Time. All Hail The Donald! And, oh, wait a minute. Scratch that. Sorry Donald, this isn't the election night of your dreams. Actually, it is a nightmare of your own creation. Your foul-mouthed, nationalistic, race-baiting fervor has just run smack into good, old American values. The American heart isn't as dark and bleak as you proclaimed. We are not the cold, soulless trolls you would have the world believe. We the People believe the American Promise is all-inclusive and not a whites-only club. Trump lost the House of Representatives to the Democrats - including one seat in what was once ruby-red Kansas. Unfortunately, neo-con - with an emphasis on con - Steve Watkins edged out Democrat Paul Davis in the Kansas Second District.  (What is it about Republicans supporting unqualified pathological liars?) Take comfort in the knowledge that three words are going to give our president heartburn: Democrat subpoena power. (How about three more words: subpoenaed tax returns?) Predictably, Trump is going to blame Speaker Paul Ryan for losing the House and crow that he, alone, kept the Senate in Republican control. But has he? The 2020 math is an exact opposite of 2018 - there will be a lot more Republicans who will be defending their seats in two years than Democrats. This raises the interesting question: How far are these Republican senators willing to put their necks on the line for Trump - especially if the Democrats successfully chip away at Trump's wall of lies and obstructions? And the Democrats don't have to overreach: They don't have to impeach Trump to render him politically impotent. The Democrats have also made some gains in gubernatorial races - including Kansas. That one is especially sweet in that Trump's lap-dog Kris Kobach has been sent packing. Even ultra-conservative Wichita rejected Kobach's racist crusade against immigrants and voters of color. The midterm election wasn't a complete repudiation of President Trump. But it is a serious setback, one that could eventually spell the end of his presidency. But, in the name of good sportsmanship, I should be magnanimous. So, Mr. Trump, better luck next time. Oh, wait a minute. Scratch that.

Vol. 12 No. 34 -- What Trumpism Says About Us
October 20, 2018
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There is a remarkably prescient and depressing cover article in the October 22 edition of Time. In a nutshell, writer Sam Tanenhaus says that the nationalistic populist fervor that Donald Trump has ignited in his core of supporters will probably outlast his presidency. Farmers, evangelicals and the business community are willing to accept crudeness and behavior that they normally would not tolerate because of the President's ability to advance policies important to them. Farmers are willing to suffer losses from Trump's reckless trade war because he has dismantled environmental rules they object. Evangelicals are willing to emulate Pontius Pilate and ignore Trump's moral depravity because of his willingness to stack the Supreme Court with conservative judges. The business community is willing to live with disruptions as long as it gets the deregulation and tax breaks it craves. In short, these groups see Trump as an instrument to promote their self interests - in much the same manner as the German Dye Trust lent its support to Adolf Hitler. (How did that work out?) And I am not making a reckless rhetorical comparison between our volatile President and the despotic dictator. What was Hitler's playbook? He came to power with the support of only a minority of citizens. Then he spouted unbridled racism, incited violence against his enemies, blamed non-citizens for the ills of society, and attacked traditional institutions such as the church, the police and journalism. In doing so, he built a cult of personality around himself. Sound familiar? It has never been about "Making America Great Again." It's all about power and Donald Trump's ego. And yet, a sizable minority of Americans blindly support this shadow Fuhrer because he looks after their self-interests. What makes this disturbing is that this support seems to ignore the defining self-interests of this nation - American values. Yes, we waged a revolution in 1776 as a reaction to oppressive British taxes. But that was only half of the equation. It wasn't the taxes we minded. It was that we had not been given any voice in the decision. For the first time in human history, we championed the rights of individuals over the presumed divine rights of kings and queens. We said "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are live, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The rabid support of Trump's unflinching nationalist and jingoistic policies is nothing less than an abandonment of those values. And that says more about us than it does about Trump.

Vol. 12 No. 33 -- Laura Kelly for Governor
October 12, 2018
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Kris Kobach won the Republican nomination for Kansas governor in August despite the fact that most Republican voters cast their ballots for someone else. There is a real danger that the same scenario will play out during next month's general election. Kobach is engaged in a tightly contested three-way battle with Democrat Laura Kelly and Independent Greg Orman. In the primary, almost 19 percent of the vote was split among four minor candidates, none of whom had a realistic chance of winning. Considering their stances on the issues, it is highly likely that a large majority of their votes would have gone to Kobach's main rival, Governor Jeff Colyer.  Instead, Kobach squeaked in by a few hundred votes. Now, it is Greg Orman, a self-proclaimed Independent who gave Republican Sen. Pat Roberts a run for his money a couple of years ago, who now plays the spoiler. Orman calls himself an independent. I think he is a spineless manipulator who thinks avoiding party labels frees him from taking any hard positions - other than saying "I can work with both sides." A vote for Orman is a vote for Kobach. Period. Bank on it. And what happens if Kobach becomes governor? Nothing good. Don't get me wrong: Kris Kobach is a very smart man. A friend of mine who knows him and has squared off against him in court says Kobach has a brilliant legal mind. For me, the problem with Kobach is his moral compass - one that is always pointing inward toward himself. His history of personal financial dealings, legal/political consulting and his service as Kansas secretary of state leads one to an inevitable conclusion: Kris Kobach's highest priority is to look out for Kris Kobach. His support of Donald Trump's immigration and trade policies is morally indefensible. It should also be a red flag for anyone involved in agribusiness in Kansas. Kobach has shown himself to be an enemy of public education. And, as he rides in parades in a Jeep with a mounted machine gun on the back, he has shown himself to be incredibly tone deaf. That leaves us with Laura Kelly, a relatively uninspiring Democrat with some conservative tendencies. For example, I think she panders to the right on the issue of gun control. However, considering her opponents, Laura Kelly is the only adult in the room who can provide a counterbalance to the Susan Wagel-led Radical Republicans in the Kansas General Assembly. I think she can forge a coalition of moderate Republicans and Democrats to bring an end to Brownback-era budgeting that has wrecked Kansas schools, highways and economy.  If you vote for Laura Kelly, you will vote for a restoration of sanity in Kansas politics. If you vote for Greg Orman, you are really voting for Kris Kobach. And if you vote for Kris Kobach, may God have mercy upon you. You are going to need it.

Vol. 12 No. 32 -- Democracy's Fine Line
September 29, 2018
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Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) was the subject of a compelling drama that played out on live television yesterday. On his way to the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing room to vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's nomination, Flake was trapped in an elevator while two women who oppose Kavanaugh's nomination angerly screamed at him. Shortly thereafter, Flake turned the Capitol on its head by delaying a final vote of the full Senate on Kavanaugh until after an FBI investigation into sexual assaults allegedly committed by the nominee. To those who oppose the Kavanaugh nomination, this was an example of how elected officials must answer to the people in a democracy. To those who favor the nominee, this was dangerous moment in which physical confrontation took the place of meaningful dialogue. Both views are correct. While having the courage to take on the powerful is commendable, the manner in which those two women behaved sets a dangerous precedent. While it may not have been in the nature of the two women involved, it is not hard to imagine a confrontation of that intensity boiling over into physical violence. That is the antithesis of democracy. I know of what I speak. As a public figure (broadcast reporter), a public official (spokesman for North Carolina's prisons) and as a public critic of our nation's gun policies, I have had my life threatened on numerous occasions by people who would tell you with a straight face that they love God and believe in the Golden Rule. You won't release my son from prison? I am coming to your office and I'll kick your ass. You report unfavorable news about me? I'll kill your dog. You favor gun control? I know where you live and I will kill you. (All true examples.) We find our nation in a dangerous place, one where we profess to believe in democratic institutions but show absolutely no faith toward them. This didn't start with Donald Trump. However, he has exploited and amplified those divisions in the pursuit of personal wealth, power and vanity. That's why a majority of Americans oppose his maniacal rule. Hopefully, the November midterm elections can serve as a pressure valve to release some of the pressure on the body politic. However, I doubt it will. The patient may still die even if we remove the cancer residing in the White House. At some point, the moderates in both the Republican and Democratic parties have to become the adults in the room and tamp down this madness.

Vol. 12 No. 31 -- An Inevitable Decision
September 18, 2018
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Today, I submitted paperwork that will eventually result in my retirement from the University of Kansas on December 31, 2019.  I will not bore you with all of the particulars that went into the making of this momentous - at least for me - decision.  But it boils down to a realization that the time is right to transition into the next phase of my life. On the day I retire, I will be 67-years-old and would have been a member of the faculty at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications for 28 and one-half years. It will also be 47 years after my graduation from college to pursue careers in broadcast journalism, public relations and academia. It was in this space on October 19 of last year that I first raised what I called at the time "the R word." Many of the questions I asked on that day have been answered to my satisfaction. There is of course, a question that remains unanswered: What's next? I've been giving a lot of thought to that. I haven't come to any conclusions, yet. But there is comfort in knowing that my pathway is clear and that I now know where the finish line is located. Making the decision to retire is one of the biggest anyone makes in his or her lifetime. It's right up there with the decision of who one should marry. (I did a damn good job when it came to making that decision - twice.) The unspoken truth of this is that retirement is an acknowledgement of entering one's final phase of life. And just how long that phase will last is anyone's guess. While my health could be better, it is getting better. So why not make hay while the sun shines? I figure that anyone who sits around worrying about when the end is going to come only hastens that finale.  When I told a colleague yesterday of my decision to retire, he said he wished he could join me.  I joked, "It's not that easy. No one gets out alive!" But now that I think about it, there's a lot more wisdom in that statement than I had originally intended. The fact is that no one gets out of this world alive. The end is inevitable. So, milking life for everything it's got seems to be the best answer. And it also seems to be the best rationale for this decision that I have made.

Vol. 12 No. 30 -- Better Than a Hallmark Movie
September 10, 2018
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If anyone needs proof of the majesty and drama of sports, I offer into evidence this past weekend. On Saturday, both KU and UK ended long-embarrassing losing streaks. Clemson and Texas A&M engaged in a nail-biting thriller. Colorado State scored 17 fourth-quarter points - including seven in the final seconds - to upset Arkansas. And, in tennis, there was that very-human dust-up between Serena Williams and a combative chair umpire in the U.S. Open Women's Final. (What the hell was THAT all about?) On Sunday, both Cleveland and Pittsburgh did everything they could to lose their game - and failed at that. In the third quarter, Aaron Rodgers rose from the dead to resurrect the Green Bay Packers. And someone forgot to tell Ryan Fitzpatrick that he is Tampa Bay's BACKUP quarterback. Yes, you can't beat live sporting events for drama and intrigue. However, that's not a view universally shared in my household. She, whom I love and do not wish to cross, dislikes sports (except KU basketball). She'd much rather be watching a Hallmark movie. But how can anything be considered "drama" when it is so predictable? Here is the plot line of your typical Hallmark move: Man/woman facing personal doubts comes back to childhood hometown to visit parents. There, he/she meets someone who he/she initially dislikes. However, through a seemingly never-ending slowly-evolving series of adventures, the two become close. Just when it seems they are headed for a happy ending, a crisis occurs, the man/woman must leave town and the happy union appears to be unequivocally wrecked. However, that man/woman has a sudden epiphany, reunites with that special someone, decides to stay in their childhood hometown and - yes - they live happily ever after. Too predictable. In real life, there are no guarantees of a happy ending. Just ask any Buffalo Bills fan. Live sports on television are better than most scripted dramas because of their authenticity. It is for that very same reason that reality TV is popular. (Although there is a lot of Kardashianesque reality TV that is a waste of electrons and protons.) Sure, I will admit that I got hooked on some Hallmark "Christmas in August" movies while recovering from surgery this summer.  But I had to stop watching - lest I fall into a diabetic coma. I acknowledge that there are different strokes for different folks. But the manufactured tension of unrequited love on a movie set set filled with fake snow can not match the drama of sudden death overtime.

Vol. 12 No. 29 -- Shared Hypocrisy
September 5, 2018
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Colin Kaepernick is like a bug bite that constantly demands to be itched: Annoying, but real. Ever since the former NFL quarterback chose to kneel during the national anthem in protest to the death of black men at the hands of police, he has been a lightning rod of controversy. Opponents (including the President, Sergeant Bone Spur) claim he is disrespecting the flag and the people who have died to protect it. Supporters say Kaepernick's actions represent the exercise of freedoms that the flag symbolizes. And now Nike has weighed in by making the out-of-work quarterback the face of its 30th anniversary "Just Do It!" campaign. I have stayed away from this controversy - until now. My take: Big Damn Deal. Let's start with Kaepernick, who claims he has been denied a job in the NFL because of his protests. Everyone seems to forget that Kaepernick had been benched by the San Francisco 49ers weeks before the start of this controversy. He had been exposed for what he really is, a mediocre athlete. There's probably truth that NFL clubs don't want him. Who wants to bring in an underperforming athlete who could poison the locker room and alienate much of the fan base? However - and let me be clear on this - Kaepernick's protest is justified by events and is a legitimate exercise of free expression. Let's not focus on the protest and forget about the underlying tragedies that sparked it in the first place. There is plenty of hypocrisy to go around. Many of the people who claim to be making a bold protest of their own by burning Nike products are the same people who blindly support Donald Trump - a treasonous, sexual offending, racist, swamp-filling unindicted co-conspirator who couldn't bring it upon himself to properly observe the passing of true American hero John McCain last week.  Is Nike making a bold social statement? Sure. But this isn't about social justice. It's about marketing. The people who are offended by the company's advertising are not the people buying Nike shoes. (And if you want to destroy Nike products you have already paid for, you go right ahead and do it. It's your right - and Nike will make more.) This controversy, fueled by a president trying to distract the nation from the criminal enterprise we laughingly refer to as the Trump Administration, is not worthy of our attention. If you really love this country, take some positive steps to address the ills that undermine its moral authority. Don't wrap yourself in its flag and make it a cloak of hypocrisy.

Vol. 12 No. 28 -- John McCain
August 26, 2018
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In many ways, I identify with the late Senator John McCain. Like McCain, who passed away last night following a heroic struggle against brain cancer, I can be stubborn, quick to anger, fiercely loyal, willing to stand on principle even when unpopular, unafraid to make fun of myself, willing to admit my flaws and errors, and owning a deep, abiding faith in American democracy. After that, the comparison falls apart. John McCain was an American hero in every sense of the word. As a naval officer, elected representative and private citizen, McCain defined the word courage. One need only watch his concession speech after losing the 2008 presidential election to measure the quality of man he was. On that night, he overcame his personal disappointment to seize the moment America elected its first black president.  His sincere and gracious call for unity sent a strong signal to the rest of the world about the kind of nation we were and the kind of man he was.  Here's a man who was unmercifully tortured while being held as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. Yet, a generation later, he led the effort to normalize relations between the United States and its former enemy.  Sure, McCain had his flaws.  He made some political calculations that, in hindsight, he would come to regret. Frankly, I did not support him during either of his two runs for the presidency. My decision to support Barack Obama over McCain in 2008 was, perhaps, the most difficult political choice of my life (Vol.2 No. 26). I think the right man won that election. But note that I didn't say the best man. That's because they were both good men. In fact, one of the most memorable moments of that campaign was McCain defending Obama against a constituent's claim that the Democratic nominee was an Arab. John McCain saved his best for last. Diagnosed with a terminal illness, it would have been understandable had he chosen to retreat to his Arizona ranch to play out the end of his days. However, even from a position of weakness, he chose to lead. He came back to Washington to cast the deciding vote against his own party's ill-considered and ineffectual health care reform legislation. He spoke out against the torture of enemy combatants in Iraq. And, in one of his last public statements, scolded President Trump for his disgraceful performance at the recent Helsinki summit with Vladimir Putin. In the end, he positively spoke about celebrating what he called a wonderful life. He set an example I hope I can follow when my time comes. McCain will be buried in Annapolis, Maryland, at his beloved Alma mater, the United States Naval Academy. In the words of Eternal Father a/k/a the Naval Hymn, "O Holy Spirit, who did not brood upon the waters dark and rude. And bid their angry tumult cease, and give for wild confusion peace. O hear us when we cry to thee for those in peril on the sea."

Vol. 12 No. 27 -- An Open Letter to Mike Pence
August 19, 2018
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Dear Mr. Vice President - While you and I may disagree on a variety of public policy issues, we have much in common.  We love our country. We seek to lead moral lives. We believe in the basic American values of religious freedom, justice and equality. And we will defend our nation against all enemies, foreign or domestic. It is on this common ground that I am asking you to take a courageous and heroic step. I am asking you to bring together the Cabinet and evoke the Twenty-Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Specifically, I want to you remove Donald Trump from the presidency on the grounds of mental instability and the clear-and-present danger he poses to the administration of justice. There is a growing body of mental health professionals in this country who believe that Trump no longer possesses the mental capacity to safely guide this nation through through this present period of crisis. His Twitter feed alone provides evidence that he is paranoid, delusional, narcissistic and dangerously self destructive. In short, the man has become unhinged. Unchecked, Trump will continue to lash out at his critics - which, by the way, represent 60 percent of the American electorate and most of the rest of the world. He has already plunged the world into a dangerous trade war. He has attacked our friends while giving aid and comfort to our enemies. He is constantly undermining America's most basic institutions. He is a pathological liar, a documented sexual predator, a racist and a philanderer. And yes, he has committed treason under the threat of Vladimir Putin's blackmail. I am asking you to remove this man from office before he does irreparable harm - if he hasn't already. You are the only man who can do this. Because you were elected Vice President, you are the only person in the Trump Administration that Donald Trump cannot fire. Waiting for Robert Mueller's probe to complete runs the risk of plunging this country into a constitutional crisis - and possibly a civil war ignited by Trump's allies in the Alt-Right. If you are worried about the politics of taking such an action, think about the growing legal jeopardy you place yourself in by defending this megalomaniac.  During the darkest days of the American Revolution, Thomas Paine wrote "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."  It is time to rise above partisan politics and stand up for the moral principles on which this nation was founded. By evoking the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, you will allow the American legal process to move toward its conclusion without further obstruction. By taking this action, you will truly be setting the course for making America great again.

Vol. 12 No. 26 -- The Kansas Kerfuffle
August 12, 2018
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During June 1972 - ironically the same month as the Watergate break-in - I was enrolled in a political science class during summer school at the University of Maryland. I considered myself a "country club moderate Richard Nixon" republican at the time. My professor was a likeable guy, despite his campus-wide reputation as a radical liberal. (I learned that he liked baseball, which meant he was OK by me.) He said something that summer that has stayed with me ever since. He said that one of the greatest challenges to American democracy is our inability to count votes. Different states - even different communities within states - have their own standards for collecting and counting votes. What may be considered a legally cast ballot in one jurisdiction could be disqualified in another. My professor predicted that a day would come when the nation was plunged into a constitutional crisis over this inability to count ballots. Of course, he was correct. The Bush-Gore Florida vote count debacle in 2000 is a testament to this dangerous chink in democracy's armor. Last week, history repeated itself in the state of Kansas. Nearly a week after the republican gubernatorial primary, we do not know who won. One hundred or so votes now separate the two candidates with between 8,000 and 10,000 provisional ballots yet to be reviewed. Complicating this scenario is that the man overseeing this process, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, is one of the candidates. After initially saying he wouldn't, Kobach reversed course Thursday and said he would recuse himself. That doesn't appear to be good enough for the other candidate, Governor Jeff Colyer. It isn't clear what else that Kobach, under existing election law, can do. What is clear is that there will be a lot of unhappy people who will question to the legitimacy of the outcome no matter which candidate prevails. That's a bad thing. The bitterness that followed the Bush-Gore election in 2000 helped create the toxic political atmosphere that currently engulfs our nation. An additional complicating factor in this Kansas kerfuffle is the apparent inability of election officials in Johnson County, the state's most populous county, to count votes in a timely manner. After a poor performance in 2016, the folks in JoCo installed new voting machines that they said would simply and speed up the process. Wrong on both counts. The result was an overnight vigil that heightened the state's anxiety and, in the minds of some, furthered concerns about the legitimacy of the count. (Oh, by the way, I haven't even mentioned the prospect of hackers and Russians screwing around with our elections.) What can we do to fix this mess? Let's start with uniform state/national standards for elections. Leave the administration of elections in local hands. However, a vote cast in Olathe, Kansas, should be collected and counted the same way in Garden City, Kansas (or, for that matter, Raleigh, North Carolina). And, while we are at it, we should reject politicians - Mr. Kobach and Mr. Trump - who make verifiably false claims about illegal votes being cast in support of their opponents. These lies, along with their immoral voter suppression efforts, do more to damage the credibility of the American electoral process than anything Vladimir Putin can conjure. For democracy to work, we need to believe in it. We need to reform the mechanics of our electoral process so we can trust it.  And we need to elect people who believe in democracy and are not willing to undermine it to gain power.

Vol. 12 No. 25 -- America, Right or Wrong?
August 1, 2018
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There is a phrase popular among conservatives that has floated about for at least a half-century. They are proud to proclaim "America, right or wrong!" without considering the implication of that statement. It ignores the preamble of the Constitution they claim to love. In it, the preamble states that the Constitution exists "in order to form a more perfect union." The implication is clear: We are a people constantly striving for a perfection that may be unattainable. Yet we still try because that is the true American nature. In the nation's seminal document, the Declaration of Independence, we did not proclaim that the role of government was to protect the rights for "some" people.  Our nation was born from a desire to lead humanity into an enlightened age. While we have been successful beyond what was likely our ancestors' imagination, we still have a long way to go. Those who proclaim "America, right or wrong" - or its latter-day version "Make America Great Again" - want to go back to a time of a less-perfect union where white male Protestants of western European heritage were unchallenged at the top of the nation's pecking order. But they are missing the point: The nation was created to tear down the concept of a social hierarchy where some are "more equal" than others. This may come as a surprise, but proclaiming "America, right or wrong" is a decidedly unpatriotic act. It is our willingness to identify and correct our faults that truly makes America great.

Vol. 12 No. 24 -- Water
July 29, 2018
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Three-quarters of the Earth is covered in water. Approximately 60 percent of the human body is water. A human can live three weeks without food, but only three days without water. Perhaps this explains why humans are not only driven to consume water, but also yearn to be in close proximity to it. Summer is a time when people leave their homes and travel to oceans, bays, rivers, creeks and lakes to recreate and relax. There is something about the sight of a body of water that calms a person's anxieties and soothes the soul. As one who grew up on Maryland's Eastern Shore, life on and near the water has become a part of my DNA. It has been exactly 27 years this week that my family and I departed the East Coast to move to Kansas. Don't get me wrong: I love the town where I live. But Clinton Lake outside of Lawrence is a poor substitute for either Chesapeake Bay or the Atlantic Ocean. While I am still a salt water guy at heart, I thoroughly enjoyed spending this last week with family at a lake in Minnesota. The weekend before, I attended a family reunion in western Kentucky along the banks of the Ohio River. Reconnecting with water - whether it is salt water or fresh water - helps me recharge my batteries, reboot my mindset and face the challenges ahead. If only I could pick the correct Power Ball numbers, there would be a lake, ocean or bay outside my bedroom window.

Vol. 12 No. 23 -- A Tipping Point?
July 16, 2018

Vol. 12 No. 22 -- Statue of Responsibility
July 4, 2018

Vol. 12 No. 21 -- We Will Not Back Down
June 29, 2018

Vol. 12 No. 20 -- No Longer a "Shining City"
June 20, 2018

Vol. 12 No. 19 -- A Different Father's Day
June 16, 2018

Vol. 12 No. 18 -- Brazilian Butterfly
June 9, 2018

Vol. 12 No. 17 -- Taken for Suckers
June 1, 2018

Vol. 12 No. 16 -- Wrong on Rights
May 21, 2018
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While the American people are fiercely protective of their constitutional freedoms, they also can be hypocritical when it comes to the rights of others. Some feel it is OK for them to exercise their freedom of expression, but it is not OK for others to question anything they may believe. When someone does wrong by us, it is often said "forget their legal rights." But when the shoe is on the other foot, these are the same people screaming that they want their due process. Some of this contradictory behavior can be explained by human nature - we are protective of our self-interests. However, I also believe that we have been conditioned to this myopic view of human rights for decades by the entertainment industry. Let's take for example last night's season finale of NCIS: Los Angeles. For those who are not familiar with the show, it focuses on a group of federal agents committed to protecting our American way of life. In just last night's episode, the agents acting in our name tortured a restrained prisoner, engaged in illegal wiretapping, violated the sovereignty of a foreign nation, conducted warrantless searches of private property, ignored numerous national security regulations, committed crimes under the color of authority and shot and killed several people in an unauthorized "off-the-books" action. Did I mention that these were the good guys? It is bad enough when law enforcement officers violate their oaths. But do we have to exaggerate and glorify it? And it is not just about cops and robbers. Think about the number of times we are told that expressing an unpopular opinion, such as questioning whether our country has acted properly in its prosecution of the war on terror, is somehow unpatriotic. We now have a president who trolls into the darkest shadows of the American character to justify his own immorality and illegality. But - to borrow a phrase from Edward R. Murrow - Donald Trump did not create this dystopian America. He merely exploited it. The irony is that Donald Trump - who supposedly stands for everything Hollywood hates - is a product of the entertainment industry's cynicism. To borrow again from Murrow - who, in this case, was borrowing from Shakespeare - "the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars. But in ourselves." How can we demand that our rights are sacrosanct when we are unwilling to respect those of others?
 
That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.
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Vol. 12 No. 15 -- Reflections on Year 27
May 14, 2018
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My grades are posted, the students have graduated and peace has been restored - for now, at least - to Mount Oread. I am nearing the end of my 27th year on the faculty of the University of Kansas. (My academic year won't end until I complete teaching a four-week course in June.) It has been a challenging year, one in which students demonstrated a new capacity for ignoring or misapplying instructions. Deadlines - supposedly sacrosanct within the professions of journalism - suddenly became fluid and irrelevant. Unfortunately, some of this "do as I damn well please" attitude carried over into the faculty, who should have known better.  Why is this happening? I posit two theories. First, it may be that I am evolving into a bitter, aging curmudgeon.  While I have consciously tried not to follow the path of some of my former colleagues, I acknowledge this may be more about my anxieties and insecurities than the faults of other. The other theory is that this causal approach to professionalism is tied to the steady erosion of the American social fabric. There was once a time Americans embraced the value of hard work. But now we look for shortcuts. How else can you explain how 280-word tweets have supplanted a meaningful social dialectic? I suspect the answer to my question is a little of the first theory and a lot of the second. I'm not certain there's a lot I can do about the latter, but I do have a measure of control over the former. In any event, I am thinking more and more about the "R" word. (See Vol. 11 No. 36 - October 19, 2017.) Not knowing the answer to "what's next?" is holding me back from submitting my papers. Also, this past school year had its positive moments. I was pleased - dare I say delighted - when student final projects submitted in both of my classes exceeded my expectations. I still have faith in our students - even though I may not fully understand them. Based on comments made to me during this just-passed graduation weekend, the students appear to still have faith in me - even though they may not fully understand me. And that may be enough to sustain me through a 28th year on Mount Oread.
 
That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.
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Vol. 12 No. 14 -- This I Know
May 1, 2018
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This I know: Driving under the speed limit in the left lane should result in the forfeiture of the driver's license. Our president is a few fries short of a Happy Meal. Software manufacturers have mastered the art of maximizing profits and minimizing customer service. Ringo Starr is the luckiest man in the world. Lima beans are inherently evil. Ray Charles was a man of vision. Robert Irsay is rotting in hell. I am not as smart as I sometimes think. I am not as stupid as I sometimes think. I love my wife, our children, our grandchildren and our dog. I miss Boomer. I will never "get over" my wife Jan's passing - nor should I. Super Bowl III shouldn't have ever happened. Lee Harvey Oswald acted on his own. Guns do not kill. People with guns kill - and that's the problem. George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson as looking down and wondering what the hell are we doing? For one shining moment in 2002, the Maryland Terrapins were the best men's college basketball team in the nation.  Brooks Robinson is the greatest third baseman in the history of Major League Baseball. Period. End of discussion. Some people swear that they will never eat at McDonald's do so because they are snobs.  My hopes and dreams are not wrapped up in the success or failure of college kids who dribble, kick or throw balls. Roger Goodell's salary is obscene.  Lakes are nice, but saltwater bays are the best. Fish would be less likely to be caught if they kept their mouths shut. A lot of people who are in prison are lot like fish. I like John Denver's music and don't give a damn what other people think about that. Steamed crabs and beer are hard to beat and great to eat. I'm closer to the end than I am to the beginning. If I wasn't, I'd live past age 130. The more I learn, the more I need to learn. Legislators who cut taxes by slashing education budgets obviously didn't get as much out of school as they should have. This I know.
 
That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.
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Vol. 12 No. 13 -- William Allen White at 150
April 25, 2018
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The University of Kansas's school of journalism this week celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of its namesake, William Allen White. The small-town newspaper editor from Emporia, Kansas, was a major force in American journalism at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. He befriended presidents and kings, yet still wrote the words of common folks. He was not afraid to speak his mind, even when doing so was not necessarily the popular thing to do. Famously, he once ran for governor of Kansas to oppose candidates who had been endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan. Some people labeled him as being un-American. However, that was the act of a patriot. White was a unique character, but he was not unique to the field of journalism. Most of the journalists I know - and I know a lot having been one myself - see their profession as a calling. They view it as having an integral role in the maintenance of a healthy democracy. And they have been there providing facts and context for the American people when they have been needed most. They were there in the 1920's and 1950's when demogogues used the fear of communism to create an environment of mistrust. They were there in the 1960s, exposing the true nature of racial discrimination during the civil rights movement. They helped us understand the human tragedy that was (and is) AIDS. They helped us make sense of senseless acts of terrorism in September 2001. And they are needed today more than ever when self-serving and morally depraved politicians engage in a constant barrage of lies and misrepresentations that assault basic American values. Anyone who paints journalism with the broad brush of "fake news" doesn't understand (or chooses not to understand) the subject matter. They confuse the liberal and conservative talking heads who fill up the majority of cable television airtime with journalists. They often choose to ignore the reporters who gather the facts, especially when those facts run counter to their world view. If you are wondering how a William Allen White would have dealt with the poisoned climate of 21st century American politics, you don't have to. The fact is that this kind of internal tension between those who seek the shade and those who seek the light has always been around - and probably always will. It's a byproduct of the democratic freedoms we enjoy. White came to national prominence with his editorial "What's the matter with Kansas?" It was a scathing rebuke of radical populists whose policies were undermining the very foundations of the state. Today, his editorial might be called "What's the matter with America?" The names may have changed, but the basic constructs of his argument have not. That's why we need more William Allen Whites and why his legacy is worth celebrating.
 
That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.
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Vol. 12 No. 12 -- Protect Our Brand
April 15, 2018