Crusing Pennsylvania, Part 2

If you didn't notice, or read, Part 1 of Cruising Pennsylvania, here is a link.

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2025/09/cruising-pennsylvania-part-1.html 

When we left our intrepid travelers, we had purchased some really cheap gas in New York State, while just missing out on a free joint. We crossed into PA not long after the gas purchase, then arrived in Bradford, PA just as dusk was darkening to night. 

Another nice hotel.

In case you were wondering, I booked the trip myself, events and hotels. For those of you who are experienced travelers, that may not sound like a bid deal, but for me it was a first. As I built our itinerary, I attempted to balance which sites we determined were priorities, while keeping an eye towards travel times between sites. I knew we had one long travel day from Gettysburg to Aliquippa, and was fine with the ride home at the end of the vacation taking 3 plus hours, but wanted all the in between car routes to be in the 100 mile or 2 hours or less range.

To accomplish this, I first roughed out the places we wanted to definitely visit, then assigned days to each spot. 

Saturday in York for the rail trail bike ride

Sunday in Gettysburg for the museum and military park

Monday on the road to Aliquippa with a stop in Pittsburgh

Tuesday to Cleveland for the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame

Wednesday in Erie, Pa to explore the Presque Isle State Park

Thursday at the Kinzua Bridge State Park

Friday for the covered wagon tour of the Grand Canyon of Pa.

At that point, I filled in the extras we might have time to see, for instance, the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, which, due to the turnpike tunnel fiasco detailed in Part 1, we had to cancel. We also had a stop at Rimrock Overlook as a possibility, as well as a half day at Ricketts Glen State Park, perhaps on the way home.

As it turned out, we were only able to do one of those three alternatives, as you will see in the paragraphs below.

Related to the length of drives, of course, was where to stay. Since we had accounts with two hotel chains, I went on their websites and began the search for hotels in the area of the destinations we had already determined to visit.

I know some of you probably use Vrbo and maybe like to use Airbnb. Not sure if we are just not comfortable with staying at someone's home, or if I am hesitant to stray from the traditional path of staying at hotels. Perhaps as we begin to travel more, I will expand our search parameters in terms of housing.

That being said, I did attempt to book hotels which advertised hot breakfasts included. Of course, the reality of what a hot breakfast means from one hotel to another, can vary, but all in all, I had a goal of attempting to book rooms in the $100 range if they included a hot breakfast, or $75 range if we would need to seek out a diner for our first meal of the day.

Having a real breakfast was important to us because we knew that our lunches might be light, and in deference to Nora's diabetes diagnosis, which, kudos to her, she has under admirable control, but which still effects when, what and how often she eats. We had a box of snacks with us for the trip, and I don't mean a single box of granola bars or Kind bars, but a box with multiple boxes of various snack bars. We made use of that stash multiple times a day, yet returned with enough to carry us into the next week. In fact, we still have a few, almost two weeks since our first day out.

I was successful in this goal, booking a rather cheap hotel in York for less than $150, total, for the first two nights, then, after a free overnight stay at JW's, three nights in the Choice Hotel family, which totaled right around $310, all of which included a version of hot breakfast.

Before returning to the actual events of the trip, at one of the morning meals, Fox and Friends was on the TV. I decided to pay loose attention, as I can't recall ever watching the show in the past, and felt it important to take the time to see how they presented the news.

As it turned out, Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, was on the show. To be fair, we were only in the breakfast area for 30-40 minutes, couldn't hear everything being said, and I didn't listen all that closely to boot. But what I did hear, and what I read of the words crawling at the bottom of the screen during Dolan's time on the couch, almost made me lose my lunch, or breakfast, in this case.

A few times my mother and I have discussed reasons why I am a lapsed Catholic. Should she ask again, I will ask her to watch the interview during which a Cardinal of the Catholic Church, during a discussion of the recently assassinated Charlie Kirk, called him a modern day Saint Paul, and spoke with reverence about Kirk's work with Turning Point.

Now, while I have come not to expect much from the Catholic Church and was disappointed, overall, with Pope Frances despite my admiration for his efforts, see a link a few paragraphs below, it truly boggles me how a fairly high ranking member of the Catholic Church could praise a man like Charlie Kirk considering all the divisive and outright hateful things he has said about the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the undocumented people in America today, not to mention his seemingly complete dismissal of the slaughter being perpetrated by the Israeli government against the women and children of Palestine.

This especially galls me considering both Pope Frances and the newly selected Pope Leo have been less than enthusiastic about the treatment of the undocumented in America and the Palestinians. Has neither Dolan or Kirk read any of either popes communications and opinions on those subjects?

Appalling! 

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2025/04/a-tribute-to-pope-francis.html  

To me, Kirk represented, in many of his opinions and dialogues and debates, the exact opposite of what I was taught during eight years of Parochial School. When I compare Kirk's most popular takes on society, I find a huge gap between his stance and that of Jesus as depicted in the Sermon on the Mount.

Perhaps Cardinal Dolan who will be replaced soon as he has reached the mandatory retirement age of 75, was angling for some kind of a future guest role on Fox as a "religious" expert. So sad.

Back to the trip.

On Thursday we drove from the hotel in Bradford to Kinzua Bridge State Park, with a stop at the Rimrock Overlook. While it was a slight backtrack, travel time wise, it was worth the time.

We were lucky enough to be the only people at the Overlook. It was gorgeous! We walked a bit around the rim, took a bunch of pictures, and even descended a story or two down a stairwell gouged into the rocks which led down through the woods below to a beach. We didn't venture that far down, knowing we didn't have time to get to the bottom, but it was a very peaceful and pleasant walk around the top.

The ride to Kinzua was only about 30 minutes. From the parking lot, you can glimpse the bridge which extends from the visitor center out over the gorge then stops. We walked through the displays and information areas of the building first, then walked out to the bridge, and out to its end.

Magnificent!

About 20 years ago, a tornado roared down the gorge and ripped away about half of the bridge. The twisted metal still lay on the ground, a few hundred feet below. After reinforcing what was left, it was decided to allow tourists to walk to the end, gaze out over the railings and down to the floor. Again, a bunch of pictures followed. 

Even better, there is a path that you can easily walk to the bottom. It was pretty cool to look back up at the people taking pictures over the rails, and the bridge which just hung there in space, as we traversed the trail. At the bottom, you can get up close and personal with the bridge supports that are cut off where the cement should meet the steel, and the pieces of steel and metal lounging about just as they landed on the fateful day a few decades ago.

I had read that the bridge was being reinforced and that it would be closed off and on beginning earlier this year, but fortunately they felt comfortable allowing it to be accessible during the late summer and early fall for a few months to take advantage of the foliage as it shed its summer colors for the season.

I say this to warn you to check the schedule if you would like to visit so you aren't disappointed.

After walking down to the bottom and up again, we made a purchase at the visitor center, then walked across the driveway to a food truck that seemed to be stationed there on a permanent basis. We had a nice lunch, well more like early supper, under a tree at a picnic table. This enabled us to drive to our next, and last destination without being hungry.

Once we arrived in Mansfield, we checked in to our room, dropped off our bags, then walked down to the desk and asked for a recommendation for dinner. The clerk gave us two options although she commented that there would be more choices if we drove to the next town, about ten miles away. We decided not to do anymore driving and opted for a local tavern, which caused us a bit of consternation when we walked in, there being no one to direct us to a table, or even to be bothered to greet us, or so it seemed, but then I realized that they had an outdoor eating area. 

We had eaten almost all our dinners outside, again, thanks to the wonderful weather we were fortunate to have, and once settled at a table, a waitress came right over and everything was fine. After dining, back to the hotel where we relaxed, placed the next day's clothes at the ready, and recounted some of the amazing things we had already seen, knowing the next day would be the last day of the trip.

Friday dawned cool, but still clear. Another perfect day seemed at hand. We drove to the covered wagon tour establishment, arriving a bit early. As it turned out, it was not a big tour, the wagon being only about half filled, which gave us lots of room to spread out and even move around as the tour guide pointed out various sites. It was a real horse drawn wagon pulled by two very large Belgian horses, brothers, Reuben and Jessie, as we were told by the guide.

We moved at a leisurely pace into the Grand Canyon of PA clip clopping along a well traveled path with walkers, bikers, e-bikers, joggers, beside the Pine Creek, which is pronounced crick, as per the tour guide who made a point that we were not to say creek in his presence. During the tour, we saw an osprey and a bald eagle, both cruising the above the crick in search of food.

After the tour, we drove to a point at the top of the canyon, a spot the guide had pointed out when we were directly below it. Again, incredible views from above. We hiked a few miles, occasionally stopping to take in the vistas, then returned to our car for the ride home. 

We considered a stop at Ricketts Glen State Park, but had been told that the summer's lack of rain made for less of an enjoyable walk around the park if seeing the waterfalls was desired. 

We decided to wait until the spring, and are planning an overnight trip.

Pennsylvania is an amazing state with a grand history related to the birth of our nation, as well as a myriad of adventures awaiting any traveler interested in outdoor activities or scenic overlooks, or a deep dive into history.

Yet, like so many people looking for fun and to explore, I hadn't visited any of the places we sojourned to during our trip, other than Gettysburg decades ago, despite having lived in the state my whole life. And there are still so many more to see!

I guess the lesson being, you never know when your next great adventure will be, perhaps even only a few miles away, if you don't look around and search. 

  

  

 

 

Cruising Pennsylvania, Part 1

Nora and I took a seven day trip around Pennsylvania (with a side jaunt to Cleveland) from September 13 to 19. All in all, we drove 1150 miles in that seven days. Remarkably, with our new Toyota Cross SUV Hybrid, we only used around 24.5 gallons of gas which equates to about 47 miles per gallon. Without getting too far away from my main topic, it just boggles my mind why America, let alone, the world, isn't encouraging consumers to purchase hybrid vehicles, either with monetary enticement in the form of rebates or tax incentives, or just merely talking them up, rather that the current administration's focus on policies which increase the demand for gas. 

Is he that obtuse that he would ignore the demand side of any consumer product when he focuses entirely on increasing the supply side, or is he just too old, too out of touch, too stuck in the past, that he doesn't realize that technologies that reduce the consumption of gas, reduce the need for fossil fuels, which might also reduce all the international drama (and outright war) that is associated with them. 

Oh well.

So, we left on Saturday for an afternoon bike rail adventure. If you haven't heard of these, it involves special bikes that are mounted to abandoned railroad tracks, of which there are hundreds, if not thousands of miles in Pennsylvania. In our case, we rented a four person bike for myself, wife, daughter and daughter-in-law. It was a beautiful day, in fact the weather for our entire trip was perfect. The ride was about 7 miles each way, through woods and past pastoral scenes, farms, meadows, open land. Just beautiful, and even relaxing despite the necessity of peddling. 

From there we had dinner with the girls, then they drove home to our house as they had offered to take care of our cats, water the plants, pick the produce, and, hopefully, enjoy time away from their normal routine.

On Sunday, Nora and I went to "Beyond the Battle", a museum on the edge of Gettysburg Military Park. Its focus was the land surrounding the battlegrounds, the history of who lived there, how it was "developed", and why that area was attractive in the first place for the advancement of soldiers and the movement of armies. It wasn't haphazard that Gettysburg became a such an important place for the battle that took place there. 

The highlight was a room outfitted to invoke a family who might have hidden in their basement as the battle took place around them. It was very realistic. You could feel in your chest the power of the cannons, could sense the panic of those who lived there, and the sheer chaos that such a horrific battle, and its devastation, created.

The end of the experience featured the voice of a rebel as he "discovered" the family, us, as we hid in the basement, a voice infused with less than friendly intent.

During this experience, I couldn't help but wonder about all the families in the world who are being subjected to similar onslaughts. although with far more destructive weapons. In Gaza and Ukraine, to name two, everyday families are experiencing the horror of war which we felt for just those few minutes in that room. It is sad that we spend so much time worrying about such trivial things, while people in those countries, women and children to boot, are under attack.  

From there we went to the military park. 

While I am sure I visited Gettysburg National Military Park as a child, I remember little about the visit, and haven't been there for at least 50 years, so I was surprised by its size. We downloaded a free app from the National Park Service that has a tour of Gettysburg, along with dozens of other national parks. At the visitor center we were given a map that detailed 16 stops along the auto tour that you could drive yourself. The NPS app was organized in the same way, so that at each stop you heard a description of what was going on at that place during the various battles that took place in Gettysburg in early July, 1863. We fell into the pattern of listening to the audio as we drove to the various sites, then got out to walk around. Often we listened again after returning to the car. In this way, we hit all 16 spots. All in all it took about four hours for us to make the circuit.

The park was bursting with monuments, small and large, to the various soldiers, regiments, battalions, etc that fought in the battles that took place. In addition, many mentioned battles at other locations that those same groups of soldiers engaged in, and died. There were a lot of statistics detailing deaths, wounded, captured, and missing.

The missing number was often as high as any of the other stats, indicating that, perhaps some of the young men thrown into such battles may have departed without permission, but most were delegated as missing because they were killed in such a way that their bodies could not be identified. Ah, the glories of war.

But the most surprising aspect of the military park was the large percentage of monuments to Confederate soldiers, more so than for their Union counterparts. Now, don't get me wrong, I have no problem with honoring those who gave their life for their beliefs, but it is still true that those who fought on the Confederate side were fighting against the United States Government. Perhaps traitors is too harsh, but they did engage in succession, did attempt to overthrow the ruling US Government. While Gettysburg is not that far north of the Mason-Dixon line, it still struck me that there seemed to be less reverence for those who fought, and died, for our country, less recognition of their sacrifice.

As a Pennsylvanian by birth, I was proud that the most spectacular monument was the one celebrating the brave young men who fought in the various regiments and battalions which were formed in my home state. It was one of the few that you could climb up to its top, to look out over the fields which were dotted with other shrines to the various generals and soldiers. 

One of the last stops on the tour was the graveyard which featured an abundance of markers with names only, or no name mentioned. Again, such a powerful indicator of the devastation that caused so many young men to be buried without recognition because they either weren't recognizable or because there was no available info to reveal their identity.

We returned to the same hotel we had stayed at after the rail trail bike adventure after finding a nice local restaurant for dinner. We also had breakfast at a local diner that morning before the ride to Gettysburg, and the next morning before we left for the Pittsburgh area.

Our plan was to stay at my son's house in Aliquippa, after visiting the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, but we encountered a two hour delay on the Pa turnpike when a truck was not able to negotiate the entrance to one of the tunnels and got jammed in the entrance. We commented more than once that we would have missed that delay had we not, fill in the blank, as we were within 200 yards of the accident. We didn't actually witness the incident, but I expect had we passed that spot a mere two or three minutes earlier, we would have been through the tunnel before the calamity.

If we hadn't finished the last drops of that coffee, or not glanced around the hotel room one last time for anything we forgot, or not chatted with the waitress at the diner before giving her our order, or any number of 2-5 minutes activities we engaged in that would have brought us to that tunnel entrance a bit sooner, we would have made our scheduled visit at the Aviary. 

Instead, we went right to JW's house, chatted a bit, then went out to dinner. We had a wonderful meal at an all you can eat Japanese restaurant. Sated, we returned to my son's house for some more conversation, a bit of TV, then sleep.

The next morning, Tuesday, we all went to breakfast at a local breakfast/lunch place, then Nora and I drove to Cleveland to visit the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. It was glorious. Constant music played as we walked through the museum's six levels. In addition to the stories and pictures on the walls of the early days of Rock, there was a slew of paraphernalia. Outfits, instruments, scribbled lines on paper and napkins of future number one hits, playbills, etc, just a cornucopia of everything related to rock n roll.

At one point there was a display featuring tapes of some Congressional hearings that occurred during the early days of rock music. Similar to what we see today when some self-righteous man or woman testifies about the evil of something, book, ideology, type of person, activity, etc, always declaring that this thing or action is ruining our culture, will bring the downfall of everything we treasure, and needs to be eradicated. 

Funny how the music of the time, so controversial, so sexual, so dangerous, is now used to sell cars and cruises and every other type of consumer product that one can imagine. And not only to us boomers who were condemned by those who perceived rock music as the devil's work, but even to our children.

Kind of makes you wonder how today's evil will be used to sell consumer products in 30 years, and what the children of those who condemn today's version of the things that will ruin our their minds and souls, will be targeting when it is their turn to "protect" the next generation from future cultural perversions.

Such an interesting circle, yet one for which we seem to eternally be ignorant of its lessons.  

After a few hours in the Hall, we drove to Presque Isle State Park near Erie, Pa where we had a take out Chinese food lunch at a picnic table, the sun heating the benches we relaxed upon, a cool breeze countering its warmth. After eating, we walked on a small trail for a bit, then went to the hotel to check in. 

As we had already done a few times, we asked the hotel clerk to suggest a local restaurant for us to try for dinner. It was so good that we ate there again the next night before driving to our next stop.

The next morning brought us another beautiful day. We drove back to the state park, stopping at one of the lighthouses on the island, and the Perry Monument which is located at its tip, on Lake Erie. Interesting story about Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry who defeated the British at the Battle of Lake Erie, a pivotal engagement during the war of 1812, a war not well known, but one which, had it gone the wrong way, would have changed America for decades.

Perry, after surviving a number of naval battles, died from yellow fever on a diplomatic mission to South America, on his 34th birthday. Funny, or is it ironic, how death can emanate from such everyday activities despite some people's history of dangerous events.

After the history lesson, we hiked a few of the trails, one properly called The Sidewalk Trail as it resembled an ordinary sidewalk which one might see on any city street. Not necessarily usable for bicycles, but a nice trail nonetheless.

As mentioned before, we returned to the restaurant we had tried the night before, had another nice meal, then departed.

As a side note, I mentioned that we only used about 24-25 gallons of gas during the trip. We left with a full tank, but after checking out gas prices online, I only purchased 4 gallons of gas when we left the Gettysburg area, knowing it would be enough to get me to Ohio on the way to Cleveland, the reason being that gas in Ohio is about 45 cents cheaper than Gettysburg and an even better bargain than in Aliquippa. We paid $2.86 a gallon there.

Also, as Erie, Pa is located on a sliver of land that would more practically be a part of New York State, I knew we would be traveling into New York for a spell, then head south into Pa towards our next destination. Again, a bit of research indicated that just before we headed south, gas would be even cheaper than in Ohio. We paid only $2.73 at a station that advertised a free pre-rolled joint with a $20 gas purchase. Sadly, we didn't qualify as the hybrid was only sipping gas as I detailed above, and we only needed 6 1/2 gallons to fill the tank.

 

 

 

 

 

Toni Morrison

I believe I mentioned in a previous post that I borrowed two books from the library written by Toni Morrison. In the last two weeks, I have read those books, The Bluest Eye and Sula. 

I enjoyed both, perhaps Sula a bit more. Both described, in raw detail the lives and experiences of Black people in the South in that hundred years after Emancipation but before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In each, Morrison does not pull any punches as she relates in very graphic scenes the reality of being Black in America during that time. 

While I believe it would have been educational, certainly challenging, to have been required to read her novels in high school, I can understand why so many White Americans, Christians no less, push to have her books banned. Advocate that their sons and daughters not be exposed to the systemic racism that existed in the land of the free for so many generations.

That it is better to pretend that those times are gone, not withstanding the glorification we are experiencing concerning Charlie Kirk who often expressed opinions that dismissed the damage done by slavery, individually as well as communally, while claiming the existence of some kind of reverse discrimination that elevates undeserving people of color and women over the much superior white male.

No wonder people of his ilk prefer to erase the historic level of racism that existed in America. They need such erasures to enhance their support for continued prejudice against minorities and women but with a new twist, that white males are now the victims.

It would be comical if it wasn't so successful, and so insidious.

Morrison died in 2019, so she has missed the meteoric rise of MAGA, although I am sure she noticed the roots of it from the day of that famous ride down the escalator, and during those first few years of the first administration.

I haven't done any research into Morrison and her books. Whether some of her stories were partly autobiographical, or just what she observed, or what was passed down from her family or her neighbors. Having been born in 1931, I am sure she experienced some of the hopelessness that she imbues in some of her characters. And the resilience against the stacked odds against her race. And the resignation that nothing would change, as long as their skin color did not match those in charge.

Neither book is happy, neither has a happy ending, or a hero or heroine who succeeds despite the odds. Perhaps she has other novels that do supply more hope. When I googled that question, the description of her novel Paradise seemed to indicate one such book.

But both books delve into the topics of self identity, self worth, race, family, and friendship, all themes that resonate across race and gender, but are uniquely detailed through the lens of the accepted belief that being born Black makes one less equal, a belief that Morrison expresses as common for both sides of that color divide.

Again, it is only two books, but I was also struck by the lack of the angry black man, or woman, that is depicted in so many stories told for white readers, by those who wish to justify the need to keep "them" under control. This is not to say that there exists in any of her other books, or books by other famous Black writers, homage to those who were more aggressive in their fight for freedom and equality.

But that is the irony. When a mostly white mob attacks our nation's capitol at the behest of the outgoing president who is too weak or just too arrogant to accept his election loss, they are hailed as patriots, and eventually pardoned. Some are even serving in legislatures, state and federal, across our land.

But when a non-white person exhibits similar aggressive action, they are law breakers, pure and simple. They must be labelled terrorists, as the president has now done in reference to antifa, which actually stands for anti-fascism. Funny how a president who actively calls his enemies all the pejorative names, socialist, communist, fascist, as if he, and his cult, understand the meaning of any of them, would be so focused on a group that itself is against fascism.

I am old enough to remember when, on the podium as they received their gold medals at the 1968 Olympics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised a black-gloved fist to express their dissatisfaction with the state of race relations in America. Of course, this "black power" salute as it was named by the white power brokers in our country was roundly condemned. Calls for them to have their medals revoked burst from the halls of Congress and the pundits of the day. 

Not to mention the kneeling during the national anthem that was a thing for a hot minute during the early part of Trump 1. 

In each case, just a gesture. No one was hurt, nothing was destroyed, yet because it was Black people leading the way, there was condemnation. Outrage. Ostracism.

To be fair, there was also outrage when 140 Capitol Police officers were attacked, when a couple million dollars of damage was done to the Capitol building, when a number of those same injured officers died in the days following the attack, some of their wounds, some by their own hand, traumatized as they were. 

But now, the whole incident is being rewritten as a day of Love and Peace. Nothing to see here. In fact, perhaps we should start investigating anyone who says it was a riot, anyone who investigated it and came to any conclusion other than it was an act of American patriotism.

Not sure why I decided to read Toni Morrison books so late in life, so long after their publication. I assume I encountered her name, or a reference to her works in a magazine, perhaps even The Atlantic. 

But I am glad that I read them, even if a little late. They help me feel more confident that I am on the right side of history in my condemnation of the policies of the Trump Administration, and the words of someone like Charlie Kirk, both who represent the worst of American behavior towards people not white. Whose words are the antithesis of the teachings of Jesus, the inspiration of the religion they claim to follow.

Finally, I recently asked a friend of mine how all this will end. What will it take for America to wake up to the fact that we have lost our way. His response, bloodshed, matched my prediction earlier this year that an American citizen, or citizens would be killed by an ICE or National Guardsmen, or military soldier sometime in the summer.

Fortunately, I was wrong, as summer ends has ended. But with the planned national day of celebration and remembrance for Charlie Kirk on October 14th, his birthday, which is also the birthday of George Floyd, I am hesitant to withdraw my prediction. I expect there to be all sorts of counter protests, and, if history is any lesson, those that celebrate the white racist will be called American patriots, while those that honor the murdered black man will be labelled anti-American terrorists.

And so the decline continues. 

    

Another 9/11 Anniversary

Today marks the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

24 years.

Most children born that year, and the four years following it, are in their early 20's. Perhaps on college campuses as we speak, or in the work force as they begin their adulthood adventures.

I am sure many have children, despite the declining birth rate. Experiencing the joys and anxieties associated with raising an infant. The struggle to balance work and home life, day care expenses, and the challenge of leaving their care free young adult lives behind in lieu of responsibilities, bills, and budgets.

The wars that were inspired by that horrific day are behind us, although the threat of war is still prevalent, the wrath of those who would destroy our "way of life" still widespread. 

I have posted a number of times under the label of Nine Eleven, twice in the first year, then for the first and second anniversary. But only a few times more since then, in 2016 and last year. Perhaps there are others that I haven't been able to identify, but I am less than happy that I have allowed this anniversary to be pushed out of view, at least my view, so often. 

Here are links to the five posts I refer to.   

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2016/09/another-911-anniversary.html

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2013/09/another-911-anniversary.html

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2012/09/another-911-anniversary.html

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2011/09/reflections-on-911.html

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2011/08/jumpstart-to-911-discussions.html

In reading them now, I am struck with the lack of progress we have made, as a country, in regards to our relationships with the rest of the world. In fact, disappointed would be a better word, especially considering the current administration's apparent desire to eliminate all the soft power programs that provided food, medicine and monies to assist those in the world with less. 

 

Those efforts, which helped cement the opinion that America was a great nation, willing to help the less fortunate, are being replaced with, at best, an isolationist attitude, at worst with the very clear message that we only care about ourselves. America first.

 

Certainly it is true that telling everyone what to do, how to run their country, who to elect, what their values should be, was a mistake, even if it was meant to help. 

 

But a 360 degree shift is not the answer either.

 

When we end programs that save children's lives, provide medicine and food to reduce poverty and disease, food, by the way, grown by American farmers who are also suffering with this change in philosophy, we diminish the connection we have developed with those whose only crime was to be born in a country not America. In essence we tell them, too bad, no longer interested in sharing our blessings.

 

And, we provide an opening for other countries, China in particular, to fill that void and establish their country, their belief system as one which aides those without resources. 

 

Even worse, along with two of the worst bullies on the planet at this time, Putin and Netanyahu, who are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of women and children, our president seems aligned, if not with all their actions, the actual methodology they represent; might makes right. 

 

Not that America hasn't endorsed this motto often, but now it has taken a whole new meaning with Trump's threats to Greenland and Canada, his obvious disdain for all leaders of our traditional allies/democratic nations, his love affairs with Putin, Orban, and Jung Un, each a dictator in his own right, and even the outright attack on a Venezuelan ship in international waters, judge, jury and executioner.

 

We seemed to have learned nothing. 

 

As is Israel with their attempts to eliminate every Hamas leader from the face of the planet, women and children as collateral damage be damned, America seems on a headlong path to eliminate friends who have stood by us, reduce the population of countries that historically depended on our largess, and create even more enemies in the world.

 

Or maybe the plan is to make new friends among our old enemies by moving away from democracy towards a version of performative democracy like in Russia and Hungary, or outright autocracy like in North Korea.

 

As I have said a number of times, the decline is real, it is only a matter of how far and to what degree. 

 

And how long, hopefully, it might take us to recover. 

Kurt Vonnegut

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have been using the Chester County Library System a lot these last few months. Last week I withdrew three books, two by Toni Morrison, and Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five.

Not exactly sure why I decided to read Vonnegut's book, although I suspect his name may have appeared in one of the articles in the August Atlantic about nuclear weapons.

But first, interesting story. When I searched the adult fiction section for "Slaughterhouse...", I didn't find it even though I had checked before going and knew it was on the shelf. After easily locating the two Morrison books, I asked at the desk where I was told that "Slaughterhouse Five" was in the young adult section. I was intrigued. When I asked why, I was told that it was there because it was included on a the local high school reading list. In retrospect, I guess this shouldn't have surprised me as I am sure I was assigned to read it in high school.

While also at the checkout desk, I asked if they had a banned book section yet. Working on it, was the response When I commented that all three of the books I was checking out would most likely be included when they did establish such an area, the librarian agreed. I told her I would make sure to return them all soon.

Now, of course, as an adult, I would certainly be able to access any of those books, I assume, even in the most backward/aggressive of states which are actively banning books. What is sad however, is that they would not be available to young adults in those places.

Just another reason why it boggles my mind that so many Americans embrace the current surge of ideology that results in ideas being censored. And so the decline continues.

Anyway, as I read "Slaughterhouse...," I was taken back to Mr Topper's English class in high school. Or was it Mr McCabe? I guess it doesn't really matter who lead the discussions, just that it was discussed, although I can't recall any of those classes and analysis.

As I read the book this time, I must say that I was getting a bit tired of the phrase "And so it goes", which Vonnegut uses throughout the book. I actually googled the question, how many times...., and found one answer to be 106 times. Of course, who am I to critique Kurt Vonnegut, but I felt it started to lose its effectiveness after a while. Although, perhaps that was the point.

Anyway, I was most struck by the invention of the Tralfamadorians in the book, especially as it relates to their ability to see in 4D, where the 4th dimension is time, and their perception of death, which is that, for them, there is no death, only experiences, and in no definitive order.

The character Billy Pilgrim, who claims to have been abducted by the aliens, and to have traveled in time many, many times, illustrates the advantages of this concept. While many of us may be adverse to knowing when we are going to die, Billy knows precisely when, and in fact seems to have experienced it, but not as the finale of his life. He even predicts that he is going to die while giving a speech, which leads to him being offered police protection. He declines. And so it goes.

Of course, many people believe that death is not final, believe there is an afterlife. That our life force will go on without the body. Sometimes I wonder how many people actually believe that, despite the high percentage of people who say they do.

I say this because of the plethora of ways humans attempt to lengthen their lives, certainly their youth. I mean the search for the Fountain of Youth is as old a tale as tales themselves. Not to mention the obsession we seem to have for accumulating wealth. Do we forget that you can't take it with you, or do some people really believe that the afterlife has a yardstick for possessions, and that the more you die with, the better cloud you get assigned to?

Perhaps it is the fear of death that makes us scramble, lie, cheat, long for, even sacrifice our morals and principles to gather more and more money. 

I recently expressed my surprise at boomers whose goal is to spend every single dollar they have earned, to purposefully leave their children nothing. Seems a bit selfish, but then again, at least it reflects the understanding that money will not buy one's way into eternal bliss.

Throughout the book, the character Edgar Derby is mentioned. He is found guilty of stealing a teapot in the aftermath of the fire bombing of Dresden which killed more people than the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and is shot by a firing squad. 

I imagine the irony of such an act was discussed in those high school classes I attended, and perhaps in today's classes as well. Or is the correct word sarcasm?

The United States military recently blew up a boat traveling from Venezuela to our borders, allegedly carrying drugs. While there may be proof that there was a crime about to be committed, it seems that whomever was on that boat was guilty until proven innocent. Except there was no chance to prove that innocence. 

For a country that values freedom, and the rule of law, and our alleged superior system of justice, there was remarkably little coverage in the media, and very little outrage. A national shrug.

Yet today, a conservative firebrand, someone who has openly expressed anti-LGBTQ and transgender views, who has called for a reversal of gay marriage rights, who considers the passing of the Civil Rights Act to have been a travesty, who supported unproven claims about the 2020 election being stolen, etc, etc, was assassinated in Utah. Since then, he has been lauded by no less than the president as a fine person, loved by ALL (his caps). 

I would imagine that the majority of people he believes (his) God hates didn't love him. Nor should anyone who believes in the phrase "all men are created equal", or even the advice "love thy neighbor as yourself."

Yet, even on MSNBC there are laments that we must not allow political violence to take hold, that there is no place for it in a country such as ours, that all must condemn such barbaric actions.

Unless of course, it is directed at people like those in that boat that was blown away. 

Or against the Capitol police officers who were brutalized on January 6th.

Or against the tens of thousands of Palestinians that have been slaughtered, a large percentage by American bombs. 

Or against any of the "others" that are so easily identified by people like Charlie Kirk, or Donald Trump. People who are now denied medical care, are being kicked out of the military, and who are bullied to such a degree that upwards of 40 percent of them have tried to kill themselves. 

Oh, and by the way. Two students were shot at a school in Denver today. There have already been dozens of shootings in schools and it is only September, but again, a national shrug. 

I don't know if Charlie himself said this, or just agreed with the sentiment but more than once he chided those trying to restrict 2nd Amendment rights, stating that it was ludicrous to think that in a country with such rights there would be no children deaths, or deaths of any innocent person. And that it was worth those sad but inevitable deaths to guarantee those gun rights.

Perhaps we should chalk his death up to that very same belief. Or just shrug, as we do at so many other senseless deaths.

And so it goes. 

 

 

 

Klaatu

 A few days ago, I watched the original "The Day The Earth Stood Still" released in 1951. It was quite different from the more recent version starring Keanu Reeves.

In the original, Earth was visited by Klaatu and Gort to tell us that our foray into atomic weapons was dangerous, to us, but will not be tolerated by the other species of the universe who fear we will expand our use of such weapons beyond our own planet. 

In the remake, Klaatu fears that we are destroying our home planet, and that given Earth is relatively unique in the universe, it must be saved from us.

In both cases, humanity is threatened with destruction if we don't change our actions.

Interestingly, the original ends with Klaatu, having been killed by man yet revived by his robot, after issueing his warning that should we not change, we will be destroyed, flies off in his ship with that ominous warning ringing in the ears of all who were present. 

It is a far less hopeful ending compared to the remake where Klaatu sacrifices himself once he is convinced that humanity is worth saving, is worth being given a second chance.

The other glaring difference in the versions is that the Earth actually stands still in the original. Klaatu is asked to perform some kind of miracle that will demonstrate his power, and he literally stops the flow of energy for thirty minutes. All cars and trains are immobile. Phones don't work. There is a scene where a secretary tells her boss that the phone is out, and he tells her to call the phone company to get if fixed. Not sure if that levity is supposed to indicate the lack of reasoning that humanity has shown to Klaatu, or just the typical attitude of a male boss who expects his woman secretary to provide him with what he requires to conduct business, but regardless, it is a scene of levity that stood out to me, considering the gravity of destruction that Klaatu was trying to convey.

Interestingly, the point is made that energy still flowed in hospitals so that real people did not suffer. 

One similarity between the two versions is that in both, a woman is the first to understand the importance of Klaatu's message. I easily believe that this was purposeful in the remake, but have to wonder about the thinking behind those who made the 1951 version when women were not exactly valued for their logic and intelligence. Still, perhaps that was the point. That humanity needed a burst of understanding, perhaps empathy, to counter its headlong path down the sometimes sterile world of technology, and its advancements, for good and bad.

In some ways, I like the original better. We aren't left off the hook like in the remake. We are presented with the choice, and even though the choice is to change or die, it is our choice, and not the choice of Klaatu who stops the destruction of Earth.

Of course, were there any reality to the premise of the original, those who had sent Klaatu would have returned by now. Whether to reward us for not having sent any atomic weapons into space, or to punish us for continuing to build such destructive weapons, and for using the threat of their use against other citizens of our planet is certainly debatable.

I wrote my own version of this concept, a little over three years ago. Here is a link to that story. 

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2022/06/the-universal-guild.html 

-----

By the way, if you google Klaatu, you will find a reference to a Canadian band specifically named after the lead character in "The Day..." Apparently for a hot minute there was speculation that the albums they released were actually recorded by the Beatles as the style was similar, at least to some. Of course, there were many who wished the Beatles would reunite, especially in the 1970's, so it is no wonder that so many fans would respond to rumors and innuendo. In fact, the promoters of the band did not deny such speculation, at least until it was definitely proven otherwise.

 

Empathy Revisited

Someone told me recently that I was not as upset as she is about the attack on women's reproductive rights because I am a man.

Initially, I was very hurt by this statement. While I know that I can be condescending to people at times, and that I often use (or try to use) humor to offset difficult or stressful situations and experiences, I was of the opinion that I possessed a fairly advanced sense of empathy for others. That I recognized that "do unto others..." was not just a nice moral guideline, but a trait that advanced society as a whole, or at least did not allow us to easily descend into depths featuring such horrific events as the Holocaust.

However, the fact remains that I am a white male and that I have had the advantages of that simple description (other than the occasional prejudices in the labor market which I experienced when I had mid-back length hair) throughout my life. 

I have won the birth lottery by being born in a country with as much opportunity built into its systems as any other, and being born a white male to boot, a two word category that includes a virtual lock on the power and resources of this very fine country, especially during the first 150 years of its inception. 

Even today, the percentage of the rich and powerful white man, whether in politics or business, exceeds by many times the actual percentage within the entire population.

So, is she right? 

Before answering that question, I thought I would provide links to the other times when I posted about the Birth Lottery. The original, in spring 2010, the revisit in May 2013, and a commentary about indigenous children in June 2023.

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2010/04/birth-lottery.html

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-birth-lottery-revisited.html 

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-birth-lottery-and-native-americans.html 

--- 

So, I think the answer is that she is right, but also wrong. 

I think that in the aggregate, history shows that it is possible for white men to have empathy for other demographics. After all, the 19th Amendment, which recently celebrated its 125th anniversary since passage, was passed by white men in America's Congress. As was the Civil Rights Legislation, although there were some women and people of color representing the electorate in Congress by then.

Do those accomplishments erase the decades of suppression, the years of brutality? Certainly not. But perhaps those actions, while tacitly endorsed by the majority by the power of not seeing, were only perpetrated by a small percentage of individuals. That in general, white men were able to empathize, to improve life for people not like themselves, despite the actions of some very horrible individuals.

Sadly, that would have been my answer in the past. Perhaps even the recent past, but past nonetheless.

Now, however, I believe that the script has flipped. With the advent of Trump's white man victimization tour, it no longer feels that in general we are capable of putting ourselves into the shoes of our fellow Americans who are non-white and/or non-male, let alone the vast populations across the planet who are also deemed less than human. 

There are certainly specific white men, millions of them in fact, who have not lost touch with their ability to empathize. But whereas I believe it was a small set of men who were responsible for the rampant prejudice and withholding of opportunities for women and people of color, too many white men today accept that undocumented immigrants should be rounded up and incarcerated, and that women should not have the choice to carry to term or abort their pregnancy. 

We should know better, but have chosen to fail to recognize that what is going on is the exact opposite of what our alleged Judeo-Christian ethic teaches, what Christ's sermons instruct us as to how to behave towards one another.

Men who otherwise love their families, have worked hard all their life, pay their taxes, go to church, yet are seemingly incapable of accepting that part of the reason for their success is their race and gender, and the advantages that have come there way, through no effort on their part, but just simply because they won the birth lottery. 

And then discount that advantage when opining about those who didn't.

Now, of course, they don't look at it that way. They prefer to believe that all their accomplishments occurred due to their work ethic, or intelligence, both of which could also be included as traits we inherit, that we are provided by the randomness of the birth lottery. 

The funny thing is, they are right, to a degree, as not every white male achieves success or fame or wealth, so they do deserve credit for "making it". I don't begrudge them that, even congratulate them for their accomplishments.  

But that doesn't change the simple fact that for most of history, men have enjoyed greater benefits simply due to their gender, and that white men in particular, for all of America's existence.

And that the failure to recognize this edge equates to a severe shortage or empathy. 

So, where do we go from here?

Is this just a temporary swing of the pendulum away from the progress that has been made in the last 100 years? 

If we consider the whole of history, the ebbs and flows that have transpired during the course of humanity, then it seems obvious that this is just another blip. 

That, like the horrors of WW1 and WW2, when soldiers as well as civilians were just so many pawns in the struggle for power, and the goal of victory, no matter what the cost, we eventually ended those conflicts, and now countries that were once enemies, are now friends.

That, like the atrocities of the various genocides that have occurred throughout the globe, the killings ceased, just as we hope that they might end soon in Palestine and Ukraine.

That the slow progression of humanity's spiritual growth will somehow get us through these crises, so that one day we might look upon today's horrors with the same rational that allows us to consider past human against human violence as part of our communal growth.

Maybe.

The Atlantic devoted much of the August edition to the history of nuclear weapons. We recently celebrated (is that the right word) the detonation of two atomic bombs over cities in Japan. Since then eight other countries have developed and possess these weapons, and are far more powerful than the ones used in 1945. 

One of the articles discussed a sort of malaise that the writer believes has evolved about the possibility of an actual nuclear war taking place. That, since the days of practicing an attack by diving under our desks at school, and the proliferation of backyard bunkers, there seems to be a belief that since it has happened yet, it won't happen at all. 

Or perhaps it is because there are so many other doomsday scenarios in the public consciousness that seem so inevitable.

Regardless, the articles together remind us that our weapons of mass destruction are vastly more dangerous than in 1945, that the rhetoric of us vs them is no less vitriolic than 80 years ago, and that the time allotted for a president to decide to launch or not is minutes, which means that such a decision about whether a perceived attack is real or not requires an even stronger understanding of the specifics of the widespread destruction that will occur. 

It certainly needs more thought than how can I show how strong a man I am, as the current lodger in the White House seems obsessed with. 

When the leader of our country expresses very little of this trait, it can embolden those with none themselves to lash out at the "others", while tempering those who possess even a modicum of empathy to question whether such a trait is weak, or woke.

Empathy.

For the record then, it is certainly possible that the critique that I am not as upset about the attacks of women's reproductive rights as a woman might be is valid, not because I am not upset, after all, I have a daughter of reproductive age, but because I am not a woman. 

While I can still advocate for pro choice policies, I will never find myself in a position where I have to decide to carry a fetus to term, or abort it. 

Which means that all I have is my ability to empathize; and to assume that such a decision should be left to the person/people most involved.

Similarly, I have never left my home country, traveled hundreds if not thousand of miles to a new land with limited understanding of its language, customs, laws, but I can empathize for those who make such a choice, and give them the benefit of the doubt as to their motives.

In the end then, it is only empathy that allows us to accept someone's decision to do something that we might disagree with, or not understand, or never do ourselves, let alone when that person's religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc, differs from our own.

And is it empathy that I find lacking in the policies and actions of our country under the leadership of President Trump and his allies, a lack that makes me ashamed for America.   

 

  

 

  

James Baldwin

In one of the last few editions of The Atlantic, I was introduced to the author and activist, James Baldwin. While I am sure that I had never read any of his books, not seen him on TV, I was aware of the titles of a few of his books.

After reading the article, which was a summary of a debate from 1965 about race relations between Baldwin and William F Buckley, I searched the Chester County Library system and found "The Fire Next Time", and then when returning that book, borrowed "Go Tell It On The Mountain", the first written in 1963, the 2nd in 1953.

First, I am a bit surprised that I was never asked to read one his books in high school or college, especially given that I attended high school from 1972 to 1976, a very volatile time in race relations in America. 

While Baldwin championed equal rights to blacks (the wording of the day), he did not embrace the philosophy of integration when that concept meant becoming white, as opposed to being treated equally. And he certainly did not advocate pretending that systemic racism, as well as slavery, had not done irreparable harm to the Black community. 

Nor did he easily forgive white people for actively or passively supporting the systems that treated people of color less equally, even as less than human.

A number of characters in his books expressed this most clearly, with little reluctance to emphasize the evil that had been done to Black men and women, and, even further, to consider white people, not only hypocrites for their alleged belief in those wonderful words "all men are created equal", but even evil. 

After reading both books in the last few weeks, I can easily imagine them being banned (as they are in a number of places) as he does not hide his contempt for white people, nor sugar coat the violence and cruelty that was the plight of those of his race, both on the plantations, and in the streets of the south.

While he doesn't describe the actual scene, a young Black woman is taken into the woods by a number of white men who violently take her virginity. She is forever changed, not just by the horrific act, but by how she is treated by her own community afterwards. The simple fact that her attackers are never prosecuted, not even indicted, is bad enough, but that her own people treat her as damaged goods adds insult to injury.  

I don't know if Baldwin mellowed in his opinions of race relations in America in his later years. I would like to think that he would have been extremely proud of America, and even white people, had he been alive when Obama was elected to be president, twice.

But perhaps it is best that he is not alive now, with the horrible backsliding that is occurring under the Trump Administration. I can imagine his outrage and anger at the president when he makes statements suggesting that slavery was not so bad, or that perhaps the Smithsonian should not be so harsh in its presentation of this topic. 

I would think that he may have thought that, despite the glaring statistics, still, concerning incarceration rates for young Black men who commit the same crimes as their white counterparts, but are jailed many times more, there had been progress since the days of the Tulsa Massacre, and the mean treatment of African American veterans who, after returning from war and conflict, were still treated with disdain and outright viciousness. 

Whether he would have been surprised at the popularity of Trump's open racism or vindicated that he was right all along, it is impossible to know.

Finally, I was struck by Baldwin's depiction of church, belief in Jesus, and the importance of prayer as depicted in many of his characters. On one hand, he also portrayed a sense of futility to pray for justice, and for eternal happiness with God. 

For instance, that same woman whom I described above represents total commitment to the belief in an afterlife with a merciful God, and the saving grace of Jesus, who suffered even worse tribulations during his life.  

So, while Baldwin conveyed a cynicism in longing for peace and tranquility and fair treatment in the next life, knowing that it would never happen in reality, he also described events and characters that seem able to survive earthly life only because they dream of that everlasting peace after their current life ends. 

I've posted a few times under the title Race Relations. In the following post, as Obama's 2nd term was ending, and the popularity of Trump was building, I was still hopeful that, the backlash that was infecting America after having elected our first African American president, would be temporary. And may even lead to another leap forward once it had passed. Sadly, we seem to have fallen even further behind, and, if there is a leap forward in our near future, I can't see it.

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2016/07/black-and-white.html

In this next short post, I discuss an edition of the National Geographic about race and ethnicity. In reading it again today, I enjoyed my comment that if we could only alter our perception of skin color to reflect the understanding that such a trait is in response to environmental influences, not as a reflection of some type of scarlet letter usage by the Creator to label some of us. That we are all black, just some a little lighter, or conversely, we are all white, just some a little darker. 

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2018/03/race-and-ethnicity.html

This next post was written a few weeks after the the murder of George Floyd inspired protests around the country. In that post, I included a link to, and the actual story called The Switch Back, which was my version of what would happen if a certain percentage of influential and powerful people on Earth woke up in a body which presented as a different gender and race, than what they had before.

And, after nine months in that scenario with all the changes that would begin to occur if suddenly the world was run by black women, what would happen when they were all switched back.  

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-ongoing-protests.html 

The last linked post is just about three years old, and is a reflection on the replacement theory rhetoric that was prevalent then. Sadly, very sadly, it appears that the current administration is implementing policies that seek to rectify the inevitable changes in demographics that are in process in America.

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2022/10/replacement-theory.html 

Finally, and only somewhat related, I encountered a post from 2017 when updating the font on recent posts "hit" by a reader.  It reminded me of the conversations I have been having about my current lack of  optimism and how that is common as people age, so it should not be a surprise that America itself is neck deep in nostalgia and the good old days. Hence, the popularity of make America great again.

The post describes the efforts to document opinions as to when times were better, generally always times when people were children. As if our parents, any parents, told their kids about their financial troubles, or exposed them to the sometimes cruelty of reality.

Which of course, provides an explanation for why so many children today suffer depression and anxiety, as that technological wonder called the cell phone provides information on a daily basis about the truly horrible things occurring in the world, from the slow starvation of the Palestinians to the daily bombings in Ukraine to the under the radar conflicts on the African continent that produces so much death and poverty. 

Where people of my age who grew up in the 60's and 70's, a time marked by much civil unrest, were insulated, for the most part from the brutality of what was happening, today's kids see it scrolling across their phones as it happens.

Not to mention, reading the works of James Baldwin, who detailed the horrors of the "good old days" but whose words did not penetrate the everyday white household, culminating in a swath of my contemporaries thinking those times were, not just the best days of their lives (which should be true when we are children), but the best days for America. 

And so we blithely accept prisons for people who have risked life and limb to come to America for opportunity and freedom, thinking that such cruelty will bring back those better days. 

No wonder Trump and his ilk want to remove all mention of the atrocities committed against indigenous people, minorities, women. By whitewashing history (strange, that word, whitewash), it makes it easier to commit those same atrocities again, just with different victims. 

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2017/05/nostalgia.html 

Ernest Hemingway

In the July/August Smithsonian, there was an article called "Exploring Hemingway's Pamplona", in which the author went to the famous town for its annual running of the bulls and corresponding fiesta, with a nod to Hemingway's visits, where he stayed, where he ate and partied, all of which inspired the iconic author to write "The Sun Also Rises."

After reading the article, I decided to read the book, now just one year shy of 100 years since its publication. 

While I am sure that I have read a Hemingway novel at some time in high school, certainly "The Old Man and The Sea" and perhaps "A Farewell to Arms", I can't say I am familiar with his writing, could not summarize any of his books other than the generic info anyone might know about his individual works. As for "The Sun..." I am sure I never read it before, so, to be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect, especially considering the almost century that has passed since its creation.

I have read an author who purports to document the "Lost Generation" as those who fought and lived through WW1 are often referred as, although Vera Brittain, while documenting the same disillusionment, same deep sense of loss associated with that horrible war, expressed it in a very different way than Hemingway. Perhaps it was a gender difference, although "The Sun..." does feature a woman character not unlike the men depicted by Hemingway.

Here are links to the two posts that resulted from reading books by Vera Brittain, a woman born six years before Hemingway, and who also based her books on her experiences before and after WW1. 

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2022/02/testament-of-youth.html

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-testament-of-friendship.html 

While I enjoyed "The Sun...", I was startled by the language used by Hemingway, especially his references to the few black people he encounters or knows of. One particular scene when describing a famous black boxer of the time to whom he refers as a nigger is said very casually, as was common at the time. 

One could say that it marks an evolution in tolerance for descriptions of people in a wholly negative light. Except that we now have a president who uses terms to denigrate people all the time, even while sitting in the Oval Office. While there may now be certain words that can't be used to describe other races or nationalities, there is also a sort of renaissance occurring which is bringing back prejudices against those now demonized by the orange king, perhaps not through direct use of those derogatory terms, but just as dangerous, through the open hostility towards people deemed inferior, or disposable. 

How else can one explain casual statements that perhaps 2 million Palestinians should be moved out of the Gaza strip, or that the war criminal Putin should be allowed to retain the land he took by force, regardless of the hundreds of thousands of lives, on both sides, that have been lost due to his illegal war.

Of course, Hemingway represented the rough and tough American, in both his writing and his persona. Yet he also suffered all types of mental and physical issues, some brought on by his drinking and lifestyle, others from the real injuries he survived in WW1, and the battlefield horrors he witnessed as a soldier and reporter.

Some say that when his ability to write about those experiences began to fade, he was unable to go on without his main defense mechanism, hence his suicide just weeks before his 62nd birthday.

I probably won't pursue reading anymore of Hemingway's books. While "The Sun..." does present a softer side of Jake Barnes, the character said to be based on Hemingway himself, he does not represent a set of traits I aspire to, nor wish my son to resemble. 

At the same time, though, I can relate to the hopelessness that permeates the characters, and the book itself, as I have often stated in my recent posts how the optimism which marked the overall attitude of my blog has dissipated, immensely.

When I see the man in the White House using his position, and the power of the federal government to extort money from universities, from law firms, from the CEO's of some of the most successful and important industries of our country, I can understand the malaise that some of the lost generation felt as they experienced everything they had trusted in and depended upon for meaning and structure come tumbling down around them in the form of a destructive, aimless war, followed by a decade of excess and gilded waste.

It seems today that the electorate is fine with any atrocity, any prejudice, any horrendous act against children born to the wrong parents, as long as their 401K's continue to grow.

I was asked by someone recently what the Dems could do to counter the GOP onslaught against democracy being carried out in Texas, and to counter Trump's use of the military in blue state cities to squash our first amendment freedoms. 

Sadly, my response is that we need an economic collapse because it is only money that Americans care about. Should inflation surge again due to the Administrations chaotic, nonsensical tariff policies, should the job market continue to flounder, should stocks take a tumble as big business realizes that Trump is all about himself, not America, then, if their are free elections in 2026 and/or 2028, perhaps small d democracy will gain a foothold again, and the Dems will get a chance to govern with an eye towards the working class. 

Of course, we can only hope that they will actually govern as such, this time. 

As for now, the decline continues. 

  

Elaine Pagels

As I mentioned before, I discovered Elaine Pagels through a book review in the May edition of The Atlantic. I already discussed the first book of hers that I read, The Gnostic Gospels. Here is a link to that post.

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2025/07/gnostic-gospels.html

I just finished reading another book, the one which was specifically reviewed in that Atlantic article, called "Miracles and Wonder" with a subtitle of "The Historical Mystery of Jesus", published just this year.

Where to begin.

The best thing I can do is to recommend that if you are a Christian who is interested in understanding the beginnings of the movement that has grown from a smattering of apostles and acolytes to one which continues to spread throughout the globe, continues to inspire people to seek God, truth, morality, and which counts over 2 billion adherents worldwide, in various permutations, read this book.

Short of that, a few things stand out for me. In no particular order

Pagels refers to brothers of Jesus, not in the way that bros refer to their friends, but actual brothers who were born from the marriage of Mary and Joseph. Perhaps this is more commonly accepted than I knew before reading the book, but I was never asked to memorize Jesus's brothers during my Catholic school upbringing, never remember any teacher, nun or lay person, discussing in any way that Mary had other children, yet Pagels mentions it numerous times in her book as fact, without any attempt to justify such a claim. 

As to why my Catholic training never mentions these siblings, I can only postulate that the desire to present Mary as a virgin, extended to the rest of her life, for no real obvious reason. 

Pagels discusses the necessity of the virgin birth story, in light of the fact that Judea, at the time, was rife with activity against Roman Rule, and that, as is true today, Roman soldiers were often deployed into regions of unrest whereupon they killed without requiring guilt or proof and raped with impunity. 

Does Pagels believe that Mary was a victim of such an event, thereby inspiring the story that Jesus was the result of a virgin birth? No, but she does cite accusations at the time against Jesus and his questionable birth story. Remember, the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were written decades after the crucifixion of Christ, at a time when acknowledging an association, let alone worship of Jesus placed one's life in danger. To deflect an obvious criticism, that Mary was not married making Jesus illegitimate, a story intimating divine intervention can be effective when cementing the believers faith. 

At one point, Pagels refers to this nascent movement as someone who lived in that time, whether Jewish or Roman or Pagan, might perceive it. As a cult. This really struck me in light of how we still look askance at the "cults" of today, how we worry when young people turn to non-traditional religions or religious beliefs, or even kidnap them from these groups so as to reprogram them to a more acceptable religious affiliation. 

One might say that it is true that every major religion of today, was at one time considered a cult, its leaders and followers heretics, blasphemous, etc. by the mainstream religions of the time. As I mention in the post about The Gnostic Gospels, even within the Christian communities in the first 300 years after Christ's death, there was debate among the followers, and rifts and disagreements about the meaning of the life of Christ. Cults within the cult, so to speak. 

At the end of the book, Pagels delves into how three particular films have presented different perspectives on Jesus and his life. One of them, a 2018 film called Mary Magdalene, features a disturbing scene in which Mary's family has decided that she is possessed by some sort of devil. Not because she is following Jesus, at that point she only has a cursory familiarity with his teachings, but because she refuses to marry the man that her father has chosen for her. In the scene, she is dunked repeatedly into the river, to drive out the demon, until she is practically drowned. 

Eventually, the family asks Jesus to "cure" her. He questions her, speaks with her, listens to her, and then tells her that there is no demon here. She decides to follow him, but when she tells her family of her decision, they double down on their belief that she is not well, their reactions ranging from anger at Jesus and his disciples, "what have you promised her?" "what have you done to her?" to outright shunning, her mother telling her that she won't be welcome back if she leaves with Jesus and his crew.

Again, remember, Jesus often told his followers that they must leave their families if they are to follow him, if they are to find the truth, find God, not unlike so many anguished families today who lament the lack of contact with their children who have joined a cult.

Such a fascinating perspective, at least for me, perhaps partially because I spent a few years seeking knowledge and attending talks and visiting ashrams which associated with Maharaji, now referred to as Prem Rawat. While I have often credited my mother as a moral example in my life, the time I spent listening to Maharaji also influenced my life, then and now.

Another major point of Pagels book is the perception that many of the apostles who accompanied Jesus during his time of teaching and healing, believed that when he referred to the new kingdom that was near, they believed that he meant soon, literally, in his lifetime and theirs. Again, in the Mary Magdalene film (I watched it after finishing the book), Judas is presented as a true believer in this concept. In fact, the movie suggests that he betrayed Jesus, not for money, but to force Jesus to show his true power. 

For Judas, the fact that Jesus could do all sorts of miracles, not the least of which was bringing a dead man back to life, meant that he could wave his hand and smite the Roman oppressors, that he could call on his angels to bring justice to their world, that he could truly make the last first, and the first last. In the movie, Judas hangs himself, as I was taught, but his death seems driven more by disappointment, perhaps even anger that he believed that the kingdom was at hand, so could not accept the death of his messiah.

Which brings us to the Resurrection. 

Again, Pagels discusses this as objectively as possible in an attempt to explain why such a miraculous event, rising from the dead, was important to the New Testament Gospel writers, as a way to attract new believers, as well as differentiate Jesus from the other teachers and prophets that existed at the time.  

Her analysis is not an attempt to cast doubt that Jesus rose from the dead but to explain why such a story would be helpful when expanding a new religion. During this chapter, she makes a number of references to how some of the disciples doubted the Resurrection, at first, and not just the well taught Doubting Thomas anecdote. Along with the movie, Mary Magdalene, both present accounts that cast Mary's encounter with the raised Jesus as being openly rejected by most of the apostles, specifically Peter. It is not until they have their own experience that they accept the Resurrection.

This reluctance to trust the word of a woman, is also reflected in a scene, in the movie (I can not confirm if it appears in any of the accepted Gospels, but does appear in the Gospel of Mary, one of those documents recovered from Nag Hammadi which I refer to in my previous post called The Gnostic Gospels). 

In that scene, Peter does not doubt Mary's word, but does demonstrate a lack of understanding about the message of Jesus. In the scene, Peter and Mary are traveling together, just the two of them, when they come upon a village with multiple people, men, women and children, who are dying, presumably due to the violence inflicted upon those not Roman during these times.

Mary stops to help them, to Peter's consternation, more concerned is he with his safety. Afterwards, after their intervention which saves a child, Peter admits to Mary that her actions more surely reflect the sermons of Jesus. Peter seems to start to realize the power, and danger, that living the life examples of his teacher can be, and tells Mary that her actions in helping the people they came across truly demonstrate her belief in Jesus, and his deficit in understanding His message.

The next to last chapter of the book, touches on the topic, when did Jesus become God. Here, Pagels points out that Matthew, Mark and Luke emphasized the good news of Jesus's message, whereas it was John who took the next step into proclaiming Jesus as God. It is not something I ever noticed when learning the catechism, but she points out numerous passages in all four Gospels which demonstrates how the four men interpreted similar events in a different light.

It is a point, as I mentioned in my other post, that is one of the reasons that I call myself a lapsed Catholic. I always thought that the message, the sermons, the example of his life, should be enough for us to know right from wrong. That, like many other advanced spiritual beings that have existed throughout history, we should adhere to the message without glorifying the messenger.

Similarly, although on the other side of the spectrum, we just witnessed the firing of a public servant whose job it is to report labor statistics, jobs created, unemployment, etc. When the report was published last week, the messenger was fired by a president who does not tolerate bad news when that news reflects poorly on himself. 

Sadly, once Trump places a Yes person in charge of that particular department, any future jobs report that features good news, will generate doubt on its veracity. And again, trust in the government will be compromised.

If we were to extrapolate this concept to include the possibility that other advanced spiritual humans have been born since Jesus of Nazareth, perhaps even in 1957, but since we have maintained the blinders that necessitate the belief that Jesus was the Son of God, who died for our sins so we can spend eternity with God, then we become oblivious to the possibility that someone with a similar message could be walking on Earth today, or be born tomorrow. 

Add to that possibility that such a person could have been six years ago in Gaza, or tomorrow in Sudan, and there is no chance that a new belief system, or even a revision, or extension of a current belief system, can be spread, and accepted in America, let alone across the globe.

Perhaps that should be my next story, God sends another Son to Earth to remind us of His love for us, His desire for us to share eternity with him, but that person ends up in an early grave, born to the wrong parents in the wrong country, or in a hospital for people considered insane.

Or maybe the better story line is that God so loves us, that She sends such a person on a yearly basis, born in various countries, sometimes male, sometimes female, perhaps even a gay person here and there, all to remind us of the message that is of the utmost importance. And, knowing that we are a rather stupid species, or perhaps, to give us a break, too concerned with institutions that give us comfort, allow us to abdicate our rational brain, and spiritual growth, to what we are told by those who claim a connection to the very God that prefers an individual relationship, not a watered down one filtered through the teachings of man made dogmas, messengers are sent, over and over again. 

Which of course, makes Jesus the one in ten thousand iterations of such interventions by the Creator whose teachings, and life, stuck, all the rest being tossed away without recognition. 

Now that is a Creator I can get behind. I just hope the patience and persistence behind such a plan will overcome humanity's infantile understanding of spirituality, and the actual point of our lives.

  

A Few Thoughts

I was going to add the following few thoughts to the beginning of my post on Elaine Pagels, but decided to let them stand alone. 

First, for those of you who have not heard, and I imagine it is an overwhelming majority, the EPA is poised to reverse its decision that the release and continued accumulation of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere is dangerous, and needs to be addressed. 

This endangerment finding which occurred early in Obama's first term, was the result of a challenge to various EPA regulations that particularly targeted the transportation industry, such as tail pipe emissions and minimum gas mileage standards (CAFE). But also help limit the toxins that are emitted by power plants, especially coal burning ones. Those challenges eventually reached the Supreme Court which ruled that the EPA, in accordance with the Clean Air Act, could create those rules as long as there were scientific studies which proved the logic behind the standards. 

Now, however, the Trump Administration is using non-peer reviewed "studies" that emphasize the cost of these regulations without considering the savings, in lives and dollars, that those regulations have provided. 

What is spectacularly stupid about such a rollback, is the obvious facts on the ground; more billion dollar environmental events, more extreme weather, more push back from Mother Nature against our arrogance.

For some more info, here is a link to an article about this travesty. 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/epa-revoke-endangerment-finding-regulating-greenhouse-gases/  

Also, a link to a post I wrote in 2014 when I naively thought that, at the time, science was being attacked. I say naively now, because compared to items like the above, the events which triggered that post ten years ago are very small in comparison. 

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2014/03/science-fiction-and-fact.html 

Suffice it to say that actions like the rescinding of the endangerment finding is not only backward science, even if we assume that those advocating for it are only the stooges of the fossil fuel industry, but anti-science when it becomes clear that the "costs" that might be saved when this ruling is repealed (savings for business) will be outweighed by twice even thrice in costs that will be realized by the public in terms of increased medical ailments (and bills to pay for care), not to mention the additional damage and deaths that climate change, now exacerbated rather than addressed, will create.

I would call it immensely short sighted, if I didn't think it actually reflected rich interests stealing even more money from the rest of us, while causing illness and death, all supported by Trump and his fellow billionaires, and the spineless public servants who roam the halls of Congress pretending to care about their constituents.

Second, I just want to send a personal message to Ghislaine Maxwell. Ghislaine, I know you would prefer not to spend the next 20 years in prison, but be careful with whom you make a deal to get out, or to earn a pardon. Certainly, you have a treasure trove of information concerning who spent time on the Island, who ran in Jeffrey's circle most frequently, who had the weirdest sexual peccadilloes, and that such information will never be worth more or provide as much leverage as now.

In fact, you don't even have to be all that honest, just reveal what you are asked to reveal. After all, morals have never been a problem for you. 

But remember, once you make a deal with the devil, in this case the Trump Administration, they will own you, and while you may be pardoned or released early or just sent to a prison with more freedoms, you will forever have to remain on guard to not say the wrong thing (like the actual truth) to the wrong person at the wrong time.

Also, and I can't emphasize this enough, as long as you possess knowledge regarding Trump's relationship with Epstein, you are at risk for a similar ending that befell your ex-boss. I just hope you have some insurance squirreled away in an off-shore account that can't be easily traced to you, because any leverage you think you hold in your memories, won't be worth a penny if you can't expose the truth, dead or alive. 

Be careful, not because I don't think you are scum for all the pain you helped inflict on all the young women who you trafficked for the rich and slimy, but because I would like to think that karma is real, and that the men behind the horrors might someday be held accountable. 

Lastly, I read an interesting article this morning somewhat related to my initial topic, the decline/attacks against science, but from the perspective that this administration's multi-pronged attack on the institutions that represent knowledge and technological progress may result in America no longer being the country where scientists flock for advanced training and opportunities for cutting edge research in those areas that will drive the future of our planet.

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2025/07/science-empire-america-decline/683711/?utm_campaign=atlantic-daily-newsletter&utm_content=20250731&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=The+Atlantic+Daily 

In a nutshell, the article recounts the decline, throughout history of some of the most advanced nations, scientifically speaking, and how those countries lost their superiority. 

And how, right now, to satisfy his warped opinion of how we should think, and who should be allowed to come to America to study, learn, and share their knowledge, Trump is causing the most intelligent and forward thinking people in the world to rethink their desire to come here while emboldening other countries, European as well as Canada and China, to welcome those same scientists with open arms, and research dollars.

Additionally, by ranting against the higher education institutions like Harvard and Columbia who seek the most brilliant minds in the world, regardless of country of origin or political opinions, he closes the door on those immigrants. Remember, if not for the prejudiced attacks, and outright violence, against the Jews by the Third Reich, the development of our space program, not to mention the creation of the atomic bomb, might not have happened had Hitler and his Aryan acolytes not chased the smartest people out of Germany.

Finally, by slashing the budgets for the NSA, NIH, and other such organizations that fund medical research, Trump is delaying, even cancelling the work of people who one day may have found cures for Alzheimers, Parkinson's cancer, etc, all in the name of some idiotic obsession with rooting out woke doctrine.

And so the decline continues.