I’ve said that when I was Director of Quaker House (2001-2012) I had the best Quaker job there is. But I didn’t always feel that way. In fact, my initial stance was emphatically the opposite. Now that the job is open again, it’s worth describing how and why that changed for me. This is a … Continue reading Quaker House, 9-11 and Me: Arguing With God
Help Us Fill The Best Quaker Job There Is Are you worrying this week about Russia invading Ukraine and starting a European/NATO war? What about China vs. Taiwan (& the U. S.)? And/or the Uighurs? Then there’s the rise of authoritarianism in country after country that used to be at least sort of democratic? (Like … Continue reading Now — A Great Quaker Job Is Open
Colin Powell: His most memorable statement: In early 2003, during the rush to invade Iraq, Powell was told that then-president George W. Bush slept like a baby. Powell’s response was: In February, Powell read a speech at the U. N. Defending the invasion, a speech which was full of lies. What is missing: any … Continue reading Colin Powell: So Much Was Lost
Usually it’s gratifying to see the New York Times devote a rare column to the ongoing outrage of the U.S. resort to torture during the failed “war on terror.” But not today. Today’s article, The Legacy of America’s Post-9/11 Turn to Torture, mostly ticked me off: “Twenty years after the attacks, the United States is … Continue reading A Tortured evasion of the ultimate issue in U. S. Torture
From a letter to a friend: They’re talking and talking about the 20th observances for the 11th, with Biden going nonstop, and there’s an article in the Times or somewhere about a bunch of the books which supposedly show all the ways we totally screwed up the impact & aftermath of all that. Which is … Continue reading Reflecting on 9/11: My Other Lost Cause