I retired as a Roman Catholic Deacon in June of 2011 after 27 years serving the Church, mostly in Clinton, IA, but also for about five years in Thailand. About three years before retiring, I was eliminated from the preaching schedule because of a homily I had given on the
As to be expected, Charles Krauthammer rips President Barack Obama’s agreement with Iran in Sunday’s [November 24, 2013,]Quad City Times article, “A Rescue Package for the Mullahs.” Opposite is the column by David Ignatius, “Deal Makes Allies of Saudis and Israelis,” where he worries our old allies may not share
In an article by Joshua J. McElwee, published on Thursday, October 31, 2013, by The National Catholic Reporter titled “Vatican Asks for Parish-Level Input on Synod Document,” he reports that Pope Francis is asking the world’s Catholic bishops to survey the Catholics in their diocese and report back to him.
What would you think if Germany decided to create a holiday to celebrate its great World War II leader, Chancellor Adolph Hitler? What would the world think? Perhaps Uganda should have an Idi Amin Day. What do they have in common? Genocide. No one in their right mind would propose
I remember well General Colin Powell presenting his charts and irrefutable evidence, proof positive, that Saddam Hussein’s Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and must be “taken out.” Yes, he was a ruthless dictator. However, he was [also an] ally, our friend. Our Government did not object when he gassed
Nursery rhymes are more instructive than many people are willing to acknowledge, although I don’t know if today’s generation is all that familiar with them. So, I will include this one: “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall; Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horses and all the
One might be inclined to think that the Republican Party (GOP) and the Muslim Brotherhood are about as opposite as any two entities could be. However, that certainly is not the case. They are so alike! Let me count the ways. Both consider themselves to be “conservatives.” However, their definition of
One might be inclined to think that the Republican Party (GOP) and the Muslim Brotherhood are about as opposite as any two entities could be. However, that certainly is not the case. They are so alike! Let me count the ways. Both consider themselves to be “conservatives.” However, their definition
End the hissy fit! It has long been known that there are agencies and individuals in our Government that have spied and will continue to spyon us, as we exercise our constitutionally-protected rights. They have always been associated with a police agency, spy agency, or private contractor hired to spy
What kind of justice system would reward a thief and punish the thief’s victim? None, you say? Not so fast. It is happening! Let me explain. I am not a disinterested person in this crime. In fact, I’m a participant. I worked for the State of Illinois for four years.
I am, by training, a scientist. Anyone awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree by an accredited university has a research degree. They are scientists. As in every field, some are better at their profession than others. Sometimes even bright, well-accomplished individuals can make pretty serious errors. That is why scientists
After more than 50 years of filing my Federal income tax and having been audited a number of times, I still have far more faith in the IRS to do the right thing, than I do our present Congress. Several years ago I got a letter from our friendly IRS
For years the United States and a majority of United Nations member countries have been trying to come up with a treaty to regulate the $70 billion dollar a year trade in armaments. This number includes jet fighters, tanks, artillery, rocket launchers, etc., and also includes small arms. Their goal
It may seem preposterous, but the Korean War–also known as a United Nations “police action”–never ended in a peace agreement. Technically, it is a war that has not yet ended. An armistice was signed arranging a cease fire, that did not officially take effect until January 31, 1955, even though
What would you think of a person that tells you they would like to move to your community, because you have good schools, good roads, great libraries and parks, excellent police and fire departments, and a lot of nice, hard-working people–but they don’t want to pay their fair share of