The Wisdom of a Triangle

 

Look at the triangular shape of the image above and imagine the triangle as the three branches of our government--to the left the Legislative Branch, in the center the Executive Branch, and to the right the Judicial.  The point of the image I chose is the beauty and strength of a triangle as a symbol of the wisdom of our Founding Fathers.  

 

My blog of March 5th, 2025 made clear that the desire of the Americans was not a dislike of the British people.  In fact, they had family and friends there, they did business with the English, and sent their children to school there (if they could afford it).  It was the desire for independence as a free nation, not ruled by a king, that drove the desire for freedom.  

To achieve that, a new type of government was necessary.  That is how the structure of the triangle,  appeared.  They created The Legislative Branch, The Executive Branch, and the Judicial Branch.  Each branch held power over the others in some way, but were also subjected to the powers held by the others.  

Here is how the triangle works.  The Legislative Branch has both the House and the Senate.  The House has 435 members, elected every 2 years, the number held in each state determined based on state population adjustments.  House members must be at least 25 years of age, a U.S. Citizen for at least 7 years, and a resident of the state they represent.  They introduce Bills and Resolutions, offer Amendments, and Serve on Committees, and they have the authority to impeach the President.  The Senate is also part of the Legislative Branch but is separate from the House.  There are 2 Senators from each state, regardless of their state's population.  They must be at least 30 years old and a citizen for at least 9 years.  They serve 6 year terms, with elections of 1/3rd of the Senators rotated to maintain experienced Senators.  They have the authority to not only approve or disapprove the President's nominations for his cabinet, they can overrule the President in certain situations, and should the House impeach the president, the Senate has the responsibility to conduct the trial and either dismiss or convict the President. 

As you can see, the Legislative Branch has powerful responsibilities, often influenced by whether they are majority or minority parties serving under a President. There are also differences in whether different parties have chosen to work with or ignore/oppose the other elected party members.  In recent years there has been less cooperation. 

The next part of the Triangle is the Executive Branch, which includes the President, Vice President, and his Cabinet, as well as government agencies.  The President holds important parts of the Triangle, but he is not a King, which of course was the whole purpose of the war with England.  There is no question that the President has significant powers, some of which are in question.  This blog is not my attempt to define those powers.  It is about reflection on the intentions and efforts of our Founding Fathers to create a Nation without Kings, with checks and balances to keep our precious nation on course.  The third branch in the triangle is the Judicial Branch.  Members of the Supreme Court are nominated by the President.

We tend to pay attention to the Supreme Court, however there are many Federal Courts that can be important on a national level. The United States Supreme Court is able to try only a small portion of cases sent to them on appeal.  Most are rejected, left for the rulings of the lower courts.  However, according to Sandra Day O'Connor, "Each year the members of the court must read the briefs in the 100 or so cases on which the court hears oral arguments.  After argument, the case has to be decided and explained in published opinion."  From her book, The Majesty of the Law.  I can only imagine the amount of responsibility on the Court today, nor am I familiar with the manner in which they try to perform those responsibilities.

In the Triangle of the Judicial Courts, from District Courts to Courts of Appeal, to the Supreme Court, I am generally proud of my profession as an attorney. Today, being a government judge is an ominous responsibility, and sometimes a dangerous one.  Members of the Supreme Court are not beyond disciplinary action, although it has almost never been applied.  I am troubled by some of the neglect of traditional rules of past members of the court, like dissociating themselves from tempting "gifts"' and obvious expressions of opinion by family members of some of the Justices.  But, I am proud of the responsibilities, discipline, and courage other judges, lawyers, witnesses, and members of juries have shown.  Without those courageous and disciplined people, there could be no third Triangle.    

             

 

 

Aesop's Fables

Do you think these children read Aesop's Fables?
Emerson Country School, Stafford County, Kansas

 It is said that Aesop lived 600 years before Christ, a dangerous time during which survival could be brutal.  It is interesting, however, how relevant his fables can be to modern situations.   Aesop used animals and humans as subjects.      

For example, when a monkey was chosen to become king because of his dancing, fox was angry and set up a trick to fool the new king with vanity.  "I am not worthy for this meat I have found, so I have saved it for you" the fox tempted the new king.  The foolish monkey rushed forward and was caught in the trap set by the fox.  "You tricked me," the monkey pouted.  "Yes," admitted the fox, "but do you really think someone with so little sense should be chosen to rule over us?  This is what happens when we make an important decision without thinking it through.  We bring trouble and ridicule on ourselves and the others who depend on us." 

Other times Aesop used humans to tell his fables, and one example was when a man approached him, asking if he might share his autobiography with Aesop.  Not only did the man read a lengthy portion but he also praised his own greatness.  When he finally concluded reading, he said, "I hope I haven't portrayed myself as being too wonderful, but I truly am a genius."  Exhausted by the man's imposition with the long reading, Aesop replied, "I applaud the fact that you praise yourself.  Nobody else is going to do it!"

Aesop was a slave of a wealthy landowner in the heart of modern Turkey.  He is referred to as a "hunchback" and as so unattractive that he sometimes made children cry.  Yet, his fables are still published, illustrated by some of our most respected artists.  His stories are simple enough for children to understand, and wise enough for adults to respect. 

I wonder if the children pictured above read Aesop's Fables.  Perhaps they did, as giving their children an education was important to parents of that era, and Aesop's Fables were popular books.  Traveling book sellers encouraged the importance of encyclopedias, and they sold them on a monthly basis, if families could not afford to buy the entire encyclopedia at one time.  I have an old encyclopedia owned by my grandparents titled The Home and School Reference Work, A Library of Practical, Authoritative Information, published in 1920.  (They also had the full 10 volume collection of Journeys Through Bookland, published that same year, filled with stories, poems, and other delights.) 

 Volume 12 of the Encyclopedia described the Telephone, factories, wildlife and birds.  It had photographs of the Garden of the Gods and Pike's Peak, and the Grand Canyon, as well as other sites.    There were photographs of Woodrow Wilson and George Washington, and a 26-page description of the American Government, followed by 10 pages of American Universities.  There were diagrams of the moon and explanations of the impact on tides.  Those are only a sampling of Volume VII that must have intrigued my father and his siblings for hours.  

Yet today school children are falling behind in reading.  While it might seem exciting to have so much information immediately available to children on the internet, it seems instead that the easy access has made students indifferent to the wealth of knowledge immediately at hand.  After all, if there is something they need to know, they can look it up on their phone.  Unfortunately, that has led to little experience in not only reading but also failure to develop logic and reasoning skills.  Also lacking are empathy and compassion skills.

I will close with two quotes from Aesop:  "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." And also, "If you choose bad companions, no one will believe you are anything but bad yourself."  

 

(My father is in the front row, second from the right in the school picture.)     

The Battle of Bunker Hill

U.S. National Park Service

 I recently came across a reference to the Battle of Bunker Hill, a famous battle in the Colonies' quest for independence.  We won that battle, didn't we?  Actually, no we did not.  If we did not win, why is it remembered as so important?

I suspect that I am like a lot of us.  I recognized the name and thought I remembered it had been important in our early history, but I did not really know what made it important.  I wrongly assumed that we must have won.  The New Englanders who fought in that battle were mostly a rag-tag collection of farmers, bringing their own weapons, led by men whose military experience had been largely in fighting with the British against the French. 

 The British had experienced leadership, but the soldiers themselves were not seasoned.  To make their effectiveness even worse, they were ordered to march side by side in their heavy red uniforms while taking fire from the New Englanders.  Their plan was to slaughter the Americans in close quarters as they struggled to load their muskets.  British discipline failed, they did not follow orders, and they did not reach the colonists to slaughter them with their sabers. The British soldiers fled, stumbling over their own dead and wounded. Later, they returned and took the ground, but at a terrible sacrifice.  The rag-tag Englanders did not win, but they showed they could stand against the British, despite their ragged clothing, limited ammunition, and fairly sketchy knowledge of military discipline.  

Washington did not arrive until later, and ultimately the rag-tag nature of the soldiers was improved with discipline and training, but their stand at Bunker Hill reinforced the idea of independence, not merely demanding better treatment from the English.  Until then, it was resentment about taxes, particularly 1: the stamp act: with taxes on paper, playing cards, and legal documents, 2: the tea act, giving the East India Company a virtual monopoly on selling tea to the colonies, and 3: the sugar act, a tax on molasses as an example, --which brought more dissatisfaction in the Northern States than in the South.  

Bunker Hill changed that.  George Washington agreed to lead the Army, and gradually more of the Colonies began to accept the idea of Freedom.  Washington demanded better military discipline, and few of the New Englanders who had led the farmers were made officers under Washington.  Yet, the role they played is accurately respected for bringing the colonies together and igniting the idea that the Colonists could beat the English.  In short, they kept the notion of American liberty alive, while those less certain gradually joined the cause of Freedom.  

Prior to Bunker Hill, it was so-called radicals, who whispered the word of Freedom, but after Bunker Hill, the whispers spread, and voices grew.  Without Bunker Hill, would America have found the courage to fight for freedom.? 

Daniel Webster spoke at the laying of the cornerstone for the monument on Bunker Hill in 1825, and his words have warned the generations that followed.  "There remains in us a great duty of defense and preservation...(and) may the country itself become a vast and splendid monument, not of oppression and terror, but of Wisdom, of Peace, and of Liberty, upon which the world may gaze with admiration forever!"

Perhaps today is the right time to be reminded of his words.

   

Poetry and Reason

 For those of you who follow this blog, you already know that I often turn to history in an effort to make sense of the present.  However, I also find poetry a source of clarity, and I will share part of a poem I recently read.  (Please excuse the condensing of the stanzas.) 

"Let America be America again.  Let it be the dream it used to be.  Let it be the pioneer on the plain seeking a home where he himself is free.  

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed-- Let it be that great strong land of love, where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme that any man be crushed by one above.

O, let my land be a land where Liberty is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, But opportunity is real, and life is free, Equality is in the air we breathe."

As I read the 3 stanzas of this poem, it spoke to me about the division among Americans today, I thought of the divisiveness in Washington, the voting on such strict party lines.   

However, my sharing of the 3 opening stanzas omitted something important that the poet included between each stanza, concluding with "There's never been equality for me, Nor freedom in this 'homeland of the free' ".  

Image:  Library of Congress

The poet is Langston Hughes, a poet born in 1901, who died in 1967.  He wrote that poem in 1936, and while Black men had been given the right to vote in the 15th Amendment in 1870, attempted legal impediments and violence significantly delayed actual voting for many.  He certainly grew up in and continued to live in an era of separate drinking fountains, schools, restaurants, and much more. Consequently, he added between the opening stanzas of his poem, 'America never was America to me."  Yet, it is important to remember that he wrote the poem in 1936, and he lived through many changes in America after that.

His family history is important.  Both of his Great Grandmothers were enslaved, and both Great Grandfathers were their owners.  His Grandmother attended Oberlin College, and the man she married joined John Brown and was fatally wounded in the attack.  She remarried, and her husband brought their family to Kansas.  They were both educators, and their daughter and her husband remained in the same area of Missouri and Kansas, although he left the family to seek a more welcoming country.  Their son, Langston Hughes received most of his education in Lawrence, Kansas.

Langston Hughes is known for his novels, short stories, plays, poetry, operas, essays, and work for children.  At the time he wrote the poem I shared he had been invited with a group of Blacks planning to make a film in Russia.  The film was never made, but he did travel in China, Japan, and Korea.  Given his travels and his writings such as the one I shared, it is not surprising that he was among those hounded by Senator Joseph McCarthy.  Hughs explained the accusations against him that he did not have political feelings, nor did he read political documents.  Rather, his travels were an emotional effort "to find some way of thinking about this whole problem of myself."

What deeply changed his thinking was the willingness of Black soldiers, and perhaps particularly the Tuskegee Airmen, known as the Red Tails, who were willing to give their lives fighting for America in WW II.

Having researched all of that, I went back to his poem.  Yes, there is resentment and disappointment, yet there is also hope.  He wrote:  "I am a young man, full of strength and hope..., A Dream--Still beckoning to me!  O, let America be America again--The land that never has been yet--And yet must be--The land that's mine--The poor man's, Indian, Negro, ME--Who made America, Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain, Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain, Must bring back our mighty dream again."  

He concludes with these words:  We, the people, must redeem our land, the mines, the plants, the rivers, The mountains and the endless plain--All, all the stretch of these great green states--And make America again!

I don't believe most people think of Langston Hughes as a Kansan but just listen to his closing words:  America never was America to me, And yet I swear this oath--America will be!  An ever-living seed, Its dream lies deep in the heart of me.  We, the people, must redeem Our land, the mines, the plain--All, all the stretch of these great green states--And make America again!

Yes, he did write "America never was America to me" between the first 3 stanzas of his poem," and many Americans today, in conclusion of the first month of our President, may be questioning whether America is excluding them, ignoring the Constitution they love.  But, in the end, Langston Hughes found hope.

Rules, Oaths, and Ambition

 When did the idea of 'Every Child Gets a Trophy' become an education idea?  That is not easily answered, but, the emphasis seems particularly prevalent in the late 1980s and 1990s.  I was a teacher during that time, and I remember an angry mother who objected to her daughter's B.  The assignment was to select a few favorite poems and then find pictures (or draw illustrations) that illustrated the poems.  The mother could not understand why all the work filling a thick album with Christmas cards had nothing to do with the poems her daughter had selected.   The B was for the selection of poems the girl liked, but both mother and daughter missed the point of visualizing the imagery of the poems.  

When I taught at Baylor University School of Law I had a surprise quiz, requiring students to explain the significant issue in a case they were to have read for class.  A young woman wrote a long description of the case, making it obvious that she had read the assigned legal case; however, she failed to identify the significant issue that would resolve the case. A young man briefly identified the significant issue and explained the correct outcome.  The situation was sad, since the two students were husband and wife.  He was an outstanding student; but, hard as she tried, understanding the law was difficult for her, and she could not understand why her answer missed the point.  However, grading on good intentions is not going to prepare students for the ability to succeed in life.

Previous blogs have described the tendency for colleges to raise grades to make it easier for graduates to compete for jobs because they believe other universities are raising grades. Research has shown that Rules and Traditions are important.  Giving students grades they do not deserve is cheating everyone--the students, those who hire them, and those who depend on the legitimacy of their training.  I believe these examples of falsifying accurate grades, reference letters, and other misrepresentations, whatever the intentions, have cheapened a broad area of personal integrity. 

Sandra Day O'Connor

In her book, The Majesty of the Law, published in 2003, Sandra Day O'connor expressed her concern that freedom of speech only matters if we have some way of protecting against calculated lies.  She included a quote from a lawyer she respected, who had decided to leave the profession.  He told her why:  "I was tired of the deceit.  I was tired of the chicanery.  But most of all, I was tired of the misery of my job caused other people.  Many attorneys believe that 'zealously representing their client's means pushing all rules of ethics and decency to the limit.'" 

 I have not practiced law for several years, but I have watched enough trials and interviews under oath on television to share the disappointments expressed by that man, and also by Sandra Day O'connor.  I fear that our world is filled with calculated lies.    

  

Making Progress?

History--Repeats or Rhymes?

Recently we were trying to get organized by getting rid of papers no longer worth keeping.  Some of the documents were no longer relevant, but other import/repeats records were inaccessible in the piles of neglected 'stuff.'  The good news is that we have made progress with our discarding and organizing!  However, this blog is not intended to motivate spring house cleaning.

One of the things discovered in our cleaning effort was a newspaper clipping from The Waco News-Tribune, dated Monday, August 20, 1973, saved all these years because of a picture of a handsome young stockbroker, my husband.  However, it was what we saw on the back of the clipping that inspired this blog.  The content of two articles, published eight decades ago, addressed issues much like current problems of today, with the same empty political language.  For example, the former Colorado governor warned that Environmentalist's should "seek a better balance" between developing resources and protecting the environment.  He concluded that if the environmentalists did not compromise, there might be a "backlash among groups affected by energy shortages.  He was more concerned about energy shortages than the environment.  That has changed, but have we made enough progress? 

The other article on the same page opened with the headline "McGovern Claims Impeachment Necessary if Nixon Defies Court." The article continued.  Congress would "have no other recourse should President Nixon defy a court order to release tapes of his Watergate related conversations."  Of course, Nixon did not defy the Court but rather turned over the tapes, and, ultimately, he resigned.  Actions of the current president are different but no less controversial.  

The happenstance of reading the 1973 newspaper articles, with political events dealing with their own serious issues--different but still involving environmental issues and power of the president, could not help but make me reflect on the similarities. handled so differently but leaving unresolved issues as well.  The happenstance of reading these newspaper articles from so long ago seemed a strange coincidence. 

    

Storms of a Different Kind, number 3.

 

Fossils from our yard in Texas

When we moved into a new development in Texas, the land had been an unplowed prairie, it's commercial use having been a pasture for cattle.  It was covered with beautiful wildflowers, and once we built our home and I gardened, finding fossils was common.  We know our planet has gone through changes.  The question is, are more changes coming?

I love the farm on which I was raised.  I enjoyed reading the books I checked out from the library, but if the weather allowed, I was probably outside.  The pasture south of the house had never been plowed, and it was a favorite destination. My favorite spot was an old buffalo wallow, where buffalo had once rolled around to scratch insect bites or in the spring to rid themselves of their thick winter coats.  The buffalo were gone, but they left behind their history for a little girl. It was also where the sandhill plum thickets made hiding places and left memories of the jelly my ancestors made, jelly my mother and I continued to make.  Between the house and the pasture were trees to climb, planted by my  great-grandmother and her son. Many of these reminders no longer remain for younger generations, to remind them of how generations have changed our planet.

My father did not irrigate, but I was certainly aware of the need for rain.  In our farming community, we have been struggling over water resources for decades. I was the 4th generation to live in our house.  After college, my husband and I lived in large cities, but in retirement, we came back to the farm.  Things had changed.  Many farmers irrigated. Machenry was much bigger and more expensive, and they farmed far more land.  My father's Farmall M and the acreage he farmed to support a family was a thing of the past.

Of course, the fossils I found in our yard in Texas were deposited there far longer than the years of my lifetime, but we cannot be blind to the changes on our planet. Since about the time my great grandparents came to Kansas to homestead, the average global temperature on earth has increased by at least 1.9 Fahrenheit.  However, since 1982 the rate of warming is increasing 3 times as fast, and 2023 was the warmest year since keeping global records began in 1850, that is, it was the widest until 2024 increasing was even faster.  

Is there something we should be doing?  Is there anything we can do?  As this three-part series about storms and other weather issues comes to an end, I thought it might be of interest to you to see the results of research done by the Pew Research in 2023, testing how Americans feel about the research on Global Warming. It is provided for two reasons--as an opportunity for you to reflect on these issues, and as an opportunity to see how other Americans feel.

1.  A majority of Americans support prioritizing the development of renewable energy sources.

2.  Americans are reluctant to phase out fossil fuels altogether, but younger adults are more open to it.

3.  Views are more mixed on how the federal government should approach activities to reduce carbon emissions.  

4.  Americans see room for corporations and the federal government to do more to address the impacts of climate change.

5.  There is a division between Political Parties.

6.  Climate change is a lower priority for Americans than other national issues.

7.  Perceptions of local climate impacts vary as to whether they believe climate change is a serious problem.

Unfortunately, age, wealth, politics, education, personal impact, and many other things divide decision making, so taking action will be challenging.  However, one thing is certain.  Decisions must be made by people who know what they are doing, not by grandiose orders given for publicity.      

 

Storms, part 2

A Tornado over a Reservoir

To improve effectiveness of weather warnings, the Weather-Ready National Program was established by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  In short, they wanted to determine whether all Americans are benefitting from Severe Weather Communication. Their research established three specific things to consider: 1. How well are all members of the public informed of the severe weather threats? 2.  How prepared are they before the event?  3. Did people take appropriate action once an event occurred? 

One of the ongoing considerations for the Weather Service is balancing "False Alarms," particularly relevant for Tornado warnings.  If too many warnings are given, and no actual Tornado threat materializes, people begin to ignore the warnings.  On the other hand, watching too long to determine whether it is an actual threat may be too little time for people in its path to find shelter. 

Hurricanes give more time for warnings, but how many times have we heard people say they have stayed home, ignoring the threat with a sort of bravado, only to require a rescue that jeopardizes those who come to help.  A new problem, at least one I had not considered, was the problem for escaping in electric cars, when the water level rose rapidly.  

 A study by Professor Solomon Hsiangg focused on the impact on those who lived through severe tropical storms, but weeks and years later were found to have had shortened lives.  They compared general life expectancy against those who had gone through a hurricane and found that cyclones led to a 6% bump in mortality.  Cancer patients who lived through Hurricane Katrina in 2005 had lower survival rates even years later, probably because of disruptions in their treatment.  A more recent article suggests subtle, long-term changes causing stress that might also explain the impact on hurricane survivors, such as incurring debt or borrowing from their savings to recover from the hurricane, making their lives more difficult in later years.  I thought of other things, such as stress from losing a business or job, working to repair their own damaged home, which involved stress or injuries, being forced to move, or many other possible examples.  Psychological effects can damage physical health. 

An addendum:  I wrote this blog several months ago, but I find it necessary to add more recent events.  Climate.gov reports 27 individual weather and climate disasters in 2024 involving government assistance:  at least a billion in damages, at least 5 floods; and at least 166 who died in U.S. floods, the majority during driving.

As of January 28, 2025, in California there have been 312 wildfires, 365 structure fires, 5119 other.  To combat these fires, far more people are involved:  Medical, 32,496; Hazmat, 1,046; Law enforcement, 305; Public Service, 5,362.  There have been 27 deaths, 6,837 structures destroyed, 1,071 damages in Los Angeles.  

Americans do not always agree about the ways to confront these global changes.  Should America belong to the Paris Climate Agreement?  Is Global Warming real or simply a normal cycle, and if it is real, what is the appropriate response?  Is this a matter for politicians or scientists?  After floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters, is aid the responsibility nationally or the individual states.  If people keep building along shorelines, in crowed areas with histories of fires, in tornado zones, how many times should federal assistance be available?  Should insurance companies be able to refuse insurance in certain areas?  There are many questions to be answered.        

With more threats from hurricanes, floods, and fires, as well as increased melting on our north and south poles, is research on global warming a fact and no longer a political debate.  This blog began as a question of 'when should people in the line of danger from storms be warned so that they take proper precautions?'  As I reflected on my research for the blog, I seem to have raised a bigger question.     

Next Week:  Storms of a different kind, part 3. 

   

 

Storms, part 1

When I was a child, there had been a tornado, and the local television station covered the destruction heavily.  Interviews of those impacted by the tornado often described it as sounding like a train.  For weeks, I would lie awake on windy nights, listening for anything that sounded like a train.  Warnings then were not as sophisticated as they are today.  Recent storms have caused me to think about changes in storm warnings.   

Today we have significant opportunities to be warned, but in earlier times, that did not exist, although ancient humans did try to study the weather in search of patterns that might allow them to anticipate weather cycles.  Observation and the gradual creation of calendars helped, but what they needed were instruments, such as the thermometer and the barometer.  Even so, men were curious, Benjamin Franklin and his lightening experiment being an example. 

There were earlier efforts to warn others that a storm was headed their way, such as the telegraph.  The Smithsonian Institution launched a network of Weather Stations connected telegraphically to communicate weather events, which was the starting place for what became the National Weather Service. 

Ice Storm at the farm several years ago.

Today we may take for granted our access to weather notification as well as prediction in advance.  Lives can be saved by being warned in advance of weather threats.  Long term predictions can also help farmers.  We may think of tornadoes and hurricanes, but storms, heatwaves, and other weather related disasters can also be predicted and save lives.  Predictions of storms given 10 days or longer are accurate only about half of the time.  Seven-day forecasts are more accurate, at about 80% accuracy, and five-day forecasts are about 90% accurate for hurricanes.

 The problem is that if weather forecasters send warnings too far in advance the accuracy is lower, but if they wait too long to send the warning, there may not be time enough to take the precautions needed.  

Research has found that people are reluctant to change plans or their behavior unless they are fairly sure that it is going to impact them.  If they are told that they need to take cover, most people will, and if a tornado emergency or flash flood emergency is given, that often gets attention.  However, some people need to see the danger to take action, and there is the possibility that people are embarrassed by taking cover if no risk actually occurs.  

Studies have shown that different ethnicities respond differently to warnings, as well as how the warning is delivered, such as local TV versus national TV, or non-government websites.  

More research will follow next week!  

This series was written several months ago, so references to the tragic storm and fire recent events are not included.  However, they certainly are examples of the importance of warning, advance preparation, and frightening damages.

The Birth of Spin

It is difficult to envision the early decades of correspondence of American political communication, when communication relied on newspapers, letters that took days to deliver, and word of mouth.  Not only was delivery difficult and slow, but accuracy would also have been challenging, even for those acting in good faith.  As access and timeliness of correspondence improved, the challenge of bias or slant of information continued, whether only an effort to create a favorable impression or deliberate efforts to shade information were involved.  As the saying goes, "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion but not to his own facts."  Yet, the challenge of determining the accuracy of what we are told has existed for as long as humans learned how to communicate.

From long ago, the Owl has been a symbol of wisdom and truth, perhaps because of its ability to see in the dark. The need for truth and the challenge of discerning truth is as old as time, long before our nation existed.  Our nation's privilege of freedom of speech makes the importance even more essential that we honor that privilege.  However, it has never been entirely honored.  

Perhaps the 1980s were a professional turning point for the "art" of spin, with a gradual naming of the abuses: publicity, ballyhoo, propaganda, messaging, framing, strategic communication, bias.  The practice became so accepted that "spin rooms" to meet with reporters after news events to tweak the content became common.

Among the earlier efforts to combat misinformation were the Muckrakers, sometimes as outrageous in their attacks as those committing the falsehoods the Muckrakers exposed.  However, there were examples of investigations and disclosures by the Muckrakers that benefitted the public.  Perhaps the best example was Sinclair Lewis, and his book, The Jungle, that exposed the disgraceful and dangerous greed and abuse of the Chicago meatpackers. 

Presidents in particular struggled with communicating with the press.  President Wilson established the Committee on Public Information as a war time information bureau.  Franklin Roosevelt was particularly successful with his Fireside Chats.  On the other hand, radio also provided the abusive access for those who would spread prejudiced and false information, such as the broadcasts of Father Charles Coughlin and Huey Long.

The power of radio quickly diminished as television arrived.  One clever example was Ronald Reagan's dismissal of his age with a joke, telling his opponent, Mondale, that he would "not hold his youth and inexperience against him."  Not all presidents have been as skilled in using media, but they all recognize the importance of using it effectively. 

The media has tried to confront the spin, identifying outright falsehoods with fact checking, but it   proved less effective than might have been hoped.  Americans began to distrust the media.  Many sought news they found more agreeable.  The internet offered alternative sources, but checks on accuracy were often lacking.  Reporters, with rules that guided their responsibilities for accuracy, found themselves being replaced by commentators, who express opinions rather than unbiased facts.  

Gradually, the professional responsibility for those who bring us the news or host sources where information can be posted have become less vigilant, and recently Face Book has announced that they will no longer protect against misinformation by fact checking, leaving it up to individuals to recognize inaccuracies and intentional misrepresentation.  

The sad truth is that all of us prefer to hear what we want to hear, but for Americans to be entrusted with wise judgement, for themselves and their families, as well as for our freedom of speech, and informed votes, we must have access to the information we need.  As Roman poet Juvenal wrote, "Who will guard the guards themselves?  Who will watch the watchmen?" 

America's Inauguration Traditions

 

The Constitution is very limited in establishing traditional guidelines for the inauguration, saying only that there should be a taking of an oath. President Washington started the tradition of the Inaugural Address.  James and Dolly Madison started the tradition of a reception and an inaugural ball. Thomas Jefferson's second inauguration began the tradition of an open house at the executive mansion, but that tradition ended as a result of over eager crowds destructively overwhelming the White House. 

There are a variety of firsts resulting from advancement in technology. James Buchanan was the first to be photographed, William McKinley was the first in a movie, Calvin Coolidge the first on the radio, Harry Truman the first televised, and Bill Clinton the first to be live on the internet.

 Donald Trump's absence at the swearing in of Biden was the first to decline attendance since Andrew Johnson declined to attend Ulysses S. Grant's inauguration, but four other presidents had declined before him:  John Adams, John Quency Adams, Martin Van Buren, and Andrew Johnson. Two other absences from the full participation were Woodrow Willson because of health and Richard Nixon because of his resignation. It is not a mandate, although most outgoing presidents have chosen to attend.   

The Constitutional omission of defining guidelines for the inauguration has provided the opportunity for presidents to introduce personality into the ceremony.  Only 4 presidents have included poetry.  Kennedy was first, with Robert Frost.  Clinton invited poets to both inaugurations, Miller Williams first and Maya Angelou to the second inauguration.  Obama invited Richard Blanco and Elizabeth Alexander.  Biden invited Amanda Gorman.  These excerpts seemed particularly relevant today:  "Who were many people coming together cannot become one people falling apart."  Miller Williams.  "More Kindness, dear Lord of the renewing.  That is where it all had to start."  James Dickey.  "History, despite its wrenching pain cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again."  Maya Angelou.  

Music has also had a place in inaugurations.  Marian Anderson sang for two presidents--Eisenhower and Kennedy.  Jimmy Carter is well known for his love of music of all kinds, and that was apparent at his inauguration when he included Willie Nelson's 'Crazy' sung by Linda Ronstadt, Irving Berlin's 'God Bless America' sung by Aretha Franklin, and 'Take Care of this House' by Leonard Bernstein.   Biden also selected a range of musicians for his inauguration, with Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, and Garth Brooks.  Republicans have also rocked the inaugurations with George W. Bush bringing Livin' la Vida Loca, and Reagan bringing the Beach Boys.  

Much has changed since George Washington swore his oath in New York City, planned for March 4, 1789 but delayed until April 6, 1789 because harsh weather delayed the congressmen traveling to count the votes.  Then, as today, there may be some bumps in the road leading up to our inaugurations, but our system has held.  May the wisdom of the founding fathers and the character of those whom we have elected honor, protect and defend the constitution as they have sworn to do.  As Ronald Reagan said, may our nation be "the shining city upon a hill...teeming with people of all kinds, living in harmony and peace."  

        

In memory of President Jimmy Carter

 

When Jimmy Carter was elected President of the United States, I was an attorney at the Veterans Administration in Waco, Texas.  At that time, there was a man employed there who looked so much like Jimmy Carter that he should have taken a leave of absence for four years to impersonate the President.  He was from Texas, and although he did not have the same sweet southern accent that the President had, his Texas southern accent would have given him a head start over the other impersonators from the North who tried and failed to master the President's genuine smooth Georgia accent.  

My husband and I happened to be in New Orleans when Jimmy Carter was there campaigning for the presidency, and we joined the crowd around him, at least getting close enough to catch one of the peanuts he threw to the crowd.  I suppose we still have that peanut somewhere, unless we forgot it's value as having come from the hand of the future president. 

Notice the competing Republican posters in both photographs, brought to counter Carter's rally. 

Like others, I may have been disappointed by Carter's lack of grandeur in the office of the Presidency.  He really wasn't much for the pomp and circumstances of the office.  The truth is, we Americans seem to like a bit of grandeur surrounding our presidents, even if they are not kings.

He was not extremely popular during his presidency, often criticized as trying to do too much himself, rather than benefitting from participation of others with particular credentials on the many responsibilities of the presidency, which could have assisted the president in making his decisions.  

Not only was he an untraditional president, but his wife Rosalynn was also a unique first lady.  At the presidential inauguration balls, she wore a gown she had made, the same one she had worn to Balls in Atlanta when her husband was governor.  Her tastes were sometimes more homie than was typical, for example, for the Christmas tree in 1977, she chose ornaments made from pinecones, peanuts, and eggshells.  Her husband respected her skills and encouraged her participation in serious issues not typically addressed by first ladies.

Another thing unusual was his invitation to his wife to sit in on meetings with his staff.  Men were not particularly pleased to see Rosalynn taking notes during their meetings with the president.  She did not speak when she sat in on cabinet meetings, but her mere presence was objectional to many.  When asked why she took notes, she said, "I was there to be informed so that when I traveled across the country, which I did a great deal, and was questioned by the press and other individuals about all areas of government, I'd know what was going on."  I'm not sure that explanation would have pleased those in the President's cabinet, since it seems to suggest that she might have shared things they regarded as confidential.  Nevertheless, the president had great confidence in his wife's abilities and enjoyed being able to discuss things with her.

He was open with the people.  Perhaps they thought he was too much so, for example, in 1976 he sat for an interview for Playboy magazine, in which he spoke about the role of religion in his life.  The following quote was published.  "I try not to commit a deliberate sin.  I recognize that I'm human and I'm tempted...Christ said, 'I tell you that anyone who looks on a woman with lust has in his heart already committed adultery.'  I've looked on a lot of women with lust...and God forgives me for it."  It is hard to imagine any man more devoted to his wife or less likely to commit sin by lusting at the sight of another woman, but Jimmy took the Bible seriously.  Not every President can say the same.

Three things may have resulted in his failure to be reelected.  First, he was challenged in the primary by Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, an unthinkable thing to challenge a sitting president of your own party, even though the challenge was defeated.  Second, not everyone agreed with his decision to negotiate with Panama's future control of the Panama Canel.  (On December 21, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump threatened retaking control from Panama.)  Third, perhaps worst of all, in November of 1979, Iranian students captured the American embassy and detained more than 50 Americans for 444 days.  The longer they were detained, the more Carter was criticized.  For further humiliation, the prisoners were released immediately after the swearing in of the new president, Ronald Reagan.  

Perhaps Jimmy Carter's greatest achievement in office was the successful Camp David agreement in 1978.  As a citizen, he was widely admired for his hands on work building houses and supporting safe elections in other countries.  I think it is fitting to close with his own words.  When asked what things that you cannot see are most important, he replied:  "I would say justice, truth, humility, service, compassion, love.  You can't see any of those, but they're the guiding lights of a life."  Rest in peace Jimmy Carter.  You certainly strived to live by the list of unseen but important responsibilities you described.

Photograph credits taken in New Orleans:  Larry Fenwick

What Was He Thinking!

With a New Year just beginning, it is a good time to think about resolutions to improve yourself--the typical vow to lose weight, clean out the cupboards, or some other sincere commitments that too often are short lived.  Instead of worrying about resolution for ourselves, this is a suggestion for young people.

How many times have you seen something in the news, or maybe some foolishness in your own community, that made you think to yourself, 'What was he or she thinking?'

Today, logic is not taught as a separate study in most schools.  Should it be?  In our increasingly complex world, perhaps teaching critical thinking is more important than ever.  Protecting children from access to inappropriate information is challenging.  Perhaps the better solution is teaching them Logic and Critical thinking to enable them to distinguish between fact and opinion, to recognize and evaluate the credibility of information.

Whether it is something they see online or television, or it is something they hear from friends, kids are bound to encounter misinformation.  By teaching them logical thinking skills, they can learn to evaluate and assess the validity of information and arguments.  They can learn to identify biases and distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources.  

When are children old enough to be exposed to Logic?  There are differences of opinion, some believing it is best to wait until middle school, but others believe younger kids can benefit earlier, although care must be taken to avoid-- as they would have said back in my childhood-- 'avoiding letting younger kids get too big for their britches.'

With younger kids, training should be done with brain teasers, puzzles, experiments, and other problem-solving activities to activate their thinking, without directly relating it to activities that would make them disobedient.

For older students, the need for teaching logic is growingly important.  Today's students need to be able more than ever to evaluate the validity and reliability of sources of information.  Logic and critical thinking can enable them to distinguish between fact and opinion, to recognize illogical fallacies, and make informed judgments.

Whether young people are exposed to things on the internet or are influenced by other kids, it is important that they have the skills to evaluate the reliability and credibility of information, to identify flawed arguments and misleading claims, and to analyze arguments and assess their validity. 

Whether schools teach students how to think or not, they will learn--for good or for bad.  If your child's school does not have a qualified instructor for teaching Logic, it might be worth inquiring whether such instruction could be added to the curriculum.  

If that is not possible, there are ways you can encourage your children and upper grade students how to think Logically. 

 1.  Ask your children "why" frequently.  The importance in doing this is not to make them feel criticized but rather to encourage them to think things through.  I don't have children, but I suspect that asking them "why" regularly is going to result in your being asked "why" often too, but your willingness to respond with a reasonable reply will show them that having reasons for what you do is important. both for children and parents.

2.  Playing board games with your children can encourage strategy and logical thinking.  I recall a youngster visiting us who had a way of opening his first move in the game in the very same way every time.  The result was that he always lost, but when asked whether he might consider a different approach, he refused.  He was our guest, so we did not push him, but perhaps we could have helped him is some way.  Family board games may not be as popular as they once were, but it does seem like a great way to teach logic, and a nice way to bring the family together.  Try Chess and get out some of your favorite board games from childhood--Monopoly, Scrabble, or others

3.  Check online or in bookstores to see if there might be a method for teaching kids logical reasoning.

4.  Provide your kids with puzzles and brain teasers that they can enjoy on their own. 

Perhaps there are some good suggestions in this blog to consider as your family's New Year's resolution.  If you haven't played board games with your kids lately, maybe encouraging playing board games together isn't a bad New Year's resolution to make!  I know that kids today are busily scheduled with school activities and various other commitments, but I remember many different board games our family played, including playing with aunts and uncles when they visited.  As I researched this post, I realized that although I do not recall taking a class in Logic, I did play all kinds of board games with family and friends.  I remembered the fun, but looking back, maybe I learned more Logic than I knew from those board games!

Remember Sears, Roebuck & Co. Catalogues?

Thinking about the Sears & Roebuck catalogue seems especially relevant during the holiday season.  We did not have Black Friday sales to fuel our shopping fever, but we had the mail-order catalogue to help us decide what to ask Santa to bring.  However, this blog is not just about Christmas Shopping.

 Do you remember the old Sears, Roebuck & Co. Catalogues?  We must have ordered something from those catalogues, or surely, they would have stopped sending them to us, but I cannot remember buying anything.  I do remember looking through the new catalogues when they arrived, however.  This blog is about something they sold long before I would have been flipping the pages, however.

Mail Order Houses

In the early part of the 20th Century, you could buy a Sears Modern Home through the catalogue.  The kit came with blueprints, and if you could not afford the price all at once, they provided monthly payments.  All of the pieces were precut, numbered, and ready to fit together.  Nails and paint were included, but you would need to find someone to assemble the pieces, unless you were handy enough to tackle such a job. 

Sales went well until the Great Depression, their best year being 1929.  Sears had a loan program that required a small down payment, and once that was paid, they would lend $3 for every $1 the customer had invested in the house.  As you can imagine, many purchasers were still making payments when the depression hit, and although sales rebounded from 1936 to 1938, the Sears Modern Home department never fully recovered, and in 1940 they were out of the Sears Kit Business.

I have been told that several homes were built in central Kansas in the community where we now live, but I have not been able to verify that they were Sears Modern Homes.  They sold somewhere around 75,000 homes between 1908 and 1940.  There were hundreds of styles, from small bungalows to larger homes.  Thanks to Jenny Ashcraft for posting online and sending me on the search for more information.  

However, what also interested me were the modern homes I discovered online.  There are many examples of such homes available today, from lovely 2-story traditional homes to single story homes that can be built on a foundation or a basement, to custom homes built on your land to tiny modern Prefab homes or log cabins, tiny or majestic.  There are even houses built on wheels so you can move your residence as you choose.  Sears, Roebuck & Company was just ahead of their time!  

    

 

Our Christmas Adventure!

William Allen White's Typewriter

     

For many years, my husband and I have wanted to tour the William Allen White home, and when we were near Emporia, Kansas we would stop by to see if their home was open for tours.  We were never lucky enough to find Red Rocks, the name they gave their home, open for tours.

    So, when we learned that they were having a special Holiday celebration at the house on December 9, 2024, we set the alarm clock to get up in time to drive to Emporia. What a wonderful tour we had!  

    I think the first time I was aware of White was in high school, when we read the Editorial/obituary he and his wife wrote for their daughter.  It is such a lovely tribute to her, and although she died in 1921, over the years it has been read by countless numbers of people.

    He is also famous for his editorial titled "What's the Matter with Kansas?" in which he criticized Populist leaders for failing to keep up with the economy of surrounding neighboring states.

    As a newspaper man, the respect he earned was not limited to Kansas.  Not only did his writing appear in his Emporia Gazette, but his editorials were widely reprinted. His reputation brought him many friends, and among those friends who came to stay in his home were Theodore Roosevelt, Douglas Fairbanks, Edna Ferber, Dorothy Canfield, and Herbert Hoover.

    Among his many achievements, perhaps the most notable was his decision to run for governor of Kansas.  He took the decision seriously, and he campaigned across the state; however, his motive had a bigger purpose than simply running for the office of governor.  The Ku Klux Klan had begun to expand into Kansas, and White used his campaigning to warn Kansans about the danger of the Klan.  He did not win the office of Governor, but his speeches were credited with helping to block the spread of the Klan.

    If you are not familiar with William Allen White, it is worth your time to do some research about this well-known and highly respected Kansan.  He should not be forgotten.  

    A wonderful crowd attended the open house, and a professor from the college entertained us with her harp, playing Christmas music.  The volunteer hostesses were well informed and graciously shared information about each room. It was exciting to me to see the small typewriter that he used to write the newspaper articles and books that brought him fame.

    The house is lovely, and I could not help but look around the room as I enjoyed the music, imagining the famous men and women who had shared the hospitality of the house before me.

    During World War II, the City of Emporia raised $25,000 in war bonds and they were given naming rights for a B-29 bomber.  They chose to name it the William Allen White.  It was part of the same bomber squadron that the Enola Gay was in.

    William Allen White's autobiography was published posthumously in 1946, and it won the Pulitzer Prize for Biograph/Autobiography.  We came home with our own copy of his book, as well as another book and wonderful memories of the day.

Decorating for Christmas

When I was a child, we always had a freshly cut tree, usually bought at the grocery store.  I still cherish memories of decorating the family tree together, and I miss the fresh cut smell that filled the house.  

When my husband and I married, we lived in a trailer house, and there was no room for a tree.  The first real Christmas tree, with ornaments of our own, was in our apartment near the military base, where my husband served in the Air Force.  Year by year, our collection of ornaments grew, and we added many on trips, bringing home ornaments as souvenirs.  As our holiday collection increased, we got bigger trees, and eventually we decorated more than one tree.  When we lived in large cities, I loved shopping in stores the day after Christmas, when decorations were marked down in price.  Gradually our holiday collections expanded.

I love decorating for holidays--Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter--but Christmas is the best.  This year we have three full-size trees and one rather large tabletop tree, as well as decorations on every surface I can find!  My husband suggested that I be satisfied with two trees this year, but I insisted on a third tree, and this year, it is the Oz tree.  When we lived in other states, we were often asked jokingly if we knew Dorothy, or if we had been in a tornado.  Most people did not know much about Kansas, but they knew about the Wizard of Oz.  

Just for fun, I set Scare Crow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Dorothy near the tree to share the holiday with us. 

For a few days we will be sharing our home with not only the Oz characters but also angels and snowmen and Santa Clauses and characters from the Nutcracker, and best of all, with friends and family.  

Best wishes and happy holidays!

A Changing World

 I often look to history for guidance in solving modern problems, wisdom ranging from Abraham Lincoln to Edward R. Murrow to Socrates and many more.  My research has now taken me to Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist born 1858, died 1917, who is known as a principal architect of modern social science.  His work involved how societies can maintain their integrity in times in which societies lack agreement on so many norms of behavior, in other words, when they disagree on so many different things that reaching agreement of guidelines for behavior breaks down.

I was a post WW II baby, and between 1945 when the war ended and 2000 when we entered a new century, so many things had changed.  Many of my blogs have included the changes in traditions, in how we dress, in professions now open to women, in communication, in medicine, in population growth and many ethnicities, in religions, in moral changes.  In a survey taken between 2007 and 2014, within persons of faith, 70.6% were Christian, but there were more than 9 different denominations.  Among non-Christian faiths there were more than ten different faiths, and nearly 23% of those surveyed were nonbelievers or "nothing in particular."  

I blogged about the initial purpose of public-school educations, so that all children could benefit from the same education, but today we have public schools, private schools, home schools, and with the Supreme Court ruling of 2022, expanded voucher programs now allow parents to apply government funds to  religious and other private schools, so long as funds are not used for religious education. 

 Americans get their news from the Evening News, the all-day television commentators, from tik-tok, the internet, and countless other sources.  The internet, with all of the value it provides, also provides the wide dispersal of disinformation and falsehoods.  

Emile Durkheim

Emile Durkheim's research sought to answer "how is a society created" and "what holds a society together."  He concluded that the norms, beliefs, and values that are common to the average members of society form "Collective consciousness" essential to the survival of society.

He believed that as people interact with one another they form common opinions and norms.  Without those interactions gradually shaping common norms, the beliefs and sentiments common to the average members of society break down.  When the public and private rituals of society are broken, moral solidarity decreases. 

In August of 2021, a Gallup article by Frank Newport expanded on the work of Durkheim.  Citing the numerous social changes regarding moral and other value decisions, allowing individual choices has become acceptable.  Gallup research has found that the result is the "diminishing of confidence in the church and organized religion, the Supreme Court, Congress, public schools, the news media, and the presidency."  

Author Newport concluded his article with these words:  "But as research shows that Americans show a lessening need to adhere to traditional norms and exhibit increasingly negative perceptions of institutions, structures and systems, it's important to keep the focus on just how the public would like to see things change.  This remains a major challenge for the years ahead.  Important though it is to criticize the systems and structures of our society, it is equally important to recognize that we need acceptable systems and structures that will work well in their stead."

In the months since that article was written, the words seem even more important.  I have written about many of these issues separately, but considered together the importance of our response seems even more complex and essential.

Rest in Peace

I understand this cemetery is better maintained now.

Some time ago I wrote a post about neglected cemeteries and the terrible disrespect shown to some cemeteries by kids with too much to drink or  who thought tipping grave stones was fun.  I believe this once neglected cemetery is now being better cared for, and I have not heard any recent reports of intentional tipping, so that is good news.

However, in my continuing history research I found a very sad story that happened a century ago.  In the early 1900s, San Francisco had begun to run out of space, so they banned any further burials, but in 1912 they decided to evict existing cemeteries, the  Presidio Cemetery being the only exception.  If families of the deceased were located, they could pay $10 to have their loved one moved.  If families could not be located, or could not afford the fee, bodies were reinterred in mass graves.  Old headstones were either destroyed or recycled for other projects.  The warning of the removals was published in the San Francisco Chronicle on March 28, 1900.  

On December 17, 1913, the San Francisco Journal & Daily Journal of Commerce published the following:  All cemeteries situated within the above-described limits are hereby declared to be a public nuisance and a menace and detriment to the public health and welfare, and it is hereby ordered that all of said cemeteries be abolished .... or otherwise properly disposed of in accordance with law.

So, why am I sharing such a tragic story?  Because, recently Forbes Business published this headline:  "Urban Cemeteries Running Out Of Space As Baby Boomers Enter Twilight Years."  As an example, Brooklyn's historic Greenwood Cemetery is struggling to find spaces, along with many other urban cemeteries in our biggest cities.  America is not running out of land, but many urban cities are.  Being buried near where you live or where family would prefer to bury you nearby may present problems.  

As urban cemeteries fill, the land around them is becoming more expensive as well.  As the population grows, more land is needed for family homes.  It is estimated that between 2024 and 2042, 76 million Americans will reach the life expectancy age of 78 during that time.  If standard lots were continued for burials, that would require 130 square miles. 

The National Funeral Directors Association reports that cremation has reached a high of 50% of all funerals.  They estimate that by 2035 nearly 80% will be cremations.

I was surprised by those statistics, and I thought perhaps others would be as well.  We have many lovely cemeteries in our communities, as well as some lovely country cemeteries where families are still choosing to be buried.  It was finding the story about the sad decision in San Francisco that led me to research current cemeteries.  While it may not be of immediate concern in our location, it is something to consider so that the dreadful decision San Francisco made is never repeated!     

 

   
 

Guiding Kids to Discover Reading

 

One bookcase of many in our home.

"Hey, kids! It's your old buddy Steve King telling you that if they ban a book in your school library, ...(go) to the nearest bookstore or library ASAP and find out what they don't want you to read..." I had to laugh when I read that quote, which I am sure King meant with humor and a little annoyance about the extreme book banning we have seen of even classic literature.  In my childhood, I was left on my own to select books, and I missed so many wonderful classics, but on the other hand, I became a serious reader for life, and perhaps that was the most important thing.  However, that is where a Librarian could have been helpful.  As an adult, I have enjoyed reading classic Children's books belatedly.

Among some of my favorite children's books that have been banned are Charlotte's Web, The Giving Tree, and Where the Wild Things are.  Apparently, some of the book banners find talking animals inappropriate.  That thinking could eliminate so many wonderful books, if children were kept from reading them.  What about dolls?  Don't most children talk to their dolls?  What about pets?  Don't children talk to pets?  A healthy imagination is important for children, and although I tend to think classic children's books are better written than many modern books, I am grateful for librarians who continue to challenge ridiculous banning.   

 I have returned to continue this blog about encouraging kids to read because a friend posted a comment to last week's blog that I just had to share. I "met" this friend because a mutual friend of mine told him about my efforts to write "Prairie Bachelor."  We began to correspond, although he lived on the other side of the world, and the correspondence has continued.  The following is his response to last week's blog.  

"My Mother was so glad when I started school and learned to read because I shut up asking questions. We always had a good cross section of newspapers and Magazines in our home. Black Beauty was my first real book. When (his) kids were young we had all the Dr. Seuss books and all the Bernstein Bears which we read over and over ad nauseum. We had dozens of Little Golden Books. As they grew older, they started their own book shelves...Anne of Green Gables series, The Little House on the Prairie series, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe series, Robin Hood, Treasure Island, etc. The youngest is a Librarian in London, U.K., second oldest is a Professor of Victorian Literature, son has read every serious novel he can lay his hands on, the oldest reads adult paperbacks." 

Thank you my long-distance friend for sharing your family's love of reading. Although you did not mention it, I am certain that seeing their father reading had an important impact on their love for reading. 

 What his reply to last week's post reminded me was the presence of magazines and newspapers in my childhood home. My mother did belong to a book club for a while, where she received a new novel every 3 months, but it was really the newspapers and magazines that I saw my parents reading most of the time. It had not occurred to me how important that must have been to me. Although I did not see them reading books as often, I certainly saw them reading the many magazine subscriptions that came in the mail. Today, children have less opportunity to see their parents reading, so many small-town newspapers having disappeared in many communities, although we still have our local weekly paper. Magazines are begging for subscribers. With kids today having less likely opportunity to see their parents reading, it is all the more important to read to them from early childhood until they can read for themselves.  

What Happened?

 Do you remember these Library Cards?  I often buy old books, and this particular former library book looked like new.  When I opened it I understood why.  Apparently, it had never been checked out.  How sad.  The book was published by the Kansas State Historical Society, and Miss Louise Barry's thick book of a decade of research, with the author's goal to document a record of known activity in the pre-Kansas region from the appearance of the first Europeans in the mid-1500s to 1854, is not for everyone.  

It includes the early history of the displacement of  Indigenous  people, and of the surveyors running lines to determine reservation boundaries for of promises such as the following example in 1828; It guaranteed eleven millions of acres of land and a perpetual outlet to the west, a permanent home...which shall, under the most solemn guarantee of the United States, be and remain theirs forever--a home that shall never, in all future time, be embarrassed by having extended around it the line, or placed over it the jurisdiction of a territory or state, nor be pressed upon by the extension, in any way, of any of the limits of any existing territory or state...

 Of course, we now know that the promise, with all of its grand words, did not last.  The book is a valuable record, but not intended for most readers.  I do hope it can still be found in libraries for scholarly researchers, and I will try to get my copy to such a place.  

However, my blog was inspired by reading about a college student seeking help from a college counselor.  She had been a good student in high school, but she was struggling with the reading assignments she was being given in college.  The counselor asked whether there had been reading assignments given to her in high school, and she acknowledged that there had been.  However, she said that her high school assignments had only been a few pages.  She was overwhelmed by being asked to read an entire book.  That was just too much for her! 

I assume it was a novel or a biography that she was assigned to read over a period of a few days.  How sad it is that she had never been guided into the pleasure of vicariously traveling to a new place and immersing herself into the life of a fictional person or reading the Diary of Anne Frank to better understand war and hate, or reading about an actress or an athlete or a scientist that encouraged her to pursue a dream of her own.  

The joy of reading is best acquired by being read to by parents and seeing them read books of their own.  Children learn by watching, and if they see parents and older siblings reading, it is more likely that they will want to learn to read too.  Reading not only shares stories, it introduces children to the lives of children who are different, it allows them to travel to faraway places, it allows then to experience sad events so that if sadness really comes into their lives they can better understand how to face it.  Studies also show that meeting all kinds of people in books makes children   more empathetic.  

How sad that the college girl that sought help from the counselor had not been exposed to books from childhood.  Having scary fairy tales read to a child sitting safely in a parent's lap is the best way to confront evil witches for the first time.  Feeling sad for Black Beauty with its eventual reunion is a gentler way to prepare for the inevitable death of a pet.  Children who read, whether fiction or biography, benefit from experiencing what it was like to live in the 1800s, or in a different country, or to be of a different ethnicity, or even to experiencing the death of a fictional friend.  Learning these things vicariously, they are better prepared for actual events in their lives.  Think of all the things that coed had missed by restricting her experiences to her own immediate life or perhaps the few pages of her prior limited reading assignments.  How much empathy for those different from herself can she feel, if she had never cried while reading a book about someone different?  How can she ever learn from history if she only reads text books, which is much different from reading historic fiction and becoming fictional friends with a Jewish girl in Germany at the start of W.W. II, if she overlooked reading the Diary of Anne Frank?

To Librarians making room on the shelves for new books, why not guide young readers to classic books that their parents and grandparents read and loved years ago.  And parents, please read to your children, even when you may think they are too young to understand.  Read fairy tales, and buy them books of their own.  

I have been in waiting rooms and have seen parents give their small children their phones to play with.  I would much rather plant the seed for reading in a child's hands than the seed for living online.    Help them fall in love with reading when it still seems exciting to master that skill.

I don't expect many people to go in search of the book I introduced at the beginning of this blog, but I do hope I can plant a seed or two that encourages a few to read to babies very early, to buy them books of their own, to let them see you reading while they are young enough to emulate you.  And, get them a library card of their own early!  Our community has so many wonderful Libraries! 

A  P.S. to Librarians:  Please keep children's classics on the shelves.  Classics do not grow old.  The Illustrators from the 1980s and 1990s and a few more years are fantastic.  Please keep them on the shelves where kids (and parents) can find them.