Children and former associates of James Dobson honored the “pro-family” leader at an Oct. 4 memorial service in Denver that highlighted his roles as a father and man of deep faith rather than his political activism. Dobson’s ministry has released…
House Democrats draw flak for supporting Charlie Kirk day
Congressional resolutions declaring Oct. 14 a day of remembrance for slain right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk have fueled squabbling among House Democrats and confirm the continuing rise of Christian nationalism in conservative American politics, observers say. The U.S. House of Representatives…
Firing Holocaust Memorial board members is about changing history’s story
When Donald Trump abruptly fired Doug Emhoff and other Biden appointees from the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, it wasn’t just a petty political maneuver — it was a warning flare about how empire behaves when it fears truth-tellers. This is…
Three images to remember Tyre Nichols
The video has been released. Seven officers have been terminated and five charged. The Scorpion Unit has been disbanded. Two EMTs have been terminated along with a supervisor. The district attorney says more charges may be forthcoming. The attorney for…
Independence Day: Not to celebrate but to reflect
What do we call the American holiday coming up soon? The Fourth of July? Or Independence Day? A long-time friend answered that question for me in a dialogue we had two years ago. “It’s just the Fourth of July,” she…
What if there were an ‘in memoriam’ for people like us?
On the evening of Dec. 30, NBC concluded the national news with its annual “In Memoriam” segment for 2021. Some 90 singers, musicians, composers, actors, filmmakers, television personalities, professional and amateur athletes, coaches and managers, writers, and even an Apollo…
Veterans (Armistice) Day history and the prophetic import of red poppies
Veterans Day doesn’t lend itself to commercial attention like its twin, Memorial Day, probably because it’s squeezed between two other cash-registering holidays, Halloween and Thanksgiving, and it does not coincide with a car-cultural observance like the Indy 500 auto race….
Memorial Day: An occasion for empathy and understanding
If you’re of a certain age, you may recall hearing Memorial Day called by another name, Decoration Day. And if the old-timers who mentioned it had their stories straight, the term originated as a call to decorate the graves of…
Memorial Day: Courage, tears and gratitude
In the United States, Memorial Day belongs to those who died serving in the military. While my dad survived two wars, we often were reminded that many didn’t. He always kept up with his “buddies” at reunions. We didn’t hear…