Some random quotes from my reading over the weekend: "The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little" Franklin D. Roosevelt I wish every Tea Party member and every cold hearted conservative Republican who would choose to let the poor starve and those in medical need suffer meditate on those words. Especially those who go to church every Sunday and…
On an early Friday morning, July 7th2000, my mother Mary Thelma Babarovich, died in her sleep at the San Juan Care Center. Her death was not unexpected. After all, she was born on December 28, 1905 and was ninety four years old when she died. She had been in failing health for some time. Her passing was, in fact, a personal blessing to her as she had been ready to meet her maker for some time. My sisters, Phyllis Ennes…
One more note about my friend Dan Sullivan who died last Sunday morning. In 1991 I received a large box from Dan. Inside was an antique framed print of a majestic lion standing on a rock. Accompanying the print was a letter from Dan which read: November 19, 1991 Dear Paul, When I discovered this in a little shop in London my mind went back twenty five years when we were young with fires in our belly. This old marvelous print embodies…
My friend of many years Daniel Sullivan died of lung cancer the morning of July 1, 2012 in Seattle. He was 86 years old. His wife Susan was with him when he died. Lita and I had just visited with Susan and Dan last Wednesday before leaving the next day for a talk I was giving out of state. I'm thankful for that opportunity to say goodby without realizing it was good by. Dan was a plaintiff's trial lawyer who acomplished so much in his life. He was…
I have to admit I never thought the outcome of the U.S. Supreme Court on the health care bill would ever be what it turned out to be. Nor would I, in a thousand years, have anticipated the "swing" vote would be Justice Roberts who now suffers the hysterical abuse of conservatives like the biopolar conduct of Glen Beck in reacting to Robert's vote. So, why did he do it? I believe he made a very difficult choice to fulfill…
On Thursday of this week, the U.S. Supreme Court will announce its decision about the Obama administration's Affordable Care Act. The political implications of that decision are obvious and the overwhelming odds favor an adverse treatment of the Act by the conservative block on the court. Chief Justice John Roberts, appointed by George Bush, is the most conservative justice since the early 1970s, when Richard Nixon named Warren Burger to replace the famously liberal Earl Warren. Clarence Thomas is the most conservative of…
This is a an unusual true story from history about a lawyer who died while defending a client in a murder case under peculiar circumstances. Clement Vallandigham was an Ohio politician and lawyer. He was the leader of the copperhead faction of the antiwar Democrats during the American civil war. He was a strong supporter of constitutional state’s rights. He believed the states had the right to withdraw from the union and was anti Lincoln. During the Civil War he…
Commonweal Magazine in its June 15th issue had a discussion by several Catholic theologians on the Bishop’s lawsuit over the health care act provisions relating to birth control contraceptives and their position paper the Bishops entitled "Our first, most cherished liberty." Here are excerpts from the articles. One point the writers made is that unlike the apparent belief of the Bishops, religious freedom is not an absolute freedom. Here are some observations made about that fact. While freedom of religion…
While looking for something on the internet I came across this account which is reported to be entirely true according to the website www.friendshipsofefrat.org/idf-story.php The story involves two Israeli soldiers, Yoni and Yair. Yoni was an Israeli Defense Force soldier who was stationed in Hebron. One early morning he was shot by an Arab terrorist. It was in a remote area and there was no one around to help him. He passed out while bleeding badly. However, it happened that…
Voters in Wisconsin go to the polls today to vote in an important election about worker rights which has ramifications for the rest of the nation. The vote is about the recall of the Wisconsin governor, but it deals more with politics than just union rights. Scott Walker was elected governor of Wisconsin in a GOP landslide in 2010.The Republicans also gained control of the Wisconsin State Senate and House of Representatives. Walker was able to push through the Republican-controlled…
