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…
Lita and I are in Arizona this week, and like Dorothy I have a feeling we are not in the United States anymore. This is Arizona where reality and fantasy are like distant cousins who hardly meet anymore. Martin Luther King Junior could have been talking about Arizona when he said: "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." -Martin Luther King, Jr. A recent article, entitled "Total Eclipse" by Timothy Egan in the New…
Here are some thoughts about attitudes as we grow older. Maybe there is something here that will benefit you. The first is the thoughts of a Jesuit priest as he grew older. It has been reproduced many times. Prayer of an aging Jesuit Dear Lord, teach me to grow gracefully, help me to see that my community does me no wrong when gradually it takes from me my duty; when it no longer seems to seek my views. Rid me…
In Vienna, Austria, it's reported that at the parish church near Innsbruck a first communion mass was held on April 22. The church was full of parents and relatives and the first Communion children. The parish priest, father Patrick Busskamp, announced that only Catholics who were in a state of grace should come forward for communion. He told them that Catholics who are divorced and remarried and Catholics who do not attend mass every week were not worthy to receive…
