Paul Luvera Journal

In Philadelphia,  Kimberlie Webb, a practicing Muslim, worked as a police officer. Although she had worked as a police officer since 1995, it wasn’t until years later that she requested permission to wear a religious headscarf or hijab while in uniform and on duty. The headscarf, or hijab, is a traditional head covering worn by Muslim women. The police department denied Webb’s request, but she showed up at work wearing the scarf anyway. Her supervisors told her to go home….

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From the time the pandemic began in March last year to the present time I have not been to Seattle until I recently had a doctors appointment in Seattle. Driving along the freeway, as we approached the outskirts of town,  I was shocked by the extensive garbage along the sides of the area next to the freeway and by litter from homeless camps.  There were homeless shelters and camps all along the freeway as we drove on I-5 to downtown…

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The news every hour of every day is political wrongdoing and conflict. The pandemic news is all about conflicting information and warnings about our future. The outside air is smoke and harmful to our lungs. And, I haven't even started on Seattle politics, graffiti, arson and looting. So, here's a change of subject. It's not very important, but it's better than the news. The Importance of Keeping Things in Proper Perspective In 1545 Duke Cosimo de Medici commissioned frescoes for…

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There is a virtual unlimited supply of nonsensical claims and arguments that have been made by president Trump, but two of the recent are truly noteworthy for being logically inconsistent and just plain absurd. One involves his recent attacks on mail in voting as fraught with the risk of fraud and manipulation.  His claim in a tweet, in capitals for emphasis, was: ""MAIL-IN VOTING WILL LEAD TO MASSIVE FRAUD AND ABUSE." He further claimed: "IT WILL ALSO LEAD TO THE…

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Mondays killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis was another in a long list around the country of questionable killings by police officers of citizens, especially African American citizens. The death of George Floyd caused by police officer Derek Chauvin is particularly incriminating. It clearly shows an intentional and unnecessary killing of a citizen who was not armed nor resisting arrest. The video shows a man with his arms handcuffed behind his back while the police officer kneels on the man’s…

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In 1999 the World Trade Organization held a convention in Seattle. But, the convention meeting was quickly overshadowed by street violent protests outside the hotels and convention center. There was rioting, damage to buildings and violence from a crowd estimated at some 40,000 people. The event lasted over several days and became known as the "Battle of Seattle." Yesterday's Seattle riots resulted in more damage and destruction then the Battle of Seattle. The largely peaceful protests started at about noon…

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For entirely too long the news has only been on two subjects: Donald Trump's press campaign conferences which only bear a resemblance to corona virus news and all the negative reporting the virus. It's very depressing. For lack of something else to discuss I'm sharing some favorite stories. Stay well and wash your hands frequently.  Two Southern women listening to a fiery tent preacher: When he condemned stealing, they shouted "Amen." When he condemned lying they shouted "Right On Preacher"…

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America’s founding fathers created a government of checks and balances to prevent absolute concentrated power in any one person or group They created a federal system that differentiated between state and national control, as well as three branches of government with distinct powers and responsibilities that had to answer to one another. But, not satisfied that that was enough, they added  ten amendments to the Constitution. And in the very first of those amendments, they established a free press. A…

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The virus has taken over the news which is understandable given the seriousness of the situation. There is a problem when politics become involved in health. The president measures the virus impact on his political reelection. When faced with a worldwide potential pandemic the obvious requirement is honesty and transparency. But, when involved in a pending presidential election, politics becomes part of the problem. The President counts on the strong economy as an important factor supporting his reelection. The virus…

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IS IT CHRISTIAN TO DECIDE THE ENDS JUSTIFY THE MEANS? The New York Times ran an article "Evangelicals Closing Ranks with President" regarding evangelical support for Donald Trump after a Christian publication supported his impeachment. One letter to the editor was this one:     “Like many Americans, I don’t like President Trump’s rude and hostile tweets and comments; I abhor his lack of both repentance and humility. For these reasons, as an evangelical Christian, I would never hold up Mr….

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