Democracy
It was almost four years ago — on Jan. 20, 2017 — two enduring myths were born. First, from the Right: President Donald J. Trump’s inaugural crowd was bigger than that of President Barack H. Obama. Second, from the Left: Trump would destroy American Democracy. As to crowd size, photos taken
China
Just got a telephone call from “Amazon Security,” which wanted to talk to me about my account. “Hold on a second,” I said, as I hung up on “Amazon Security.” Here’s one reason to love cell phones: They show the caller and the number. This one did not say
Politics
It was nice, hearing my friends across the country (Democratic friends that is) thank me because my city, and my state, “delivered the election for Joe Biden.” That’s like thanking me for saying, “I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat!” That was
Hate crimes
If it is time for the FBI’s annual readout of hate crimes, it is also the time for small hysteria about what a hateful nation we live in. As often happens, the headlines are worse than the actual facts, once a little reason is applied to the scary numbers.
Coronavirus
What does Philadelphia have for you this holiday season? A second lockdown that it will not call a lockdown. Clampdown, maybe? And this is happening precisely when public health officials are agreeing that lockdowns are not especially effective. What? At a Monday news conference, a grim Mayor Jim Kenney cited
Crime
Why do good people go bad? I know some of you believe that crooked politician is redundant, but it’s not. The vast majority of politicians, like the vast majority of humanity, are honest. At the moment I am thinking of Leo Dignam, 61, a veteran city employee who had
Uncategorized
I am not a veteran, but some people think I am. I am partial to baseball caps and have dozens of them, representing places I have been (Alaska, Guam, Normandy), my schools (Temple, St. Joe), sports (Eagles, Phillies), and the military (U.S. Army, USS New Jersey BB-62, USS Slater
Politics
“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds. . . “ — Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Speech, 1865, with the war
Presidential politics
There is a depressive narrative out there, led by POC (People Of Color), who are not sad that President Donald J. Trump lost — they love that — but that he did not lose by enough. They are downhearted because when Joe Biden said Trump’s beliefs and actions do not reflect
Ticketing motorists
At first blush, City Councilman Isaiah Thomas’ bill to end traffic stops for minor traffic violations seems like another half-assed idea to help the irresponsible avoid the consequences of their actions. As you may know, one of my operating systems is this: Obey The Law. You would be surprised about
Uncategorized
It is 2020, what did you expect? Did you expect a flawless, clean election with a well-defined outcome? On what basis would you expect that? A month ago Democratic strategist James Carville predicted a Joe Biden landslide, a lock. Last night on MSNBC, the Ragin’ Cajun disappointed me when he
Uncategorized
It’s like living on the boardwalk. You walk down major streets in many American cities and all you see are boards covering the windows of stores — from major big box retailers to your neighborhood bodega. Why? It’s Election Day, and there is fear of violence in the air.