Category Archives: Being a Citizen

Taking an active part in public life, working for the common good ‘in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom’

Truth and Love

I take God very seriously. I also think people matter. I care deeply about truth and love. By some standards this isn’t a particularly “religious” blog. For one thing, I keep saying that loving my neighbor and seeing everybody as … Continue reading

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Family Names

Not everyone is happy about this decision, understandably. I still think their choice of name is imprudent. (Updated April 21, 2017) However, I also think that a government’s legitimate interests do not include a need to tell parents what name … Continue reading

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Knowledge: Opening the Gift

The quote is from Tennyson’s “Ulysses,” among my favorite poems; and the source for my Google Plus tagline: “…To follow knowledge, like a sinking star, “Beyond the utmost bound of human thought….” (“Ulysses,” Tennyson (1833)) I’m not “an idle king,” … Continue reading

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Olathe: Death and Hope

Murder and attempted murder in the Kansas City metropolitan area last week is international news. If the suspect’s neighbor is right, the ‘drunken mess’ who killed an engineer from India was having trouble dealing with his father’s death.1 I think … Continue reading

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Who is My Neighbor?

Folks were hanging around after an evening prayer service Sunday, when someone came into the building and started shooting. 19 of the 50-plus folks there were injured, five hospitalized in critical condition. Six are now dead: Ibrahima Barry Mamadou Tanou … Continue reading

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