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Few Americans have seen or heard of The Little Black Shadow.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.”

Albert Einstein

Besides being an outstanding scientist, Einstein was also an exceptional moral philosopher: “Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”

Anne Frank

“When I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too will end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.”

Black Elk

“The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.”

Bob Marley

“You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible.”

Cesar Chavez

“Real education should consist of drawing the goodness and the best out of our own students.”

Chief Joseph’s Surrender Speech

“Hear me, my chiefs. I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.”

Chief Logan (Shawnee, Ohio)

“There runs not a drop of my blood in the veins of any living creature . . . . Who is there to mourn for Logan? Not one.”

Dolores Huerta

“Among poor people, there’s not any question about women being strong—even stronger than men—they work in the fields right along with the men. When your survival is at stake, you don’t have these questions about yourself like middle class women do.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

The Trump File: The Wrong Man

He’s just a wee bit conceited, don’t you think? I suppose every would-be king, tyrant, or...

Edna St. Vincent Millay

“My candle burns at both ends . . .”

In Honor of President Kennedy

President Kennedy |

Students in my history classes sometimes wanted to know what kind of man John F. Kennedy was. It...

Frank Lloyd Wright

“The truth is more important than the facts.”

Gandhi

“Nonviolence is the first article of my faith. It is also the last article of my creed.”

Helen Keller

“Ideas without action are worthless.”

Indira Gandhi

“The power to question is the basis of all human progress.”

John F. Kennedy

“We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light a candle that can guide us through that darkness to a safe and sane future. For the world is changing. The old era is ending. The old ways will not do.”

“The stories of past courage…can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul.” (Profiles in Courage 1956)

King Lear (Shakespeare)

“I am a man, More sinn’d against than sinning.”

Leonardo da Vinci

Drafts and Photos (works in progress) |

” The truth of things is the chief nutriment of superior intellects.”

EXCERPTS FROM FOUR BLOGS ON TRUMP

FROM “TRUMPING THE DONALD”: The Donald worked for his father’s company and then was given control of it in 1971. From the perspective of the rich, he worked himself up from the top to the top. His behavior at times might remind...

Louisa May Alcott

“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.”

Maya Angelou

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

Nehru

“A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.”

Nelson Mandela

“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

Ohiyesa (Dr. Charles Eastman)

“Each soul must meet the morning sun, the new sweet earth and the Great Silence alone.”

Patrick Henry

“I know not what others may choose but, as for me, give me liberty or give me death.”

Trump’s Bogus Claims of Rigged Elections

A rich man like Trump complaining the system is rigged against him? That is truly a perversion of history and the standing of truth upon its head. What he perceives as “rigging” is really far simpler: a majority of the American people has had its fill of Trump’s ego, his misdeeds, his complaining, his bragging, his belly-aching, and his excuse-making. They have had enough of his lies, vulgarity, and unfounded accusations. He is a ruthlessly ambitious man who does not distinguish between ends and means; he does not care who he hurts or who he has to trample to advance his own personal interests.

An Open Letter to Megyn Kelly and Newt Gingrich

Open Letters, Politics |

A sexual predator will fondle, grope, and assault a woman against her will. This is predatory behavior because the woman did not consent to being touched or forced into sexual activity. There is a world of difference between two adults consenting to sexual relations (even when adulterous) and force or predation being employed against a woman’s will . . . . There is, after all, not merely one accusation by one woman against Trump but multiple accusations. Any chance of Trump claiming a one-time “mistake of judgment” disappears within this pattern of repetition . . . . And that is what makes Trump’s actions sexual predation and nothing less!

Paul Robeson

“As an artist I come to sing, but as a citizen, I will always speak for peace, and no one can silence me in this.”

Bob Dylan: The Man and His Music

Academic Works, American History |

Chapter 1 – The Early Years From Duluth to New York City Bob Dylan was born May 24, 1941 in...

Pete Seeger

High School Writings, Literary Endeavors |

“The key to the future of the world, is finding the optimistic stories and letting them be known.”

Don’t Plunge in the Trap

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Queen Elizabeth I

“I would rather go to any extreme than suffer anything that is unworthy of my reputation, or of that of my crown.”

Rachel Carson

“If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.”

Shakespeare

“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.”
―As You Like It

Thomas Jefferson

“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal . . .”

Unknown Authorship

“The thing that counts most in the pursuit of happiness is choosing the right companion.”

Upton Sinclair

“I intend to do what little one man can do to awaken the public conscience, and in the meantime I am not frightened by your menaces. I am not a giant physically . . . [but] I have a conscience and a religious faith, and I know that our liberties were not won without suffering, and may be lost again through our cowardice. I intend to do my duty to my country.”

Vanzetti

“The taking of our lives—lives of a good shoemaker and a poor fish peddler—all! That last moment belongs to us—that agony is our triumph.”

Victor Hugo

“The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved, loved for ourselves, or rather loved in spite of ourselves.”

Woody Guthrie

“Trouble don’t cost anything so I won’t charge anything to fix it.”

The Trumpster Dumpster

. . . how will the candidates act after the election is over? It’s easy enough to speculate. Winning candidates will display a generous and forgiving mood; they can afford to be generous amidst the high spirits of their winning campaign.

When candidates lose, though, that’s another story altogether; it certainly requires far more self-control to be graceful in conceding defeat right after being handed the bad news.

Most candidates manage it somehow or other but then I got to thinking about Donald Trump: if he loses, how will he handle it? I think there are three main choices here:

Xeno

“We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say.”

Yousafzai, Malala

“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”

Zorro (Isabel Allende)

“They could not understand the advantage of living contrary to their inclinations in this world in order to enjoy a hypothetical well-being in another.”

FLO JO: DEATH OF AN AMERICAN CHAMPION

Native American Writings |

As I sit here watching the 2016 Olympics, a name came floating back to me out of the long-ago land of once great but-now-mostly-surpassed heroes. Watching the women sprinters this week has been a pure joy! . . . . This was no ordinary champion but a champion for the ages! She will be revered in Track and Field history for as long as the sport endures . . . . Her nobility of spirit and ennobling physical perfection could not exist so close together forever—her heart has burst from the strain and she has passed away from us . . . . Let her soul roam free and wild wherever she pleases, that we may remember her always just as she was: sweet, free, and wild—our bird, our invincible hummingbird, our sweet dear Flo Jo.

A Soul Healing Ceremony at Yosemite, Chumash Style

Yosemite National Park is one of the most beautiful places on earth . . . I was lucky enough to experience this magic, by being with the woman of my dreams: a vibrant brown-eyed red-haired friend who was as smart as she was beautiful: the woman of my dreams, truly!

Mom’s Stories

Native American Writings |

Mom’s Stories Written by Elinora G. Rosenberg Mom loved the beauty of the English...

A Personal Reflection

One of the first things I learned about Native Americans, and something I’ve always admired, is...

Micah Johnson and Nat Turner

Given what I’m about to say, I’m embarrassed to admit it: I’m a white person who is both embarrassed and ashamed. When I saw the reports about the shootings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, I was struck dumb. The only thought that came to my mind was “breaking point!”

In Memory of Emmett Till

GHOST 2: Nay, that be so. We are in Purgatory awaiting the Lord’s decision whether we are to ascend higher to heaven or descend lower to hell, to the fiery pits below. I am here for Cowardice, for not speaking to save thy life, for not speaking to condemn thy murderers, for not speaking to say all men are brothers. I died of Cowardice and Fright, methinks.

Plato: Essay on Backwardness

On Philosophy |

A person can know more than one thing. Indeed, a person knows many, many things. The reason I mention this, is so the reader won’t be surprised when he or she meets the world’s greatest philosophers and their curious search for “one” answer. They want to figure out how a person can know anything. . . . .

Notes on “Essay on Reason”: A Rebuttal to the NRA

On Gun Safety |

The NRA position has more than one apparent fallacy in its reasoning. The most obvious one is this: guns make us safe. This actually is a laughable idea since all evidence points to the contrary . . . . Where is this supposed safety that guns bring to a society? The NRA’s position contains the biggest fallacy imaginable, that guns mean safety. The historical record down to the present tells us that this is false and that just the opposite is true: the prevalence of guns means the wider spread of brutal violence, senseless deaths, and an unending succession of tragic murders. That is the truth that no amount of posturing by the NRA can deny. Among the many questionable views of the NRA, this one hides the largest fallacy of all!

Sometimes I Wish (comment on the events in Dallas, Texas on July 7, 2016)

Sometimes I wish humans could be more like animals. Sometimes I wish we humans did not have a mind at all. It seems to me a lot of our troubles would vanish if that were so.

Stella Bronson Eulogy

Stella was one of the finest human beings I’ve ever known with a wonderful personality and a courageous character; she also had a large heart and a generous soul . . . She touched me deeply with her cards and gifts, her humor and insights . . . , it should be noted that Stella’s life and values ran far deeper. She was a proud Black woman without being arrogant; she knew about “opening doors” for others who would follow . . .She always treated a person fairly, as Reverend King urged us all to do . . . My heart is heavy and sad. There is a new pain that is difficult to bear but I am remembering all the good she did and trying to smile through the tears.

Roger’s Wrong Way Thinking: Trump and Judge Curiel

Let me say right away, I am probably wrong. I know there are readers out there who will say this as soon as they are done reading so it’s best to clear the air at the outset: these thoughts aren’t meant to be right. If here and there a reader unexpectedly happens to agree with something they read here, I guess we should go get our heads examined.

TO LAY OR TO LIE

Humor and Light Reading, Roger's Life |

“This could be perceived as perjury if you were
Lying about your laying and said you weren’t,
So ‘tis better to admit one lie than to deny a lie”

Naked in Yosemite

Roger's Life, Stories for Grown-Ups |

. . . for it was just then that it occurred to me with startling clarity: I wished to experience being naked in Yosemite!
I suddenly realized while walking past forests, lakes, and meadows that I would be perfectly happy walking while naked and that such happiness is actually guaranteed me in our country’s greatest proclamation! Who gave me the right to think these happiness thoughts? No less a luminary than Thomas Jefferson!!

Las Vegas Elevator Ride

Hi Carmen,
I forgot to share with you one more story from my Las Vegas trip which I thought you might enjoy. I decided to go for a walk early Saturday morning before my friend’s wedding later that day. I carefully hung out the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door handle outside the Luxor hotel room as I prefer no maid service during the day.

One Crazy Bullet

President Kennedy |

What is needed is a way to consolidate all these different lies into one good lie that can take care of each and every discrepancy. And so I submit this modest idea: Lee Harvey Oswald had a twin brother. This will explain everything, as you will shortly see!

I, with a single stroke of an inventive pen, have done what no one else in the country could do:

I HAVE SOLVED THE CASE!!!

James F. Reed, Pioneer and Donner Party Survivor (1800-1874)

Academic Works, American History |

“Each of the relief parties, especially that conducted by Mr. Reed endured sufferings equal to those experienced by the unfortunates in the winter camp. History has no parallel to the heroism displayed by these people in their efforts to rescue suffering relatives and friends.”

Did Dr. King Die in Vain?

His eloquence led him to become the conscience of the nation.
As Dr. King once said:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Profound words well worth pondering, today, as then.

Cesar Chavez’s Legacy

March 31 marks the birthday of the great farm workers union leader, Cesar Chavez. There is no better way to celebrate his life than by letting his word speak for his legacy.

Tribute to Mom

I feel as though words will not do justice to my thoughts and feelings at such a time; that words cannot express what I am feeling. Great sadness, approaching emotional trauma, tends to block the usual flow of ideas and I feel tempted to beg off with “I’m sorry, but I’m so distraught I cannot say anything.”

Corrupt Politics in 2016

Politics, Republican Party |

The author wonders aloud if the GOP would be opposed to the president nominating a new Justice to the Supreme Court if there were currently a Republican instead of a Democrat in the White House.

History and the Use of Reason

American History |

The study of human history starts with the past but it ends, as it always must, in the present, in the real live here and now. The past is not just in the past; it is also here, with us, today.

RAP ATTEMPT NUMBER 1

Humor and Light Reading, Literary Endeavors, Rap |

I don’t mind listenin’ to rapping / good rapping that is / It reminds me to feel kindly toward the less fortunate / What to do with the brother who ain’t down with the lyin’ stealin’ killin’ / Don’t matter which side you come a-prancing down the aisle / Poor black trash or poor white trash / Rich white trash or rich black trash / Paucity of words signals poverty of ideas

A Court Gone Berserk

On the Supreme Court |

No offense good Americans, but I do believe our beloved Supreme Court has gone berserk! . . . . This is a Court that needs to be reformed and have term limits imposed upon it with terms of no more than a few years per Justice . . . . It’s time to protest this Court and propose substantial changes to its composition and length of appointment. This Court is doing more to destroy the fabric of American democracy than any other institution or social class in recent memory; if we do not stop this Court, it will destroy American democracy!

Vanessa the Dog

Children's Stories |

When Jason crashed into Mr. Vacuum-Rama the Robot, Jason accidentally turned the control knob up to FULL POWER! It was an instant disaster! It was a horrible moment, frozen forever in the memory of all the students who were there and who saw it with their own eyes. Before anybody could move, Vacuum-Rama sucked up Vanessa! Julie screamed and fainted. Pandemonium broke out everywhere and when Mr. Reed opened the door he saw a room in complete disarray with students shouting and running every which way!

To Steal or Not to Steal

Humor and Light Reading, Literary Endeavors, Rap |

“No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream” The Reverend was a-preachin’ to save your soul man / to save the souls of all of us / ain’t it time we stood up and be heard?

The Pit Bull and the Pregnant Lady

Then we saw it, a pit bull sprinting out the front door of the house at breakneck speed and making a beeline for us!

How A Pronoun Makes Man Omnipotent

Blogs, Equal Rights for Women, Humor and Light Reading |

One thing alone is certain: this pronoun excludes or minimizes a woman’s right to freedom and independence of thought not dependent on Man’s every command and whim.

Genesis of ‘A Proper Goodbye’

I decided to combine a 10-day coach tour of England and Scotland with an equal number of independent days on my own, primarily divided more or less evenly between London and Edinburgh. While I wanted to explore and marvel at great sites like any other tourist, I also felt as though I was going back “to say goodbye”, as odd as that might sound.

A Crying Incident at Yosemite (Chumash Style)

Yosemite National Park is one of the most beautiful places on earth. To see its meadows, rivers, and waterfalls is a great thrill for every nature lover . . . As beautiful as it is, there is one way in which its beauty seems to multiply upon itself—to visit the park with someone you love.

A Shift in the Wind

Blogs, Roger's Life, Stories |

It was like waking in the middle of a nightmare, confused, dazed, unable to tell the real from the unreal. My family had a house in Oakland situated on Clemens Road which one reaches by traveling up Park Boulevard; to continue the route takes one into the rolling hills through which Highway 13 runs.

A Dark and Stormy Night

Abraham Lincoln, Eulogies and Remembrances |

It was rapidly becoming “a dark and stormy night” as I began to brake for real, having made up my mind “to go for broke” and take my chances on a rainy roll of the dice . . .
“And I, alone, have survived to tell thee” -Moby Dick

The Dog and the Wolf

Essays, On Evolution |

It is a display of religious zealotry that contributes mightily to the moderate-to-severe retardation of true intellectual progress and cultural liberation for the human race taken in its entirety . . . . Facts are stubborn things and cannot be “wished” or “disbelieved” away. Grandpa Dog may be older than Pup but it doesn’t mean he’s right!

The Republican Party Platform: A Comment

Politics, Republican Party |

The two-party system is a great system when it works but it begins to break down when one of the two parties no longer upholds its commitment to the American people first and foremost.

Lincoln, A Remembrance

Lincoln has won a place in the hearts of the American people like no other president before or since—and here he shall stay, with love and honor, in our hearts, for as long as his story be truthfully told–and for as long as people cherish freedom.

Supreme Court photos

Drafts and Photos (works in progress) |

These ones are public domain! Here is...

Death of an American Champion

Dear Flo Jo, Goodbye—I hate to say the word! To a runner like you, who ran your way into the hearts of your fellow countrymen. In your greatest races, as for Olympic Gold, you ran with a grace and elegance that was unsurpassed and brought such noble justice to the rhythmic splendor of track and field itself.

Last Thoughts on Huey P. Newton

And yet, who among us could have stood up and faced him, eye to eye? Who among us could have answered his quest for knowledge and change? Who could have matched him, truth for truth, soul to soul, at the time his power was at its greatest? When the Dream was still before him, the rebellion imminent, and all seemed possible?

Essay on Gun Safety

Essays |

In all this talk about “safety” by the advocates for gun rights, do any of them ever stop to think about how the murdered victims feel about “gun safety”?

JFK and the Way Home

President Kennedy |

I have just one thing to say to the Oswald-Alone-Single-Bullet-Theory Group and their response to those who criticize their reasoning: STOP TREATING US LIKE BABIES!!!

Hungry Students

American History, Before and After the American Revolution |

Not to be rude but it’s hard to study when you’re hungry . . .

Before the American Revolution (part 1): Feudalism and Monarchy

Among the laboring masses there were nevertheless occasional revolts; in 1381 the largest of these became known as the Peasant Rebellion but it was ultimately crushed, drowned in blood: the typical response of royalty to any peasant uprising.

Before the American Revolution (part 2): The Feudal Order

American History, Before and After the American Revolution |

Popular novelists have kept alive a romantic view of feudalism: of brave knights out to slay dragons, fight wars, and save damsels in distress . . . .

After the American Revolution: Liberty!

American History, Before and After the American Revolution |

Seen in its proper historical context, the American Revolution shines like a beacon torch of hope and freedom to thousands of impoverished and oppressed peoples the world over.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg: Guilty or Innocent?

Academic Works, American History |

In the middle of writing a book about the trial of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, “uncertainty” crept in and raised its ugly head to baffle and befuddle the author . . .

Names of Native American Groups

Native American Writings |

For readers and students interested in learning more, here are a few helpful Native American websites.

Mickey Mouse

I was sitting and watching the TV news one day when a reporter said: “Mickey turned 50 today and there was a big birthday party for him . . . .” which started me to thinking . . . . How can a black line on a piece of paper have a birthday party?

The Time Machine Falls Apart

Yes, that was how well the high and mighty Mr. Lott was doing one day. But move forward in time . . . before the time machine broke . . .

A month later, it’s mighty different! By now Mr. T. Lott has been forced to resign “of his own free will” (however bravely, or foolishly, he thought he could resist at first) for his curious pock-holed-and-questioned-mark quip about Mr. S. Thurmond. Here was a cute under-the-table tribute to his idol, for what else can you say about Strom’s greatness at a 100th birthday tribute other than include the fact that he ran for the presidency of the United States of America? That Strom Thurmond would have shown the whole country how to handle “Negroes” (or “negras”) if he had been elected / “yes sir, if the Segregation Party had won, this country would be a whole lot better off . . .” Excuse me, and all Trent Lott had to do was resign?

Scream

my dreams have not been those welcomed kinds of enjoyable fantasy but rather are drawn from the other end of the emotional spectrum, full of moody crises and inexplicable features. I am hearing screams in my head during the night . . . .
The screaming grew louder and closer—and not just screams but shouts and yells of every kind. Sometimes the dreams seemed to come forth from the center of a battlefield and what I was hearing was the din of battle. The noise at times was overwhelming and deafening. . . . .

Remembering Dr. King