Joan Schramm, St. Joseph I recently read a book titled “Leadership in Turbulent Times” by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Two sentences drew my attention that I would like to share. In 1840 Abraham Lincoln, then a member of the Illinois State Legislature, said, “Such men of ‘towering’ egos, in whom ambition is divorced from the people’s best interests, were not men
3 big challenges: Covid-19, racism, global warming
Jim Graeve, St. Joseph Dr. Martin Luther King told us “the arc of history bends toward justice.” George Floyd’s murder bent the “arc” in a straight line to our hearts, heads and consciences. It made my stomach turn and I wept. There is much in the media about reparations to our Black brothers and sisters for our more than 400
Qualities for children should apply to candidates
Leona Wieland, Sartell The primary is past; the general election is next. There was a yard sign a few weeks ago with a message to vote for “Any Qualified Person.” Seeing it reminded me of a program in the elementary curriculum in the 1990s. It was called “Character Counts!” The Six Pillars of Character are “core ethical values that transcend
Thank you, heroes of the voting process
We hear a lot of praise in these dangerous days (and rightfully so) about all the heroes who keep our troubled world turning. There are the doctors, nurses, technicians and staffs of clinics and hospitals who work right up front, courageously, in the danger zone of Covid-19 infections. Many of them, when virus infections spike, suffer a terrible emotional toll.
Breaking News: Founding Fathers Dead
Patric here at the news desk. I’ve just been handed breaking news: all of the Founding Fathers of our country are dead. James Madison, the last surviving Founding Father, passed away in 1836, a mere 184 years ago. Oh wait, that’s not actually news. It turns out the Founding Fathers have been dead for generations. Given that, I am baffled
Election results should be accepted
As Election Day is drawing ever closer, I’ve noticed an alarming trend of rhetoric emerging about the potential results. Recently, at their respective debates, both President Trump and Vice President Pence refused to definitely state they would accept the results of the November election and commit to a peaceful transition of power. Trump particularly has also made regular statements questioning
Let’s shatter the stigma
Think about what you did in the last 11 minutes. In that short amount of time, someone in America died by suicide. Data released this year from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the suicide rate has climbed 35 percent since 1999. If that statistic isn’t alarming enough, experts say social limitations and economic pressures brought on by
Yes, capitalize Blacks. And Whites too
For many years, I would wince when writing a sentence such as, for example: “There is a diverse population living in the Twin Cities area, including Latinos, Vietnamese, Somalians, blacks, Native Americans and whites. That sentence is like a smile with two missing teeth. Why shouldn’t whites and blacks be capitalized too, like the others in that list? It didn’t