Category: Living in Society

Politics mostly social commentary.

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Living in Society

Small Business Saturday

Pastries from The Eat Shop, a small, locally owned business. A Small Business Saturday purchase to support them.

Shopping small local businesses is challenging. Before dawn I went to town and got cash at a locally owned ATM, bought gasoline after my trip to Des Moines at a local franchise of the Iowa Casey’s convenience store company (definitely not a small business), and then splurged for a box of four pastries at the locally owned The Eat Shop in Solon. No one local is getting rich from my purchases, but that’s not the point of Small Business Saturday.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday began in 2010, promoted by the American Express Company. The following year the U.S. Congress passed a resolution recognizing the day. It adds to the post-holiday shopping trend retailers hope to generate. Black Friday needs no explanation, and I just explained today. Next is National Secondhand Sunday, then Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday. Weeping Wednesday is supposed to be the day you receive the bill for all the shopping. In the days of online banking, we can tally the expense before then and regulate how much we spend.

The ATM I used is locally owned yet my money is kept at a bank in Texas. I have been a member of an automobile insurance company since 1976 and in the 1990s they started a bank. I joined and have been with them ever since. By having everything immediately available online once the internet came along, I have been able to stop bank fraud by crooks before it happens. I met and like both the local banker and his father. In a small city one gets to know all the bankers. I’m glad my bank contracted with the one they did.

Don’t get me started about the gasoline I bought to refill the tank after the Thanksgiving trip to Des Moines. Who really knows who makes money and how much on that commodity. The major oil companies have the system rigged so they make money every step of the way from pumping it out of the ground overseas, to managing the ocean vessels carrying it to the U.S., to refining, and pipelines, and truck transport, to the local station. Each step in the journey of a barrel of crude oil is a pricing point for the oil company. The locals work on a tight margin and make their money by selling convenience items, gas station pizza and sandwiches, and drinks.

At least there is hope for the bakery, which is owned by a woman with six or so area locations. The goods are all made from scratch and a bit pricey for everyday eating. They call themselves a boutique bakery, which means fancy stuff intended for purposes other than nourishment. Their philosophy, according the their website, is

In today’s world, people are increasingly health-conscious. It seems nearly everyone diets or allows themselves to have that coveted “cheat day.”

So, when you do indulge, it better be worth it. Worth the calories. Worth the sugar. Worth the carbs.

I do buy things from them a couple times a year, so why not on Small Business Saturday? Cheat day or no.

Couple of bits for the ATM transaction, buck or so margin on the gasoline sale, and $18.70 for the pastries is about it for my Small Business Saturday. At least I feel like I did something.

Locally owned hotel in Solon, Iowa on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.
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Living in Society

The War is Over

American flag.

A Confederate flag is on display near where I live. These flags are sprinkled around the state like confetti from a party with too few guests. I have this to say.

I served in the U.S. Army and protected the right to free speech. Flyers of these flags can go on. I protected their right to do so. That doesn’t protect them from criticism.

I understand fascination with the Civil War. My great, great grandfather served in the Confederate Army. The Confederate flag was part of my family history. As a child, I bought one and hung it in my bedroom.

The Civil War was fought over property rights: the right to enslave human beings as chattel. Catholic nuns taught us about Robert E. Lee in grade school. They said what a great military tactician he was. They omitted the fact he enslaved human beings: he owned them, rented them out, and inherited them as property on his plantations. I set their lesson about Lee aside, and took down my flag.

Nuns also taught 1 Corinthians 13:11, which is:

When I was a child, I spake as a child,
I understood as a child, I thought as a child:
but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Confederate flag flyers should become adults, revere Iowans who fought for the Union in the Civil War, and join the rest of humanity, including the descendants of slaves. The war is over, take down the flag.

~ Published in the Cedar Rapids Gazette on Nov. 28, 2024.

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Living in Society

View Toward Tomorrow

Canadian geese feeding in morning light.

We all have access to the news, so I need not recap what happened during the Nov. 5 election. Suffice it the front face for the Heritage Foundation, which is the front face for right-wing billionaires like Charles Koch and his club, was elected president. The Republican win was so deep it was and will be disabling for a while. It’s time to begin getting over the loss and move forward.

In a Nov. 20 article originally published in Hankyoreh, John Feffer provides a possible future as progressives pick up the pieces of our shattered dream of continuing the successes of the Biden administration with Kamala Harris. The entire article is printed here.

The challenge of navigating uncharted political waters is we don’t always know what to expect or what it might look like. Feffer provides some ideas toward envisioning the future as follows:

  • In 2016, Trump himself was surprised by his own victory, and his team was ill-prepared to take power. In 2024, his team is ready to hit the ground running on day one.
  • A demoralized Democratic Party is busy trying to figure out why it lost so badly in the elections.
  • The next four years promise to be chaotic, vengeful, and dangerous.

What can be done to prevent the new administration from doing its worst?

At the global level, many countries will step into the vacuum created by U.S. withdrawal—from the Paris agreement, the effort to supply Ukraine, and various global human rights institutions. European powers will likely step up their assistance to Ukraine if the Trump administration ends all military support for the besieged country. Europe, too, will continue to take the lead in terms of a clean energy transition. China, Brazil, and India are also producing a growing amount of electricity from renewable sources.

Inside the United States, the greatest resistance will come from the states. These states controlled by Democrats—California, Washington, Massachusetts—are already preparing to work together to block Trump from executing his extremist agenda. This resistance will likely take the form of filing suits that tangle up the new administration in court.

States have authority to set policy. For instance, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s repeal of Roe v. Wade, a number of states preserved access to abortion services through court rulings, legislative policy, or popular referenda. Regarding mass deportations, some Democratic governors have already said that they will not allow state police to assist federal authorities with the removals. Democrat-led states will do their best to create islands of sanctuary against the overreach of federal authorities.

NGOs and social movements will also mount resistance. A women’s march in Washington, DC just after Trump’s inauguration in 2017 demonstrated the depth and breadth of anger at the new president’s attitudes and proposed policies toward women. A comparable march is planned for January 2025.

The resistance is organizing to push the Democratic Party toward economic populism. The goal is to highlight the economic costs of Trump’s early moves—mass deportations, tariffs, corporate tax cuts—to build momentum to win the 2026 midterm elections. As we crawl out of our cave, and the outrage at Trump’s actual policies explodes, new movements will emerge to mobilize public anger.

While I am as guilty as the next person in being shocked and angry about the choices of the U.S. electorate, it would be a mistake to accept the next four years as set in stone. When Trump’s policies begin to bite, the anger will return and, with it, a new determined resistance. I, for one, want to be a part of that.

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Living in Society

Staying Home

Home baked bread.

I ran out of bread and didn’t want to leave home to go shopping. I baked a loaf instead. We need more of this as the Republican sh*t storm approaches. We must get along in society, conserve resources, pay down debt, use the automobile less, and eat from our garden and pantry. A bug out bag would not hurt. We must go into survival mode until the dust settles, if it ever does. It will be a while before we can see where we might impact the new society.

Last week a podiatrist said I have to start wearing shoes indoors if I want my feet to heal. Not any shoes, but special shoes that are more expensive than what I usually buy. I bought a pair of these expensive, special shoes. Buying cheap shoes may be part of the original problem. My feet feel better already and my outlook is on the mend. After discussing process with my spouse we developed a solution to prevent tracking dirt all over the house.

The problem is I am a creature of habit and can’t remember to keep them on. When I leave my downstairs writing space, five or ten minutes can elapse before I realize that comme d’habitude I took off my indoors shoes at the bottom of the stairs. My habits are so ingrained, I don’t turn on lights when I get up in the middle of the night, finding my way by memory. Breaking some of my habits is also in the works in the new Republican society.

As Americans , politically, we are sailing into uncharted waters. At home we try to get by, increasingly drawing on friends and acquaintances in multiple virtual and physical communities. For now, we withdraw, resupply, refit, and get ready for what maelstrom is next.

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Living in Society

Democrats are Positive

Blue Heron catching breakfast.

Below are two constituent newsletters received after each incumbent congresswoman won their re-election on Nov. 5. The first is from Democrat Jan Schakowsky of Illinois’ 9th District. The second is from Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa’s First District. The first is positive. The second is crabby, and full of lies. Which woman would you prefer in the Congress?

Jan’s Plans & Pans – November 18, 2024

Thank you to the people of Illinois’ 9th Congressional District for once again choosing me to be your voice in Congress. It truly is the honor of a lifetime! The fight for equal rights for all, an economy that works for everyday Americans, not just the rich, reproductive rights, and environmental protections goes on. Keep the faith. Let’s get to work.

Just a friendly reminder, if you need advice on navigating the Social Security Administration, help on an immigration case, aid in obtaining a passport, or assistance with the IRS, my staff and I are here to help, no matter your political party or beliefs. We will personally cut through the red-tape for you, and if we are unable, we will connect you with the agency or level of government that best suits your needs. Do not worry, my office can often save you a lot of time and stress. 

If you have not done so already, please be sure to follow me on Instagram, X, and Facebook, where my handle is @JanSchakowsky, to keep up with my latest updates.

Be well, Jan Schakowsky

Rep. Miller-Meeks: A Mandate for Change – November 17, 2024

November 5th, 2024 is a day that will forever be remembered as the day the American people voted for a mandate—a mandate for change.

After nearly four years under the Biden-Harris administration, it is clear that America stands at a crossroads. The failures of the current administration have left our nation grappling with challenges on multiple fronts – with soaring inflation seen by high interest rates, gas and grocery prices, this economic hardship felt by families is undeniable.

At the same time, this administration has overseen an unprecedented border crisis, with millions of illegal immigrants crossing our southern border. This flood of people has brought deadly synthetic fentanyl, gang activity, individuals on the terror watch list, and placed a severe strain on public resources.

Beyond these crises, the administration’s policies have further weakened the fabric of our society. Rising crime rates plague our cities, often driven by left-wing policies that coddle criminals while undermining law enforcement and often at the expense of victims. Americans, especially women, don’t feel safe and secure.

Adding to this are the multiple wars that have erupted around the world following Biden’s attempts to re-enter the Iran nuclear deal and the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, which resulted in the tragic loss of 13 service members and emboldened our adversaries. It’s no surprise, then, that Americans are demanding change.

The Biden-Harris legacy is one of confusion, failure, and an abandonment of the values that have made America exceptional. But on November 5th, 2024, the American people voted for a new direction.

It is now time for America to return to the principles that have made it the greatest nation in the world: a strong economy, strong military, secure borders, safe communities, and a commitment to fairness and equal opportunity for all through merit. 

With President Trump’s leadership and majorities in the House and Senate, we can restore our nation’s greatness. Together, we will secure our borders, revive our economy, and put an end to the ongoing wars that have drained many of our resources and undermined our national security. More importantly, we will restore hope for the millions of Americans who have felt forgotten under the Biden-Harris leadership. The American Dream is not dead – together, we can and will revive and restore it. 

As we look to the future, I pray for President Trump’s health and success. I look forward to working with his administration to implement policies that will bring stability, security, and prosperity back to our nation. God bless him, and may God bless the United States of America.

Sincerely, Mariannette

I’m not ready to move to Illinois… yet.

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Living in Society

Angering the Gods

Tulsi Gabbard in the author’s neighborhood. Photo by the author.

Tulsi Gabbard was one of the first female members of the U.S. Congress with combat experience. I interacted with her twice: once at a 2016 event hosted by then Congressman Dave Loebsack, and again in 2019 when a neighbor hosted an event within walking distance of my driveway. Gabbard’s campaign for president was gasping for oxygen the day I last saw her. I baked an apple crisp for the event. She took the leftover dessert with her and dropped out of the race the following week.

That Gabbard is a combat veteran, and was a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the House Armed Services Committee, and House Homeland Security Committee, does not qualify her to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI) as was announced this week. In 2022, Vladimir Solovyov reported on Russian media Gabbard was Vladimir Putin’s agent in the U.S., according to Julia Davis who monitors Russian media.

The staffing announcements by the president-elect this week were a continuous showing of bad hires for jobs that take real skills. It is no wonder he bankrupted so many of his businesses. That Gabbard is suspected of being a spy while potentially being DNI is just scratching the surface of how bad the next administration will be for the United States.

What does that mean? We engaged activists need a new approach to dealing in public with the new administration.

On Feb. 1, 2017, my guest opinion, “What if the jobs don’t come back?” appeared in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The mistake I made then, and won’t make again, is treating Donald Trump like a normal president, instead of the criminal he is.

In her Nov. 13, Letters from an American, Heather Cox Richardson said this about the president-elect:

Trump has made it clear that his goal for a second term is to toss overboard the rule of law and the international rules-based order, instead turning the U.S. government into a vehicle for his own revenge and forging individual alliances with autocratic rulers like Russian president Vladimir Putin.

With four years of experience and frustrations, the president-elect can now move immediately to implement his agenda. With Republican majorities in both the U.S. House and Senate, and with the full backing of right wing billionaires and the Heritage Foundation, I expect he will move quickly. He already asked the U.S. Senate to forego confirmation hearings on his nominees so they can be appointed according to Article II, Section 2, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution:

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

That means without the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. Or, as Rachel Maddow put it:

I hope not to anger the gods and get on the president-elect’s or his minions’ hit list of people against whom he wants revenge. I have enough energy to roll this thing forward one more time, so I’d better make the most of it. So, should we all.

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Living in Society

Armistice Day 2024

Flags at Oakland Cemetery in 2012.

Remarks as prepared for the Armistice Day observance in Iowa City on Nov. 11, 2024.

Thank you for joining us during this observance of Armistice Day. My name is Paul Deaton. I was a founding member of the Iowa Chapters of Veterans for Peace. When we organized the chapter, we had veterans from every armed conflict going back to World War II. Some of our members have died, and I ask for a moment of silence in their honor.

I intend to keep my remarks brief. Some of you who know me may realize how difficult that will be for me. Nonetheless, let’s get started.

In World War I we find the beginnings of the misinformation and disinformation that became so prevalent in our society. There are 5 things I would like to say about that.

Point 1: There were conspiracy theories about the war.

Was World War I a hoax? No, yet conspiracy theories were prevalent. During the War, the American home front was awash with them alleging internal German enemies were intentionally spreading disease among both human and animal populations, most egregiously during the 1918 influenza pandemic. While false, these stories nevertheless revealed Americas’ shifting relationships to the environment, warfare, and the federal state. They channeled immediate fears over what type of war, and what type of enemy, the nation faced, as well as deeper, Progressive-era anxieties related to the dramatic expansions of government and scientific expertise in American life. It underlines how the war permitted individuals to discuss, denounce, and contest state and scientific authority at this moment in the early twentieth century. In my view many of the conspiracy theories we hear today have their roots in this.

Point 2: Allied Propaganda

Propaganda was used by both the allies and the Germans during the World War.

Allied governments launched propaganda efforts in the days after the invasion, pushing out terrifying, often untrue tales, published in newspapers, fliers, and pamphlets. There were stories of bayoneted babies, mass rape of girls, and old men who obediently turned over useless rifles, and were shot on the spot by heartless “barbarians.” No doubt the intent was to stoke the fire of support for the war.

Point 3: German propaganda.

For the Germans, the goal of propaganda was to make the war seem less devastating than it was. More soldiers were needed at the front, so government officials downplayed the number of casualties to recruit them. The truth about the scale of casualties – an estimated 40 million civilian and military personnel dead and wounded – could only be kept secret using propaganda. The total number of deaths includes more than 9 million military personnel. The civilian death toll was between 6 and 13 million. Disease, including the influenza pandemic, took about a third of these lives. World War I ranks among the deadliest conflicts in human history. Suppression of this fact was a goal of German propaganda.

Point 4: The Armistice.

I visited the Glade of the Armistice while I lived in Europe. It’s in the French Forest of Compiegne where the Germans and Allied Supreme Commander signed the Armistice we commemorate today. They used a rail car for the ceremony. Years later, in 1940, Hitler used the same rail car to accept the French surrender. Hitler had obvious propaganda reasons for doing so. I saw a similar rail car in France while I was there, although not the same one used in 1918. The original disappeared after the Nazis took possession of it. I remember how quiet it was in the forest that day. It was a day filled with meaning.

Point 5: Living History

Veterans of World War One are deceased. The veteran I knew was my Grandfather who never spoke to me of the war. We were more concerned with his black lung disease contracted during decades of coal mining in Illinois. Family lore is Grandfather arrived in France shortly before the Armistice and did not see conflict. He was there six months waiting to return to Illinois. If you have a memory of the war and its veterans like mine, today is a day to remember.

As living memory fades let us hope and pray that the World War I dead shall not have died in vain.

In conclusion, I’d like to read a poem used by the allies to recruit soldiers. The idea was for new people to take up arms to replace the fallen. You may know this one. In Flanders Fields is by Canadian physician John McCrae, published December 8, 1915.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
    That mark our place; and in the sky
    The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
    Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
        In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
    The torch; be yours to hold it high.
    If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
        In Flanders fields.
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Living in Society

A Long Way Home

Trail walking on Nov. 10, 2024.

I’ve been trail walking earlier in the day since the general election. To make it a better form of exercise, I pick up the pace to get my heartbeats per minute elevated enough to do some good. I don’t know what I will do for exercise once the snow flies and I’ve shoveled the driveway. If autumn continues the way it has been during the hottest year in recorded history, I may not have to worry about it as we could well skip winter.

On Saturday I made a stew with plant protein meatballs. I found some old carrots and celery in the vegetable drawer and wanted to use them up. After peeling the carrots and cutting them into big chunks, they went into the Dutch oven with the chopped celery. I added the rest of the small-sized garden onions, and peeled and halved a pound of garden potatoes. I covered everything with vegetable broth and seasoned with bay leaves, salt, pepper, oregano, dried parsley, and powdered garlic. Once the root vegetables were fork tender, I made a slurry of corn starch and vegetable broth to thicken the stew. Toward the end, I added the meatballs and a couple handfuls of green peas. It came together well. With my spouse away from home, there will be leftovers for days. The flavor reminded me of a dish Mother made using beef. I took that memory into the next day and made rice over which to ladle leftover stew for lunch. It wasn’t her cooking, yet her presence was strong that day.

It seems doubtful I will reconcile with the Iowa Democratic Party. Donald Trump grew his support in the most liberal county in Iowa from 21,044 in 2016, to 22,925 in 2020 to 26,069 in 2024 or a total of 23.9 percent growth during the eight years. Democrats here walloped Trump with Clinton getting 50,200 votes in 2016, Biden 59,177 in 2020 and Harris 58,772 last week. The strong Johnson County performance this year did not win the election in the First Congressional District. Winning there takes gains in the rural vote which wasn’t there in sufficient numbers. Trump increased his winning margin in Iowa overall. We knew we had to do better than this after the results in 2020. Everyone I knew, including me, was doing work to get Democrats elected. The electorate was not receptive to the Democratic presidential candidate this year or since Obama won in 2012. Iowa certainly is Trump country today. More’s the pity.

I will continue to take walks along the state park trail. I will continue to cook a lot of our family dinners. I will work more on my physical and mental health, and overall wellness. As a septuagenarian, I realize there are only so many years left. There is not enough time to spend on activities that don’t produce needed results. For now, and maybe permanently, politics can take a holiday.

The Republicans I know are, for the most part, good people. Misinformed, yet the kind that will help a neighbor or contribute to community projects. There is some racism and misogyny as there has always been locally and in American society more generally. Any improvements I make in my politics will be close to home, among people I know well, and despite our differences.

There is no going back to what was. Today, it seems like a long way home.

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Living in Society

Into a Landing Zone

Along the state park trail, Nov. 8, 2024.

I changed my digital footprint now that the election is past. I deleted some social media accounts, reduced the number of friends in the remaining ones, and evaluated how I get news. It is part of a self-care process to improve my physical and mental health after the recent traumatic revelations about American society. I feel better already. It was a suitable landing zone after the election.

Journey Home is a public blog and I intend to keep it that way. Writing here helps me develop narratives that can be used in other parts of my life. It is part of a process of understanding the world and society. It also provides a constant struggle to say things better with fewer words. My typos here are frequent, yet I eventually catch most of them. Each of us needs a way to think through the experiences we have and this is mine.

I resisted the recent reaction to Jeff Bezos putting the kibosh on Washington Post political endorsements before the election, and kept my subscription. Subscription to a national newspaper is needed for someone like the author of this blog. All the other national newspapers have similar problems and I don’t want to punish the reporters because of what their owner did.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette has done a good job in 1). staying in business, and 2). creating a diverse community of readers. One sees this by reading the editorial page, or what they call “Insights.” Liberal advocates, conservative crackpots, and everyone in between abound there. I welcome them all. Usually, because of their printing schedule, I hear news they report from other sources because that’s the kind of society in which we live. Subscribing to a newspaper is about the writers: local reporters, syndicated columnists, and readers who write letters to the editor and guest opinions. I wouldn’t miss some of them if they were cancelled, yet we also need them all.

For social media, I’m down to: Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Goodreads is how I keep track of my reading and find new books. Facebook is people I know from my experiences in the real world. Instagram is a place to post photos and auto post them to Facebook. Threads is a way of live blogging my life. For now, this is enough to manage. I deleted my BlueSky and LinkedIn accounts this week to reduce the clutter.

People know me from writing in public and tell me so when we meet in person. Unless we enter a police state where political enemies are harassed by the government, and citizens spy on and get nasty with their neighbors, I will continue. What else am I going to do?

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Living in Society

The Sun Rose in the East

Sunrise over Lake Macbride on Nov. 6, 2024.

The morning after the 2024 general election I went walking on the state park trail at dawn. It was light enough to see the ground, and the sun rose in the east as I entered the main part of the trail. The air was clean and I took deep breaths. I needed that a few hours after reading the general election results.

I was as prepared as I could have been for Trump to win. As a result, I am weathering the aftermath reasonably well. I can’t say that about everyone else to whom I spoke in the last two days. Some were on the verge of tears over the disrespect to women the majority demonstrated by voting for Donald Trump. The country has descended to a very different place than we thought we were.

Something needs to change in my life. The best advice I give myself is to take time to plan effectively.

It has been two months since I tested negative after suffering from COVID-19. While the main symptoms are gone — the constant coughing, particularly — there have been substantial changes in my muscles, blood pressure, and the tests the clinic does for diabetes. Things are not normal so my plan is to evaluate my health today. That’s going to take a while and a better action plan. It is not only me that needs to change.

To return to a majority, Democrats need to change how we live. We must recognize that political campaigning is a subset of everything else we do. We must build relationships more broadly than within our small coterie of like-minded people. We value our relationships, yet to succeed in politics new ones must be in our collective future. My modest proposal is to blow up the current organization of the Democratic Party and start over. We do not understand the electorate and need to. The bonds of affection we developed over years are hard to break, yet we must.

I have gotten good at picking myself up after failing to effect needed change. At some point, our goals for society need calibration. Our methods need to change. It makes little sense to get back on the same horse to keep riding when what we need most is to send the beast to the glue factory. Doing this is harder than we think.

I have a long to-do list today. I expect the sun will rise again in the east. It is time to dust myself off and get back to work building new goals and a new way to achieve them.