Aug 5, 2026
In the capitol city where I live, on a busy downtown intersection, is a small sign that has been on my mind lately. Above an emblem in a simple curve, are the words “Gave His Life in the Line of Duty.” And below, a name. “Lieutenant Michael J. Cloonan 8/16/1893.” The...
Feb 12, 2026
I was raised in a time and place, and in a family, that followed strict protocol about home-handling of the American flag. Fly it on Memorial Day, on Flag Day, on the 4th of July, Labor Day. Never let it touch the ground. Never fly it in the rain. Take it in at...
Jan 19, 2026
A timely excerpt from the official program for the 1963 March on Washington: “It will be orderly, but not subservient. It will be proud, but not arrogant. It will be non-violent, but not timid. It will be unified in purposes and behavior, not splintered into...
May 8, 2025
It’s May, and this northern city is finally greening. The buildings, the built world, are the same, but the infrastructure of trees, dozing during the winter months, is rousing. Spring has moved northward on its own mysterious, rhythmic, and dependable calendar. It...
