Pledge of Allegiance

(

An edited version was published in the Letters to the Editor section of the 25 March 2022 edition of the Wisconsin State Journal, Madison Wisconsin

https://madison.com/opinion/letters/pledge-can-help-unite-our-nation----alexander-converse/article_77d75f05-83ff-5c62-b6ae-12701360a83d.html

)

 

The benefits of the Pledge of Allegiance outweigh its potential for divisiveness ("No more Pledge of Allegiance?" WSJ 22 March). In fact, the pledge to the flag unites us as Americans. It reminds us that we are part of "the Republic for which it stands", that is, a democracy and not a monarchy. In our system of government, we organize ourselves according to the needs and desires of the people, not according to the autocratic whims of one man (see e.g. Putin, Vladimir). We are "one Nation", a notion of importance to Francis Bellamy who wrote the pledge in 1892 only one generation after the Civil War and likewise of some relevance now. In the pledge, we affirm that our nation promises "liberty and justice for all". In 1954 Congress added the "under God" business, but most of us can agree that our idea of God may differ from that of our neighbor's. Let's have a beer, discuss religion, and admit that faith is a mystery. The important thing is that we are part of this one nation, that we believe in justice, and that we will fight for liberty - for ourselves and for others.

 

Alexander K. Converse

Madison, WI

 

 

notes

 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-man-who-wrote-the-pledge-of-allegiance-93907224/

 

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title4-section4&num=0&edition=prelim

Failure to Defend Congress

 

(Submitted to the Wisconsin State Journal letters to the editor 14 Jan 2021)

Those who attacked the Capitol on January 6th intended to prevent Congress from certifying a fair election. The President has been impeached by the House and faces conviction in the Senate for inciting that insurrection. Perhaps he should face criminal charges for his failure to defend Congress.

 

Trump's apparent failure to act might be punishable as treason with a minimum sentence of 5 years. Consider that, at 2:24 p.m. on the 6th, Trump tweeted condemnation of the Vice President. Thus, an hour after the first police officers were overrun on the Capitol grounds and with violent individuals inside the building closing in on legislators, Trump was apparently able to communicate but had failed to publicly condemn the attack and order federal forces to assist Capitol police.

 

Our President serves the people and is not a king. If the evidence shows that Trump knowingly failed to defend the Capitol, and thereby gave aid and comfort to those attempting to overwhelm the legislative branch, then he should face criminal charges. For two centuries the United States has been a republic, in which no man is above the law. We must deter any future president who might want to make himself a king.

Who next after Rummel?

 

(An edited version was published in the Letters to the Editor section of the 20 December 2020 edition of the Wisconsin State Journal, Madison Wisconsin)

 

Alder Marsha Rummel, who has represented Madison's 6th district since 2007, has announced that she won't seek re-election. The City Council oversees a budget of over $300 million and nearly 3,000 employees, and there may be several candidates for the open seat. I will vote for someone who works effectively towards progress on the four E's: Economy, Environment, Equality, and Education.

 

For the economy, we should support labor by encouraging unions, small businesses, and cooperatives. For the environment, we must protect air, water, and open spaces and reduce global warming by burning less fossil fuel. For equality, we ought to be guided by the words, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," and recognize that I could have been born into your circumstances, with your ancestry, religion, mother tongue, gender, and skin color. For education, we should work to improve access to quality instruction at all ages including pre-kindergarten and community college.

 

These simple ideals face the complex reality of limited budgets, competing interests, and multiple government entities. Marsha deserves our thanks for giving so much time and effort for our district and our city. We should choose a worthy replacement.

 

 

Covid-19 in the Neighborhood: Public Health

 

(An edited version was published in the September-October 2020 edition of the Goodman Community Center Eastside News, Madison, Wisconsin)

   

Early on a recent morning I awoke to groans of misery from my wife. By sunrise she was isolating in her home office with many of the worrisome symptoms - aches, fever, and fatigue. Soon we were at the Alliant Energy Center for Covid-19 testing, where a National Guard member vigorously swabbed our noses. Within 24 hours the tests came back negative, and in a few days my wife was recovering from what was apparently a nasty stomach bug. Covid-19 is on everyone's mind whether they're healthy or sick, and healthcare workers are often on the front lines.

 

Mark Norton, a firefighter paramedic at Station 3 on Williamson Street, sees about nine patients a day, and a couple have symptoms that could be due to Covid-19. In those cases, he wears additional personal protective equipment (PPE): an N95 mask, face shield, and gown. He notes attitudes in patients ranging from little worry to fear of stigma and apprehension about going to the hospital. Likewise, in the firehouse itself some are more concerned than others, but he says everyone follows the protocols regardless of their personal views.

 

Kim Kantor is an urgent care pediatrician at the UWHealth Union Corners clinic. "It's hard. It's frustrating," she says of Covid-19."I don't like entering the exam room looking like a scary space alien in full PPE. Sometimes, that's how I announce it, and it's fun for the kids. It's admirable how well the kids behave in the clinic. Often three-year-olds, and sometimes even two-year-olds, are able to wear masks." She sees 7-10 patients in a 4-5 hour shift and orders Covid-19 tests for over half of them. To save on PPE and reduce the number of contacts with a patient, she tries to start with a phone call into the exam room. Before Covid-19 in the midst of the flu season, "I saw tons of kids. The waiting room was full and there could be a two hour wait." With the lockdown the clinic emptied, and she'd only see a couple of people per shift. Then kids returned to day care and camp and are getting sick. Also, because of Covid-19 precautions, primary providers often refer patients to urgent care, so now it's very busy.

 

Another provider at an East Side urgent care clinic who wished to remain anonymous noted that, like many sectors of the economy, health care is suffering from reduced revenue. With an eye on the bottom line and uncertain supply chains, administrators are sometimes allowing staffing levels to fall and restricting PPE. The provider already sees young adult patients with Covid-19 symptoms who may have been socializing without adequate precautions and says, "If UW opens without good mask use and social distancing, it's going to be a hell of a bad Fall."

 

In neighborhoods around the GCC, about a quarter of residents have been tested with two percent of tests positive, compared to three percent for Dane County, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. In Dane County, 37 people have died of Covid-19 as of July 31st. Covid-19 has killed over 150,000 in the US and more than 600,000 world-wide according to the World Health Organization. To reduce the spread of Covid-19, Public Health Madison and Dane County recommends staying home when sick, washing hands, not touching your face with unwashed hands, wearing a mask in public, and limiting social contacts (https://publichealthmdc.com/coronavirus).

 

Election 2020: Poll Workers

(An edited version was published in the November-December 2020 edition of the Goodman Community Center Eastside News, Madison, Wisconsin)

 

Madison voters this November will choose the president, legislators, and local office holders. They'll also decide two school referendums. This ritual of democracy is made possible by poll workers.

 

Miki Glines, age 19, is an East High graduate, who has been a poll worker since she was 16. "I got started because I was interested in the process, especially since I hadn't voted yet. It was a way to make some money working for a good cause." This year, she's worked the February and August elections as well as Democracy in the Park in September. "There are more young people working. It's been different with the social distancing because of Covid-19. We've had a lot more people working so we could deal with curbside voting and keeping things sanitized." She notes, "When I worked in the park, a lot of people didn't have ballots to drop off but had questions. We were able to explain absentee balloting, which is good because it helps people to understand and have faith in the process. I hope that everybody votes and is able to trust that their ballots will be counted. Poll workers are going to be working hard to make sure every vote gets counted."

 

Ann Lacy is a retired librarian who started working the polls over ten years ago. "I think it's super important for everybody to vote, and so to facilitate in some small way other peoples' right to vote just felt like a dream thing to do. And, I have to admit, I like the money!" Lacy arrives at the Olbrich site at 6 a.m. to set up and stays until any remaining absentee ballots are counted by 9:30 p.m. "A February primary is usually pretty slow. For a presidential general election, you're busy almost all the time, either with the walk-in voters or processing absentee ballots." Lacy explains that absentee ballots are brought to the polling place on election day, walked through the same process, and counted along with regular ballots. "It's almost as if you're there, with your ballot." Lacy says, "I was brought up, like many, to vote in every election. My mom would take me with her when she voted, and I brought my kids when I voted."

 

Indeed, Lacy's son, Josef Klafka, is a 24-year-old software developer serving this year as a first-time volunteer poll worker. "I think this is the best way I could help our democracy function better." He volunteered for the August primary at a UW-Madison site before most students had returned to town. "The experience was positive even though it was a quiet day". For Democracy in the Park, "There was a steady trickle of people coming to register or drop off their absentee ballots. Before each election, there's a thorough one-hour training session with a member of the Clerk's office, and on election day senior poll workers can answer any questions." Klafka adds, "If you can, vote. If you feel comfortable, volunteer to be a poll worker."

 

This year, Madison has filled its quota of 6,000 poll workers, double the number as in past presidential elections due to Covid-19. To achieve this, the base pay of $14 per hour was boosted to $22. As of October 17th, 101,000 absentee ballots had been issued and 71,000 returned, according to City Clerk spokesperson Maggie McClain. Total turnout in the 2016 presidential general election was 154,000.

 

Sidebar

Madison polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday November 3rd. More information is available at https://www.cityofmadison.com/clerk/elections-voting. You can find your polling place or track your absentee ballot at https://myvote.wi.gov.

 

Polling places near the Goodman Community Center

Ward 16    Whitehorse Middle School            218 Schenk St

Ward 20    East Madison Community Center  8 Straubel Ct

Ward 28    Madison College – Commercial    2125 Commercial Ave.

Ward 29    East High School                            2222 E Washington Ave

Ward 30    Sherman Middle School                 1610 Ruskin St

Ward 32    Sherman Avenue UMC                  3705 N Sherman Ave

Ward 39    Hawthorne Library                         2707 E Washington

Ward 40    Olbrich Gardens                             3330 Atwood Ave

Ward 41    O'Keeffe Middle School                510 S Thornton Ave

Ward 42    Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center      504 S Brearly St

Ward 44    Tenney Park Pavilion                     402 N Thornton Ave

Ward 45    Lapham Elementary School           1045 E Dayton St

 

Two Things: Practical Wisdom and Practical Compassion

9 March 2019

I will always be something of a selfish fool, but I can try to be better. Wisdom and compassion are universal virtues that I've pursued through Zen Buddhism for the past three years. Wisdom is discernment of the essential nature of reality and the ultimate goal of existence. Compassion is the desire to remove harm and suffering from others. Attaining wisdom and compassion requires effort, so I try to meditate every day and to carry my koan, an unanswerable existential question, with me through my daily life. I believe I'm on the right track with Zen, but it's slow going and I'm also looking for shortcuts. That is, I'm searching for practical wisdom and compassion, perhaps not perfect or religiously satisfying, but bits that I can experience easily.

How can I achieve practical wisdom? First, let's entertain the possibility that wisdom is overrated. I've often been happy as a fool, and, looking around, lack of wisdom doesn't always hinder material or political success. On the other hand, I've suffered from anger, despair, meanness, and prejudice, which in hindsight were unnecessary and stupid. I can experience lack of wisdom in my body: poor posture, tightened breathing, and restricted vision. In the world, lack of wisdom results in war, poverty, injustice, and environmental degradation. So, yes, we need wisdom to avoid such afflictions. In search of vision and understanding in daily life, I consulted an ancient text, the Boy Scout Handbook, and  realized the pithiest summary of practical wisdom I seek is the Scout motto, "Be prepared". Not necessarily as in having a full pack ready to tromp into the woods, but rather to actively be aware, to look for what needs to be done. So, in addition to my Zen koan, I've tried to carry the Scout motto with me every day. Does it help? I've seen hints of success in my behavior. I'm earlier to bed, drinking less, and tidier. Internally, I find myself in a relaxed way attending more to my thoughts, my surroundings, and the people in my life.

As for compassion, I can occasionally be mean, yell at my wife, neglect my kids. As with wisdom, it's clear from examining my shortcomings and from reading the news that we all need more compassion. As with wisdom, I'd like a shortcut while I work towards enlightenment. I want to be more sympathetic and empathetic, and to help more often. Again referring to the venerable Scout Handbook, the answer is "Do a good turn daily". I'm helpful in various ways to friends and family, but a good turn involves aid above and beyond what's expected of you. Does it help? Last week I picked up dog poop not from my dogs. I helped a stranger on the bus who was looking for directions to his destination.

I'm getting there in my quest for wisdom and compassion. I do wonder sometimes if these shortcuts distract from the religious aims. So far, however, they seem effective and complementary to Buddhist practice.

Haiku: Eyes down

21 Feb 2019

Eyes down in crosswalk

So much admirable faith

In humanity!