Come, Labor On

there is much I'd like to write about this week.  i thought about discussing my reactions to the former president's ongoing battle with the department of justice, but the topic that has captured my interest is president biden's executive order regarding student debt.  i don't understand the so-called "student loan crisis."  during my years in college, the chief lender to college students was the federal government through the national defense education act.  these low-interest loans made it possible for students who otherwise would have been unable to attend college to earn a degree, making small loan repayments after graduation until the debt was repaid.  graduates who went into the teaching field and worked in schools where many students came from low-income families had their debt excused if they continued teaching for a certain period.

both my wife and i had some of our education financed through this program, and repayment was fairly painless because of the extended time allowed for discharging the debt and the low interest rate of the loan.  this was a very successful program that encouraged many high school graduates to go on to college and have careers that enriched the workforce after earning their degrees.  unfortunately, this program is no longer available to americans.  it seems that there have been several programs that have replaced it over the years, and the drive to privatize many government programs has affected college loan programs.  for a time, it was parents, rather than students, who were responsible for debt repayment.  now, as i understand it, the burden has shifted back to the student.

the rise in college costs has created, staggering amounts of debt for many college graduates.  i know one young man who owes around $100,000 in college loans.  he is the father of five children and works as a teacher in a small college.  i am certain that his salary, even when coupled with that of his wife, is not sufficient to meets his family's needs and pay off such a debt.  this doesn't seem to be an unusual situation.  those who are knowledgable about such things tells us that most of those who will have a part of their debt forgiven earn less than $75,000 per year.  as the cost of attending college has risen, government support for higher education has fallen, causing colleges to raise their fees.  these two factors make it very difficult for many young people to get a college education, and many who are determined to better themselves are forced to borrow the money to finance college.

some have been lured into enrolling in private colleges that promise them lucrative jobs once they have graduated, only to find that those jobs are not available or that they are not qualified for them because the college that made such promises did not have the necessary credentials or that it closed its doors before the students' training was completed.  greedy entrepreneurs have taken advantage of federally guaranteed programs to enrich themselves at the expense of students and taxpayers.  

it doesn't seem unreasonable for the government to forgive a portion of student loans in the current economic situation, especially when such forgiveness is targeted to those with lower earnings.  i worry that such forgiveness may encourage students to take on debt, thinking that, when the time comes for repaying the debt, some or all of it will be forgiven.  it is time to find a way to make college affordable for everyone who wishes to get training that will make the workforce of the country stronger and broaden the minds of our people.  ignorance is the fodder of dictators.  without an educated population, our democracy will not prosper or survive, so it is in our national interest to help our people get the education they need.

may we be more farsighted than we have in the past by providing adequate funding for post-high-school training for our people.  may we use our resources to better advantage, realizing that government has a responsibility to help lift each citizen to a better life.  may we have compassion for those who labor under crippling debt.  shalom.

Of Travel, I've Had My Share

last week, my wife and i made a quick trip to our former hometown for a friend's family celebration.  we had little time to do anything except drive down, enjoy the event, and drive home.  we were exhausted when we got back, but our appetite for travel was kindled.  we're ready for new adventures that were not possible during the height of the covid pandemic.  right now a health problem makes it impossible for my wife to stray too far from home for long.  she has an appointment with a specialist in a couple of weeks, and we're hopeful that this doctor will offer a fix for her health issue so that we can plan a trip.

there are so many places we want to see and favorite destinations we want to visit again.  we know that before many years have passed, old age will prevent us from traveling as we once did.  we have watched as some older friends have planned several trips, only to have to cancel their plans because of illnesses.  that will be true for us in the future, as we can see because of the inability of my wife to travel now.  our wanderlust has taken us far from home, and being able to explore the world around us is one of our chief joys.  we long to be in vermont again in the fall and to see the green of ireland once more.  we've never been to spain, and we'd love to explore madrid, barcelona, and seville.

we know many people who are content to stay in our little town and who complain whenever it is necessary for them to travel an hour or two away on business or to see a medical specialist who is not available here.  we can't understand their lack of curiosity about the world around them, just as they are puzzled by our love of travel.  while we love our home and the town in which we live, it is not enough for us.  when our advancing years confine us to our immediate surroundings, we will learn to adjust.  until then, we will go as far and as often as we can.

may we appreciate the beauty of the world around us.  may we be content with whatever life brings us, accepting what we cannot change.  may we be filled with the desire to learn and explore.  may we continue to grow, even as our bodies fail us.  shalom.

Time, Like an Ever-Rolling Stream

looking around the room in which i sit, i see many pieces that were purchased at antique stores.  my wife and i don't think of ourselves as collectors of antiques, but we seem to have an affinity for older decorative objects.  among our most beloved possessions are a trio of lamps with glass shades that cast a gentle light and seem almost alive in their warmth.  lighting fixtures of this type were once very popular but are difficult to find nowadays and quite expensive compared to more modern lamps.  

as i look at these three lamps, i wonder whose homes they once lit.  i wonder if their former owners loved them as much as we do.  were they struck by the beauty of the glass?  did they feel the delight in their warmth as we do?  did they enjoy the intricacy of the metal work in their bases and in the shades which frame the honey-colored glass?  what were their homes like?  were they prosperous or did they struggle to get by?  could they have imagined that their beautiful lamps would find a home with someone who treasures them?

i think about where they may go after we are gone.  i hope that our two children will take them into their homes and delight in them as we do now.  they may find themselves in an antique store where someone else will see them and fall in love with them.  if some strangers take possession of them, will the new owners enjoy them as we do?  these precious lamps may light the homes of happy couples who have no idea about their history, just as we have no knowledge of the previous owners.  it amazes me that these objects and others that i see around me have stories to tell that we can never know.  they have lives of their own and mean different things to each successive owner, bearing silent witness to the beings whose lives are lived in their presence.

may we see that we are connected to one another across generations, that every object we see and touch connects us to countless others we will never know.  may we honor those lives that went before us, that suffered and rejoiced just as we do.  may we live in hope that those who follow us will not forget us, that we will live on in their memories.  may we have compassion for those who have gone before and those who are yet to be, just as we strive to have compassion for those whose lives we share in this present moment.  shalom.

Sweet Freedom's Song

another round of primary elections has taken place in this country.  in republican primaries, trump loyalists were the winners, for the most part.  perhaps the most significant victories for "big lie" supporters were in arizona, where the trump-backed candidates for united states senator and secretary of state won their primaries against more moderate candidates.  the gubernatorial primary is still too close to call, but it appears that the trump-endorsed candidate will prevail.  

the influence of the former president over republican voters is easy to see, but what isn't as clear is whether independents will support far-right conspiracists in the general election.  democrats nominated strong candidates in their primaries, and one hopes that these candidates will prevail with the support of a large number of independent voters along with moderate republicans and reliable democratic voters.  in large measure, voter turn-out will be the key to who wins in november's elections.

in michigan, the republican nominee for governor won with trump's blessing and will face an incumbent democrat who has been an outspoken opponent of trumpism and his lies about the past presidential election.  in missouri, voters repudiated the most extreme trump-backed candidate for the united states senate, but they did nominate a candidate who vows to support the trump agenda if he is elected in november.  that republican nominee will likely win in red-state missouri unless some evidence of wrongdoing on his part emerges.  the democrats have nominated a candidate with strong name recognition, a member of a family that has long been influential in missouri.  perhaps her moderate views and strong support for women's rights will attract enough supporters to give her candidacy a fighting chance.

it is amazing that trump continues to exert so much influence over a segment of the population.  former republican vice-president dick chaney, a staunch conservative, has called him a threat to our republic.  other prominent republicans have spoken out against him and urged others to move on from trump's loss in the last election.  still, trump loyalists continue to support him and his ideas, and many politicians fear electoral loss unless they pay lip service to trump and his brand of jingoistic, misogynistic politics.  trump's bent toward autocracy and his kinship to leaders like hungary's orbán are dangerous and unamerican.  rather than making america great, trumpism will destroy the values on which the country was founded if it prevails in the next two elections.

may we see the danger such demagogues pose.  may his followers awaken to the grifts he continues to perpetrate.  may those who oppose his brand of nationalistic autocracy unite at the polls to vote for candidates who will move our country forward and who embody true american ideals.  may we rid ourselves of trump and his ilk once and for all, so that he can no longer encourage the racists and misogynists in our midst.  shalom.

Where the Grass Is Greener Still

this past week, we have witnessed the effects of climate change on people not far from us.  devastating flooding has occurred in neighboring states, as torrential downpours that are unusual during our usually dry summers have fallen.  drought plagues the american west, resulting in immense suffering and uncontrollable wildfires.  the pacific northwest, where summer temperatures are usually mild, is enduring life-threatening heat.  our news media show us the rapid melting of glacial ice in greenland, which endangers coastal areas all over the world.  severe long-term drought in the horn of africa has caused mass starvation and malnutrition.

in the face of this indisputable evidence, we seem incapable of taking action to slow the devastation we see around us.  in a democratic society, it is difficult to know what to prioritize when we are faced with choices at the polls.  many are trapped in the money crunch resulting from inflation, and electing candidates who purport to have solutions to this problem and voting against the party in power takes precedence over all other considerations.  others among us are most concerned about the supreme court's ruling against a national right to abortion and support candidates who promise legislative action to guarantee women's rights to control their own bodies.  there are a host of other issues, including marriage equality, gay and trans rights, and the right to contraception, that are concerns of the electorate.

so many things need action by the federal government.  it is hard to determine which among them is most important.  yet as we look at the present devastation and consider what the future holds, nothing seems more important than acting to prevent further climate change and to reverse its current progress in so far as it is possible.  democrats in the senate have put forth a bill that includes large amounts of funding to address the issue.  i pray that this legislation is enacted and that the public realizes how necessary it is for us to take immediate action.  it is a weakness in our system that one person has the power to stop this bill's adoption, and i hope that will not happen.  that a breakthrough in funding for climate policy can be thwarted when it is so close to becoming law is unthinkable.

may each of us make stopping the degradation of our planet a priority in our lives.  may we have reverence for the earth that has sustained our species and millions of others for so many eons.  may our greed not do further damage to the planet and its systems that nourish life.  may we put aside our selfish desires for things and work together to care for life on this lovely ball floating in space.  may we realize the dangers of climate change and confront our culpability in causing it.  shalom.