Opinion

While normally I try to stay away from anything even this close to politics; recently a high-ranking public figure was quoted as saying: “Empathy is what is destroying America.” You know what? I completely agree with him. Empathy is one of the few things that will absolutely destroy America as we know it. This is only a problem if you think America is perfect the way it is. I am not speaking in a right left democrat republican short-term sense of things, I’m talking about the culture that has developed over the past 250 years in this land. I’m talking about the inherently imperfect human systems that we have built to govern our political, economic and social lives.

This time of year, I sometimes think of the poem Pippa Passes (1841) by Robert Browning.

The Bible says of King Solomon (one of the great kings of Ancient Israel) that:

The joint is half full. Large screen televisions show various games. ROB PEREZ enters and sees SAM THE SOOTHSAYER sitting on a barstool, nursing a beer and nachos. Sam wears a flowing white robe and closely watches a couple of college basketball games. Rob approaches Sam.

One of the things I love most about our community is the generosity of the people who call it home. Whether it’s supporting youth activities, contributing to community initiatives, or helping those in need, we always find ways to make a difference.

Well, we live in Minnesota. It was subzero for many days in a row just days ago, and now it is like Spring! When seasons are like this, we get mixed up a bit with just how to prepare for the day. Do we wear heavy coats because of a below zero wind chill, or do we wear rubber boots for all the unfrozen puddles we will face as we cross a street?

It’s been cold. An engaged audience might ask: How cold was it? A type of punchline: It was so cold the ice was complaining about the temperature! The reality is more mundane. It was so cold they cancelled school. This has happened before. I grew up in Texas, a geography not known for cold temperatures. One winter day was so cold that they cancelled schools. They were concerned the HVAC wasn’t up to the job. No school administrator wants to take in warm bodied children and spit them out blue. It was 29 degrees Fahrenheit.

As a typical Minnesotan my topic this week is going to be “the weather”. I am writing this on Thursday, Feb. 20 as we start what we are all hoping is the beginning of a warmer weather pattern. As I have had to make a couple weather related calls regarding school this month, I thought I would explain the process and a little bit about the “why” in these decisions in this article.