Morality

07:42 Wednesday, 3 December 2025
Current Wx: Temp: 17.02°F Pressure: 1020hPa Humidity: 93% Wind: 5.01mph
Words: 510

Brief definition: Principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior.

Moral authority. Moral courage. Moral hazard. Moral injury.

Values. Faith and honor.

What is a "good life"? What is "service to others"?

There is no more challenging crucible or more severe trial in confronting these questions than service in uniform that grants the authority to use violence in the course of doing one's duty.

"Right" and "wrong" are binary terms, and "reality" is seldom so clear, which is why it is so challenging to confront those questions in the moment.

Which is why leadership is so important.

When we elected a president who has exhibited, proudly, a personal character devoid of any morality, we invited the appointment of an entire leadership team similarly unequipped. And we are witnessing the consequences of that choice today.

Morality is a freighted concept. Rather than wrestle with difficult questions, some people rely on prescriptive rules laid down in ancient texts, which themselves are described as being "sacred," or "holy" and from a God that commands obedience. This empowers people who embrace one particular faith and set of holy texts to seek to impose those rules on everyone, whether they share that faith or not. Because God is an absolute, and must be obeyed.

This causes conflict and division. Politicians have exploited this view of morality to divide us for generations. They aren't questions we examine to try to find the common good, or to improve our relationships with one another. When they are discussed in the public sphere, they're used as cattle prods to herd us into red and blue corrals, where "red" and "blue" can be political parties or religious faiths.

These aren't "inviting" questions, they are repellant. We don't wish to question our own "morality," or have others question it either. So we ignore them, except insofar as they may be summoned from time to time by ambitious "leaders" to divide us from one another. Except insofar as we embrace them to judge and wholly condemn others over single issues where we may not agree. Our morality serves not so much to inform our actions, but to direct our attacks.

As a result, morality and ethics are ideas that aren't genuinely part of our popular culture. To the extent that they are live questions, they exist mostly in academic institutions, sometimes in the law and the courts. Sometimes in professional societies or organizations. But many voters have such an ill-defined sense of personal or public morality that they were unable to recognize the complete and utter amorality and immorality of a man like Trump, and what the consequences of that form of personal character in office would be.

To the extent that this whole sorry affair may invite a wider, more open, less judgmental, examination of the morals, ethics and values we wish to embrace as a society, it would be a worthwhile outcome. And it might go some way toward atoning for the sin of giving that creature, Donald J. Trump, power.

I'm not optimistic.

✍️ Reply by email

The Cows Came Home

11:46 Tuesday, 2 December 2025

Current Wx: Temp: 28.49°F Pressure: 1013hPa Humidity: 95% Wind: 2.48mph
Words: 23

Our neighbor got his cows back some time ago, but we haven't been seeing them as often. They're all near the barn today!

✍️ Reply by email

Mark Kelly A Real American Hero

10:27 Tuesday, 2 December 2025
Current Wx: Temp: 27.18°F Pressure: 1015hPa Humidity: 95% Wind: 4.92mph
Words: 226

Arizona can be proud of two Navy veterans who became United States Senators, John McCain and Mark Kelly. Two men of genuine courage, both physical and moral.

When the video by Kelly and six other legislators was first reported, I hoped it would spark a deeper critical examination of the legal basis for these strikes in the Caribbean, but that story was immediately overshadowed by Trump's over-the-top reaction calling for their executions.

Nevertheless, it does seem to have had the desired effect, because something prompted the leaked reports to the Washington Post regarding the murder of the survivors in the water from the first strike. That has prompted the deeper and wider examination of this whole misbegotten effort, which should have been undertaken immediately after the first strike.

I watched a recording of Sen Kelly's news conference yesterday and I was proud of him directly confronting the incompetent, immoral and criminal actions of this administration. I commented that "Courage is contagious," and that we will begin to see more men and women of integrity standing up and demanding accountability for what Trump and his gang are doing to our country.

For the first time, in a long time, I'm beginning to feel as though the tide may be turning. We're by no means out of harm's way yet, but we have begun to fight.

✍️ Reply by email

Winter Is Here

09:53 Tuesday, 2 December 2025

Current Wx: Temp: 26.15°F Pressure: 1015hPa Humidity: 95% Wind: 4.92mph
Words: 238

We're back from a trip down to DC to visit with family and spend Thanksgiving together. Didn't do any blogging there, plenty of other things going on with a three-year-old in the house. It was a nice visit, a good meal and a chance to get out a bit in our nation's capital.

We went to the Botanic Garden on a very chilly blustery Friday after Thanksgiving. We got there right when they were opening, which was a very smart move. By the time we left, you could barely move in the place.

From there, we went right across the street to the National Museum of the American Indian. The Friday after Thanksgiving is Native American Heritage Day, so that seemed appropriate. I'd visited the museum before, but it was several years ago so it was nice to see it again.

Unfortunately, we were also there when the two West Virginia National Guard members, SSgt Andrew Wolfe and Spc Sarah Beckstrom, were attacked and wounded, Beckstrom fatally. An unfathomable, bitter event that tragically marred an otherwise beautiful day.

We had a pleasant drive back up to Winterfell yesterday. It was on the cold side, but clear. I would not have wanted to be driving in this snow. But we're back now, snug in our little house with the lights still on, but ready this time if they should go out.

And the beat? It goes on...

✍️ Reply by email