Posts Tagged ‘John Wayne’
WAS WHITEY A HERO?
Whitey Ford died on October 8. An all-star pitcher for the New York Yankees in the 1950s and 60s, he was nicknamed for his hair, not his skin. Whitey was a favorite of mine but not a hero. Regarding heroism, I’m picky. As a kid, I was partial to Mickey Mantle, a huge Yankees star,…
Read MoreTHE VIEW FROM NORWAY
Eighteen months ago, Donald Trump called for more immigrants from Norway (aka white people). Norwegians seem content to stay home. Derek B. Miller, a Massachusetts native and author who lives in Norway’s capital, Oslo, offers some perspective. Miller wrote the best-selling novel Norwegian by Night. He provides a sharp take on the country of his birth…
Read MoreLAURA AND DUKE—A HATE STORY
America generally accepted racism in 1871, even though the Civil War had ended six years earlier. A century later, bigotry stood officially condemned. Yet prejudice had its champions. Today, those champions have champions. On Laura Ingraham’s February 20 Fox News show, author/journalist Raymond Arroyo rebutted the furor resulting from the resurfacing of a 1971 Playboy interview…
Read MoreDO GUNS KILL PEOPLE?
Kids play at war. I did. When I was ten, friends and I made wooden rifles for mock combat. We took apart fruit and vegetable crates, did some sawing and hammered a few nails. But we knew the difference between make believe and reality. If only that were true of the National Rifle Association. I…
Read MoreRUGGED INDIVIDUALISM
Many people believe that baseball represents a microcosm of life. I agree. And that goes for fans, too. They have lots to teach us about this nation, including the health-care arena. I went to AT&T Park as a spur-of-the-moment thing after the Supreme Court’s June 28 decision on Obamacare. As the first inning began, I…
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