My friend Mihee Kim-Kort is hosting a series on her First Day Walking blog that features stories from people in all walks of life and their observations of children and what they make us. Today she honored me by allowing me to share some reflections. Hope I didn’t embarrass anyone. Also, a big shout out to Mihee for calling me “seasoned” as she promoted the post on Twitter.
In May FDW is hosting a new series on stories from people in all walks of life and their observations of children and what they make us. Click here for more on the series and a list of the contributors. This post was written by friend and colleague Mark Koenig.
Every parent-child relationship is unique. As is every child-parent relationship. And every relationship between or among siblings. And every relationship within the web of family by choice and family by birth.
Affirming that, my words are descriptive, struggling to capture my unique reality. They neither prescribe nor proscribe. If they resonate with anyone else, provide insight or guidance, that’s grace.
I write as the father of two men. My older son is 32; my younger son 27. My sons, at this and every age. My children. Looking back across the years, I find a number of dimensions of meaning in…
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You don’t reject the death penalty because the criminals are decent people. You reject the death penalty because you are decent people.
I first saw this statement on Andrew Stroehlein‘s Twitter feed. Doing some research, I learned that Stroehlein is European Media Director of Human Rights Watch. Based in Brussels, he oversees media outreach and strategy in Europe and West Africa, and advises on public advocacy via social media across the organization.
You don’t reject the death penalty because the criminals are decent people. You reject the death penalty because you are decent people.
Executions say more about the character of the executioners than they do about the persons who are executed.
You don’t reject the death penalty because the criminals are decent people. You reject the death penalty because you are decent people.
Amen!
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Capital Punishment, Death Penalty
Bill Tammeus has a great reflection on the death penalty: Killing people to stop people from killing people: 5-18-15. He writes in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev receiving a death penalty sentence.
Bill notes that there are several reasons for opposing the death penalty. Most importantly among them is the possibility that the state might sometime execute innocent people.
In this post, he explores the logic of “killing people to stop people from killing people.” To do so, he notes lowers the state to the level of the criminal. He concludes:
Is execution cruel and unusual punishment? Of course, even if the U.S. Supreme Court hasn’t ruled it so yet. But it’s worse than that. It’s absolutely illogical. We can do better. We must.
Thanks Bill for the article. Check it out!
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Capital Punishment, Current Events, Death Penalty
In May, my friend Mihee Kim-Kort is hosting a series on her blog, First Day Walking, that features stories from people in many walks of life and their observations of children and what they make us. All the posts are amazing. Here, my friend Larissa Kwong Abazia, vice-moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) shares part a letter she is writing to her son Jonathan about facing breast cancer. The courage, grace, faith, hope, and love of Jonathan, Dan, and Larissa move and inspire me.
In May FDW is hosting a new series on stories from people in all walks of life and their observations of children and what they make us. Click here for more on the series and a list of the contributors. This post was written by my wonderful and beautiful friend Larissa Kwong Abazia. So honored to have her here.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2015. This is a portion of a letter I’ve been writing to my three year old son, Jonathan.
Dear Jonathan,
I’m writing you this letter trusting that I will be around to see your first day of kindergarten, watch you graduate from high school, and be a part of every single step in-between (and after!). Writing to you during a time that you may or may not remember is important to me. I want you to know how you are an important part of…
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Friday brought a visit to Paia and lunch at Charley’s Restaurant and Saloon. There the bandanna posed with a replica, a wee bit larger than life, of Willie Nelson’s guitar.
15 May 2015
Along the Graybeard Trail 