The world lost one of the great spiritual leaders yesterday. Desmond M. Tutu, the cleric who used his pulpit and spirited oratory to help bring down apartheid in South Africa and then became the leading advocate of peaceful reconciliation under Black majority rule, died on Sunday in Cape Town. He was 90. As leader of the South African Council of Churches and later as Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, Archbishop Tutu led the church to the forefront of Black South Africans’ decades-long struggle for freedom. His voice was a powerful force for nonviolence in the anti-apartheid movement, earning him a Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.
I hope everyone had a merry and safe Christmas. Ours was spectacular as usual. It started Christmas Eve afternoon as Leah and I started preparing our annual Christmas Eve dinner with Chris and Katy and the grandchildren. After eating and great conversation Leah handed out the Christmas pajamas that everyone is expected to wear for our Christmas morning brunch. This year’s pajamas were chosen by our oldest granddaughter Alexis. The pajamas had a blue background with multicolored Christmas lightbulbs everywhere on the PJs. After everyone left by 9PM, Leah and I cleaned up to get ready for Christmas morning brunch. As usual I prepared ham, sausage, scrambled eggs, blueberry pancakes and toast and butter plus leftovers from dinner. From there it was on to the morning gift exchange. It always starts with Leah wanting me to pass out one gift at a time so see can see every gift be opened. That last for about two minutes before my little helpers take over and start passing them out as fast as you can. Asking little kids to open Christmas gifts in a controlled fashion is not going to happen, at least not at my house.
Today was a travel day for Leah and me as we drove to Petoskey late this afternoon. We were not expecting to be up here until Wednesday as we were supposed to host Leah’s brother and sisters and spouses at our house on Tuesday. It was going to be the first time we were all together since Leah’s brother Bill passed away this summer. Leah was especially looking forward to being together and remembering Bill. Unfortunately, Leah and I chose to cancel the event. With all of us being 65 years or older, Leah and I decided the risk associated with the omnicron variant was not worth getting together, even though we were all fully vaccinated. It was a major disappointment for Leah as she was really looking forward to getting together with her brother and sisters.
One of the stories that caught my eye over Christmas was the story of Michigan State basketball special assistant head coach Mike Garland and his son Ray, 37, who recently underwent a successful heart transplant at the Cleveland Clinic. It was a touching story about what is important in life and how head coach Tom Izzo changed Mike’s role within the team so he could spend as much time as possible with his son during his recovery. Although Ray is not of the woods yet, his recovery is going well and his dad Mike is glad he has been able to be there for his son.
Today Bridge Magazine reported on how Michigan Republicans want to tighten voting laws, limit pandemic regulations and create a voucher-like school scholarship program in 2022. And they could do it all without approval from Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has already vetoed similar measures, and without a vote of the people in the next election. Instead, Republicans are circulating a trio of petitions that would allow them to circumvent Whitmer and create new laws of their own, a maneuver that experts say is clearly legal but has never been utilized with such frequency — and such high stakes. The Michigan Constitution includes an indirect initiative process allowing legislators to adopt measures initiated by petitions that are signed by at least 8 percent of voters in the state’s last gubernatorial election. And it is one of just two states with a provision expressly prohibiting a gubernatorial veto. I am always amazed when our legislators want to use “loopholes” to get around the checks and balances that have been put into our constitutions. In this case avoiding a veto by Governor Whitmer. I always wonder what they will say when the roles are reversed, and a Democratic majority legislature uses these same tactics to get around a Republican governor’s veto. It is for these same reasons I am not in favor of the Democrats in the U.S Senate trying to develop “loopholes” to get around the senate filibuster rules. They may win the battle, but they will probably lose the war.
What are you doing today to stop violence? What are you doing today to expand mental health services for those in need? What are you doing today to make sure your guns are not are accessible to minors in your household?
Stay Safe. Social Distance. Wear your mask when indoors in public places. Schedule your vaccine and booster.
Orchid of the Day: Mike Garland, Ray Garland, and Tom Izzo-see above story.
Onion of the Day: Mr. James Elliot, a Darwin Award winner. When his 38-caliber revolver failed to fire at his intended victim during a hold-up in Long Beach, California would-be robber did something that can only inspire wonder. He peered down the barrel and tried the trigger again. This time it worked.
Quote of the Day: We’ve struggled to get these guys where they are, and we’re not going to let them fail. We didn’t swallow all that tear gas and be chased around and be sent to jail and into exile and killed, for failure.” Archbishop Desmond Tutu on why it was important to help Nelson Mandella and others to succeed in their leadership roles in South Africa.
Song of the Day: