In each of us, there is a garden. Its soil is the clay of our bodies, given to us by our parents. It is watered by our Wellspring and warmed by the Light. When we are born, our garden is a bare plot, devoid of growth — but it is fertile. Whatever is planted there […]
Tag: paladin
How Democracy Works: a Polemic Against Strategic Voting
democracy n.1. A state governed by the majority of its citizens; 2. A belief in political freedom and equality, where every voice is equal There’s been a lot of talk lately about strategic voting. Protest voting. Doesn’t matter which side of the aisle you’re on, this election seems to be careening inexorably towards the most […]
The Land of the Free on the Fourth of July
It was a fine summer day this Fourth of July. Balmy, mid-70s, sunny. Perfect weather, really, for a barbecue, or anything else for that matter. Truly a lovely day for celebrating the birth of the self-ascribed “greatest country in the world.” Yeah, you know what’s coming. Nuncle Jack is here and he has some truth […]
A Conundrum Curtailed: Freedom of Speech and the Rise of Fascism
I don’t need to set this up too much, since I’m sure most of my readers have been following current events. We’re roughly halfway through the primary cycle, and it looks like, barring some kind of intervention, Drumpf is going to be the Republican nominee. It remains to be seen if the vein of hate, […]
An Open Letter to Hillary Clinton
Dear Madame Secretary, By now the shape of this thing should be apparent to you. Your esteemed opponent is surging. He “lost” the first primary by the most razor-thin of margins, and won the second by the largest landslide since JFK. Your lead in the polls in Nevada and nationwide has collapsed. You are constantly […]
I Fear
Tch. Getting my third level of paladin was supposed to make me immune to fear. Yet here we are. I look at the results of the 2015 general election and I feel fear. I look at the subsequent conversations I’ve had with friends and family and I feel fear. I listen to the rhetoric spewed […]
Concerning Paladins
What is a paladin, and why do I call myself one? The origin of the term “paladin” can be found in ancient knightly romances — The Song of Roland, the Arthurian legends, and other tales of valor and chivalry. The original paladins were the companions of Charlemagne; since then, the epithet has come to mean […]