Author: Lake Jackson Citizen

I volunteer as a photographer for our local community theater. I have opinions about politics and believe it should be every American's duty to become informed and participate in the discussion of issues. I began this blog to be able to stay in touch in ways I used to on Facebook. I deleted that account recently and hope to be able to share photographs and information relating to cultural and political events in our community. I am retired after a career in social work and post-secondary education.

A Memorial Day Meditation: Danby White

You see a lot of white marble in Washington, D. C. It has been turned into great buildings and monuments by craft workers of many skills. You see much of it at Arlington National Cemetery and other monuments in and around the national capital. Much of it came from the white marble quarry in Danby, Vermont. One notable example is the Jefferson Memorial. Here is a meditation on the marble from that quarry and its evocations for Memorial Day after a summer trip that took us to both Danby, Vermont and the Arlington National Cemetery.

Danby White

The marble rose from Danby’s depths—alive

with Earth’s fire cooling yet inside its veins.

Now, shaped and polished, carved by craftsmen skilled

in shaping life from stone, returns to shade

the graves of tender men who died before

they lived—the boys whose manhood came with loss

of breath and blood, whose lovers knew but grief

before they knew the grace of tender youth.

A full-bloom rose is carved upon the cold

flat face of polished rock that smoldered once

in fiery caves below the ground that holds

the cold remains of youth who lived and died

unloved. No fragrant flower attends with tears

their passage through these caverns into night.

May 25, 2001

Speaker Pelosi: It’s Time.

I read recently in the New York Times that the president paid no taxes during eight of the ten years from 1985 to 1994 when he was writing off losses of $1.17 billion for the decade. The next day he went to his Twitter account to tell us that it was fake news, of course. Then he went on to say that developers took advantage of laws during that period to take big write-offs. They considered it “sport.”

The day of that report I received a letter from the IRS telling me that I had miscalculated my return for 2018 and that I must send a check for $922.73 by May 27 or pay additional interest and penalties. My underpayment was not the result of sporting the government. I made an honest mistake. My check is already written, sent, and cleared my bank.

What is the word for my mood?

Continue reading “Speaker Pelosi: It’s Time.”

A Lovely Family Could Use a Helping Hand

If you know this family, please consider giving them a hand right now. Our community has benefited so much from their presence. They have given us much in the way of both creativity and service. Now they are fighting an enemy most of us will never have to confront. Your assistance would be well invested.

www.gofundme.com/lefave-family-cancer-defeating-funds

There’s a Fire in the Attic . . .

A month ago I sat in front of the television the better part of the day and watched as the roof and spire of the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris were ravaged by fire. The entire structure, the beautiful windows, and the immense organ whose notes have been measured to reverberate for a full six seconds at the midrange of the scale — all of it was at risk of destruction.

The shock was immediate as the world looked on. As I watched the fire progress, there was among the people of France and around the world a growing sense of foreboding and sorrow as it appeared that it could all be lost. The cathedral represents one of the spiritual and cultural centers of western civilization. It is irreplaceable.

I feel that way every day as I watch Donald Trump go about his work attempting to destroy American democracy. In fact, the cathedral is an apt metaphor for our constitutional democracy. Continue reading “There’s a Fire in the Attic . . .”

Burying Bodies in the Basement Has Never Been So Much Fun

Brazosport Center Stages opened Arsenic and Old Lace last night in the Dow Arena Theater. To be sure, it’s an old play and every community theater has offered it several times in the time most people spend in a single community. But these are days of mobility and rootlessness. Things like “A&OL” given to you by friends of such superb talent is a gift that is settling to the soul.

32755685817_34789424fb_k — Abby and Martha Brewster fuss about in the foreground while Mortimer Brewster places a frantic call to his editor.

Wes Copeland, who doubles as executive director of the Brazosport Center for the Arts and Sciences, assembled and directed a cast of experienced players who share a love of theater, a lot of talent, a joy in giving it to their friends, and . . . well, that’s about it. Beyond those qualities held in common, they represent the spectrum of businesses, trades and professions that make up a village like ours.

In addition to the wonderful performances by Aunt Abby and Aunt Martha, you will be able to see the results of Dr. Einstein’s somewhat sub-standard plastic surgery and you can follow the political and engineering exploits of the brother who thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt. Don’t miss it.

Jonathan Brewster and the result of the plastic surgeries performed by Dr. Herman Einstein. Don’t tell him he reminds you of someone you’ve seen in a movie.

Teddy Brewster – off to finish the Panama Canal

Reservations are available for performances Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons through May 5 at this link. Laughter is very necessary to your health and well-being. Works better than elderberry wine.

More photos from the dress rehearsal may be viewed on the Flickr site. If you buy a ticket you will see completed costumes, makeup and set.

Recommended: Thomas Friedman in the New York Times on Immigration Policy

Thomas Friedman wrote an excellent review of immigration problems, procedures and policies for the New York Times in this morning’s edition. It is listed as an opinion piece but Friedman always writes from a background of solid reporting and this piece provides a comprehensive review of the current situation at the southern border and the likelihood of future developments if we do nothing to change.

Fans of the president may not get beyond his endorsement of the need for physical barriers. That is unfortunate because he makes the point that a wall alone accomplishes little or nothing. However, he also describes places where physical barriers have worked to the advantage of communities on both sides of the border allowing commerce to thrive and homeowners to enjoy their property.

Federal employees whose job it is to enforce our rag-tag immigration policies are underfunded and tasked with carrying out unenforceable laws. Comments you are likely to encounter on FB often present our choice as being between open borders and building a wall. Not so. Life is so much more complicated than that and it gets more complicated the longer we ignore the real problems we share with our neighbors.

(The Friedman article is here. If you cannot read it from this link, you may have to subscribe to the NY Times. Maybe it’s time to throw your support to good journalism.)