A Minneapolis Buddhist speaks out

She is an assistant to a Buddhist priest.  This is a portion of her recent talk to a gathering of Buddhists. 

Right now we are witnessing the suffering caused by three poisons–greed, and most vividly anger and ignorance.  Not only in others, but within ourselves as well.  If we can look beyond our anger and ignorance we find the true wisdom that transforms into compassion.

Here in Minnesota, we are seeing that transformation take place:  oneness in action, the interconnectedness of our lives.  In response to the infiltration of 3000 federal ICE agents and the shooting of Renee Good, more than 50,000 marchers braved the brutal winter cold, marching through downtown Minneapolis and refusing to be chilled into silence.  Minnesotans rose up to have a voice.  We saw peace through power in numbers.  The energy was disciplined and organized–a broad coalition of clergy, labor unions, immigrant-rights groups, Indigenous organizers, and everyday Minnesotans demanding justice and accountability.

But tragically, the very next day we were thrown back into the realms of anger and sorrow with yet another senseless killing, that of Alex Pretti.  The community came together again in unity to hold vigils in Alex’s memory and to continue supporting those in need–those living in fear.  A contagious wave of kindness blanketed our communities with care and compassion because our neighbors are living in fear and suffering financially, psychologically, and economically.  The people of Minnesota have channeled their anger into compassionate action.  Neighbors are protecting neighbors, strangers are reaching out with empathy offering every kind of service possible:  groceries, shelter, rides to work, protection for children at bus stops, towing for cars abandoned after abductions, repairing smashed doors, pet care for abandoned animals.  People united in oneness to love and care for each other–remarkable workings of great compassion.

That is a model of behavior that I hope I have the courage to emulate.

You can't farm a data center

Mervin Raudabaugh, Jr., an 86-year-old farmer from Cumberland County, was offered $15 million to sell his farm to data center developers.  He said no.  Instead he put the 261 acre farm into the Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation program, which means it will be farmland in perpetuity.  I know how it works, because we did the same thing to our 23 acre farm.  Raudabaugh received $7,200 per acre to preserve the farm, considerably less than 15 million he was offered.

I like this guy.  They should put up a statue for him.  The people of Silver Spring Township, where the farm is located, are so lucky.  I wish we had more farmers like Mr. Raudabaugh, Jr., and fewer greedy landowners.

Info for this post is from “Farmer Rejects Data Center’s Millions, Preserves His Land,” Lancaster Farming, (Jan. 31, 2026), p. A1, A 7.

America Needs Total, Unfettered Access to Greenland

That was the headline in an article in the Times by Jeff Landry, who is the governor of Louisiana and Trump’s special envoy to Greenland.  Do you catch the arrogance of that statement?  What would Gov. Landry say if Putin said Russia needed unfettered access to Greenland?  What about the Greenlanders?  What about Denmark?

He brings up the Monroe Doctrine.  Really?  President Monroe’s “doctrine” had no legal standing then and doesn’t now.  In fact, if you look at history, the only reason the doctrine worked at all was because of the British navy.

Who the hell does this Jeff Landry think he is?  I know one thing–he is a Trump sycophant.  That certainly comes through in his article in which he praises Trump’s military acuity.

These clowns running this government with no knowledge of history, bluster instead of analysis, no comprehension of how stupid they sound–it makes my head hurt.

More good news from Texas

I’m kind of on a Texas kick, but this was too good not to mention.  Democrat Taylor Rehmet just won a Texas state senate seat in a district that Trump won by 17 points.  

That gerrymandering the Texas Republicans did just might come back to haunt them.  Wouldn’t that just be special.

Turtle rescue in the Gulf of Mexico

Last night I said nasty things about Texas, but tonight I will give some Texas residents a big thumbs up.  Volunteers went down to the beach in the Corpus Christi area and rescued 522 Green Sea Turtles.  The turtles were in a bad way because of the extremely cold weather.  Over 300 were taken to the Texas State Aquarium near Corpus.  Some of the turtles required intubation and specialized care to restart their breathing.

These were not the baby turtles that people often help to reach the ocean before they are gobbled up by gulls.  Some of these turtles were very large indeed.  Great effort.  Great outcome. 

Who wants to live in Texas?

Migration to Texas from other states has fallen for the 3rd year in a row.  In fact, in-migration has sunk to the lowest level since 2005.  The state’s rapid growth is over.  Texas is still getting more in-migration than states like New York and California, but I predict that in just a few years people will start moving out.  

Florida also has seen a major decline of people moving in, even more steep than Texas.  

On the other hand midwestern states have seen an increase in population after years of decline.  Personally, I would much rather live in Atwood, Kansas, or Cozad, Nebraska, than in Dallas or Miami.

Some info for this post is from J; David Goodman and Jeff Adelson, “Trend of Migration to Texas Falls for 3rd Year in a Row,” New York Times, (Jan. 31, 2026), p. A10.

1968 and now

In 1968 the nation was polarized, the National Guard was deployed against demonstrators (remember Kent State), the President abused power and misused federal agencies, campuses were shut down, mass demonstrations occurred, people worried about urban rioting, the cops beat people (remember Chicago), and  our foreign policy was a mess (soldiers were dying every day in Vietnam).

Nonetheless it wasn’t the same.  There was more optimism then.  We believed that state of affairs wouldn’t last.  Things would get better.  And they did. 

Nixon was impeached by congress members from both sides of the aisle.  The war did end.  Women were winning rights.  The Supreme Court ruled that the New York Times had a right to publish the Pentagon Papers.  Roe v. Wade was decided.  And Nixon, for all his chicanery, knew American history, hired some competent people, supported the EPA, never sold presidential pardons, and resigned when he knew it was over.

Today the pessimism is overwhelming.  It is hard to imagine things getting better.  Our business and political leaders lack courage.  The Republican Party has been corrupted.  Much of the media is complicit.  The full force of the national government is used to harass opponents.

Nonetheless, I don’t think it is too late.  I am given hope by those people in Minneapolis out there in bitter cold, united with their neighbors.  All kinds of people, from high school students to retirees.  I think we can still turn this around, but it will take courage and a lot of effort and commitment.