Trail West Dispatch #5

 

Trail West Dispatch #5                                                                             October 4, 2025

“Remember professional ethics.  When political leaders set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become more important.  It is hard to subvert a rule-of-law state without lawyers, or to hold show trials without judges.  Authoritarians need obedient civil servants, and concentration camp directors seek businessmen interested in cheap labor.”                   –Timothy Snyder

Several weeks ago, the US president asked Todd Arrington, the director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, KS to surrender a sword that had been given to the former president.  The sword was to be a gift to King Charles of England.  The director refused, explaining that the artifacts in the museum’s possession belonged to the American people, and he had no authority to give them away.  This week the director resigned, after being given the ultimatum of resigning or being fired by order of “higher ups,” * despite having had many commendations for his outstanding work performance in the past.  I see the director’s actions as being consistent with remembering the importance of professional ethics and just practice.    

In the past, if Arrington had given away the sword, he might have been “punished” by someone answering to the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, the body charged with coordinating oversight of federal agencies. ** This Council helped ensure that civil servants obey the law.  This week, however, the Council had its Congress-approved funding cut off, forcing its closure.  This is a negative example being set by political leaders in the regime, and no amount of professional ethics practiced by agency personnel can compensate for it.  Dilemmas like this play out repeatedly for civil servants, of late. 

Snyder especially notes the important role played by people in the legal profession.  In doing so, he names one of the three kinds of work that originally made up the “professions:” law, medicine, and theology.  The list has grown over time, and today it normally includes other kinds of work that require extensive training, hands-on or in a classroom.  Snyder mentions civil servants and businessmen. Law enforcement, the military, journalism, and education could be added.  Together with occupations that are common in our brotherhood--trades, services, agriculture, and technology--professional ethics matter in every case. 

Ideally, each of us is guided first by our faith commitments, and second by established ethics for our chosen “profession.”  To some extent, we should also familiarize ourselves with the ethics that apply in realms of activity outside of our own.  Without this awareness, we are too easily deceived, and we may believe, act on, and pass on deceptions.  Ethics are particularly relevant in the media world, in which many of us participate as consumers.  Painstaking accuracy in reporting is called for—with data gleaned from and confirmed by multiple sources (or objective proof is available), where uncertainties are acknowledged as such, and where opinions are clearly separated from reporting.  Errors are promptly acknowledged and corrected, and ethics are not compromised, even under direct threats or other pressure.

For the TWD, I am purposely not representing it as a news reporting effort because I cannot meet the exacting journalism profession standards of reporting, although I typically honor the “multiple source” standard.  The opinions expressed grow out of who I am, who and what I care about and what I have learned.  They are aligned with my faith profession and the expectations within our brotherhood. No other “profession” is claimed, but ethics are always prioritized because being faithful to Jesus requires it.

Today I am grateful for each person who stands against tyranny by honoring professional ethics. I pray that all of us find grace to go beyond professional ethics to bring Christian virtue and the way of Jesus to every attitude, every encounter, and every task of life, especially in our occupations.     –Miriam Iwashige

The first two links are related to events at the Eisenhower Library and Museum:

*https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/military-history/2025/10/03/head-of-eisenhower-library-forced-out-after-sword-spat-with-trump/

**https://www.nextgov.com/digital-government/2025/10/government-watchdog-websites-go-dark-omb-withholds-funds-ig-committee/408524/

This link refers to a recent event in Chicago which involved many violations of law enforcement ethics:

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-border-patrol-raid-sweeps-citizens-families-chicago-crackdown-intensifies-2025-10-04/

This is an article about “bright lines.”  It was written by a Christian writer and researcher whom I appreciate, Robert P. Jones.

https://open.substack.com/pub/robertpjones/p/all-the-bright-lines-behind-us?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Trail West Dispatch #4

Trail West Dispatch #4                                                                      September 27, 2025

“Take responsibility for the face of the world.  The symbols today enable the reality of tomorrow.  Notice the swastikas and the other signs of hate.  Do not look away, and do not get used to them. Remove them yourself, and set an example for others to do so.”                                                    --Timothy Snyder

Making sense of these instructions for our time is challenging, even if we understand the two examples that Snyder used:  1.  On the way to collectivizing all farm property, Stalin’s government posters depicted wealthy farmers as pigs (thus destined for slaughter). 2.  On the way to having Jews sent to gas chambers, Hitler first imposed a label on all Jewish-owned businesses.  But what parallels do we have now in America?  Which faces of today’s world should we take responsibility for?

We find some help when we realize that the word “labels” could likely replace “symbols” as “signs of hate” in Snyder’s writing.  I remembered Arthur’s sentiments, when he said in church several years ago that he and others were trying hard to avoid using the term “homeless” when speaking of those they hoped to serve at the Coffee Corner. This serves as an example of what it means to take responsibility for the face of the world as it relates to people who lack housing. To some, “homeless” means “evil or unworthy.”

Consider these recent events as an illustration of the harm that can come to people who have been indicted by their “homeless” label.  In Washington, D. C. in August 2025, it began in earnest with words like this, coming from the chief executive of the US: "The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY." "We will use every tool... to get the homeless off our streets." He called the city a "wasteland" of "tents, squalor, filth, and Crime". He linked the homeless to disorder by lumping them in with “drugged-out maniacs.”  After this, signs went up, and the National Guard and the bulldozers and garbage trucks went to work.  The White House now boasts of having “already purged roughly 70 tent encampments from the Washington area,” adding the warning that those who do not go to shelters “will face punishment in the form of fines and jail time.”  Jails and shelters are already overcrowded, and basic living expenses cannot be covered with funds from a fulltime minimum-wage job.  When we use the word “homeless” carelessly, some people will mentally connect the term with what has happened in D. C. and assume that we approve. 

The inhumane process that begins with labeling has been going on in the US far too long.  Examples:  Label immigrants as criminals, rapists, gang members, and vermin, and thus any brown or black person who speaks with an accent can be abducted without warrants—by people wearing masks and no identification, incarcerated in inhumane conditions with no access to legal counsel or the courts and no contact with their families, and finally, be disappeared or deported to unknown destinations.  Label occupants of small fishing boats as drug smugglers (Venezuelans), and the US miliary can destroy them with missiles, leaving no evidence behind.  Label comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s show as making "a major illegal campaign contribution" and his media host faces a lawsuit and threats of having their FCC license revoked.  Label a former FBI chief (James Comey) a “dirty cop” because he uncovered evidence of Russian campaign interference, and an indictment follows, along with “I hope there will be many others.” Label any person or group as a criminal or terrorist or being guilty of defamation--if they are perceived as an enemy, and the force of law (or at least an executive order) can be brought down on that person or group.  Antifa (anti-fascist) is the latest example, despite no organized group like that existing. 

Christians know that love is paramount, and using labels that intend harm is not loving.  Furthermore, when we internalize dehumanizing labels, our conscience is damaged, and Jesus’ name suffers reproach.

Page 2

Note:  I am not committed to making a second page a regular feature of this column, but I didn’t want anyone to miss out on the article linked here, written by a member of our church’s leadership team.  Feel free to alert me if you’d like to highlight your own writing or you’d like to elevate the writing of someone else.

***********

Here is a recent article written by Ellis Miller, shared here by permission.  https://tinyurl.com/MourningKirkAndAnabaptists

Trail West Dispatch #3

 

Trail West Dispatch #3                                                                     September 20, 2025

“Beware the one-party state.  The parties that remade states and suppressed rivals were not omnipotent from the start.  They exploited a historic moment to make political life impossible for their opponents.  So support the multi-party system and defend the rules of democratic elections. . ..”             –Timothy Snyder

How can people who eschew partisan politics support the multi-party system?  How can they defend the rules of democratic elections?  What does it look like for political life to become “impossible?”  Perhaps a needful first step is to understand how a one-party state looks and what is at stake when one party in a nation controls all the major levers of power.  Consider that many authoritarian states have come into being via elections resulting in one-party control of the government. In the absence of a moral compass, many checks and balances can fall. I believe this is the reason for Snyder’s caution. 

In the US, a one-party state might look exactly like what we have now since the president’s party has a majority in both houses of Congress, and a majority on the Supreme Court.  The Judicial Branch has historically not been included when the US has been described as temporarily being a one-party state—because it was believed to be largely non-partisan.  That assumption probably needs to change, however, because of a significant ruling issued on July 1, 2024 about the January 6 insurrection, which gave the president immunity from criminal prosecution for most actions taken while in office. Among those who lamented this decision which seemed to suggest that the president can commit crimes with impunity were some of the most respected conservative lawyers in the country.  For this ruling and for other reasons (e. g. partisan manipulation of the appointment process), the Supreme Court is widely regarded as having lost its non-partisan characteristic.  The nine members of the court are made up of a 6-3 conservative majority.

While one-party control of the executive and legislative branches is not a new phenomenon, partisan divisions have sharpened markedly in the 21^st Century.  I concur with others who see that bipartisan support for congressional action is increasingly rare, as are decisions made with moral clarity to benefit the common good. Party loyalty too often reigns supreme. Also, under this regime, many government servants formerly considered non-partisan because they served administrations from both major parties (ambassadors, for example) have been replaced by loyalists.  This extends the reach of the party in power.

Every political figure is created in the image of God, and is thus deserving of respect, but remember that the entire political arena has minimal overlap with the Kingdom of God. While a political entity might at times do the right thing, none can consistently do God’s will. Unwavering loyalty to it is thus a mistake. 

Instead, keep on showing up on the side of right conduct, even when it antagonizes the party in power, praying for courage to do this. Never justify hatred or violence or consider anyone deserving of them.

Be a discerning witness.  Are the rules of democratic elections being defended?  Is political life becoming impossible for one party?  Observe carefully, document data if necessary, compare observations with Scriptural imperatives and Jesus’ example, praying as Jesus taught us to pray.  If you speak about what you see, do so honestly, even if it means naming wrongdoing in people who are part of the party with which you identify most readily—and sometimes even if it means kindly countering your friends and family.  Being peaceable is important, but saying “peace, peace when there is no peace” is neither righteous nor just—two concepts that are often paired in Scripture.

“. . . Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. . ..”                  --Miriam Iwashige

Trail West Dispatch #2

 

Trail West Dispatch #2                                                                       September 13, 2025

“Defend Institutions.  It is institutions that help us to preserve decency.  They need our help as well. . .. Institutions do not protect themselves.  They fall one after the other unless each is defended from the beginning.  So choose an institution you care about . . . and take its side.”           --Timothy Snyder                                                                                                         

Churches, marriages, families, banks, courts, and media outlets all either represent organizations or long-standing established practices and traditions, thus fitting the definition of “institution.”  None of us could thrive in a society without institutions because chaos would prevail.  What happens after they have already failed is a topic for another column, but keeping institutions alive is today’s focus.

At the behest of the US government, many institutions are currently under attack.  Media outlets and universities that are critical of the regime are sued, and often the target settles out of court by capitulating.  Private companies that want government contracts have been asked to sign over a percentage of the company’s ownership under the terms of the contract.  Government-run agencies like prisons and social services are increasingly placed into the hands of for-profit companies.  Election interferences and gerrymandering are stripping away power from large groups of citizens.  Entire government departments and agencies are eliminated, and others are diminished to the point of being ineffective. The promised cost savings have yet to materialize.  In some cities in Democratic states, local law enforcement officials are being pushed aside by federal military personnel who take charge. 

If any of these attacks on institutions ever provoke a violent confrontation, almost certainly the federal government will use it as a pretext for a major crackdown.  This pattern of humbling or smacking down institutions reflects what has arguably happened in every nation that has descended into tyranny.  For that reason alone, this trend should concern us, but the bigger reason for concern is the suffering that is inflicted on innocent people when these institutions no longer function to serve the common good.

Snyder apparently believes that seeking justice through the courts is necessary if institutions are to be defended.  This is likely consistent with his Quaker upbringing, but less so for us.  Indeed, judicial institutions are often cited currently as the best hope for stemming the tide of an authoritarian takeover, but court action is usually slow, and the outcome is uncertain.  Lawmaking bodies like Congress could help hold back the downhill slide, but the will of the majority in Congress to do so is lacking. 

“We the people” is frequently cited as another hope for stemming the march toward authoritarianism. Many of us, however, look at the enormity of the task of defending institutions and feel that our efforts will make no difference.  Paralysis can set in.  A better way is to do whatever small thing that is in our power to do.  Coupled with prayer and great faith, these acts can bring about significant change.  Start close to home, in families, churches, and communities. Pay for subscriptions to the work of truth tellers and buy from local farms and businesses.  Visit public parks and thank everyone who serves the public.

Most importantly, pray. Atypical prayers won’t shock our Heavenly Father.  Sample: “Lord, please seal our lips if we are ever tempted to justify the destruction of good institutions.  Please keep the US Postal Service and the National Weather Service afloat, and help the government to be able to keep people safe and to protect public health.  We pray that roads would be repaired when needed and that the electricity would stay on.  Keep safeguards in place to keep the country from going to war or from attacking its own people.  Help the government to prioritize good stewardship of natural resources—above short-term financial gain for powerful business interests. We pray that small hospitals could stay open and that everyone who works hard could make a decent living, especially those who provide food, clothing, or shelter for others.  We pray that social services would function well to provide aid to those in need, both here and abroad.  Please make decent housing affordable.  Protect people of faith from interference with the free exercise of it.  In every place, in the media, in universities, in museums and libraries, in independent journalism, allow truth and righteousness to prevail over lies and evil.”   –Miriam Iwashige

Trail West Dispatch #1

Here is the first column in the Trail West Dispatch series.  The target audience is people who attend the same church as I do.  I just sent out the fifth column, and am posting previous columns here in case late subscribers wish to read columns they missed when they were initially published.  

In an introductory letter to people at church, I wrote that the first number of columns will draw writing prompts from chapter titles in Timothy Snyder's book On Tyranny.  New columns typically publish on Saturday evening.

*************

Trail West Dispatch #1                                                                       September 6, 2025

“Do not obey in advance.  Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given.  In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.” -Timothy Snyder

Most of us understand that a Democracy or a Republic is a government that differs from Communism (Russia), pre-WW2 Fascism (Italy), Nazism (Germany) and Imperialism (Japan).  “Tyranny” is a feature of every government system in the second list.  It is a cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary use of power or control.  None of us idealizes tyrannical forms of government.  They violate Christian norms on every hand, and often cause great suffering.  Yet, the United States looks less and less like the Democratic Republic envisioned and installed by the founders; and it has a growing number of tyrannical features. Timothy Snyder wants us to resist this trend, which he summarizes under the term “authoritarianism.”

“Do not obey in advance” sounds like good advice, and certainly seems like a better option than resisting the trend by breaking existing laws.   Acting on several related imperatives seems even better–all of which can be pursued outside of any kind of government structures without breaking laws.  
1.  Decide in advance that only God will have your absolute loyalty and obedience.  
2.  Do not try to ingratiate yourselves in any way with a corrupt ruler, including by obeying in advance.
3.  Never excuse or justify evil, especially when it occurs in the pursuit of power.  
4.  Seek to bring about change by loving and serving the people around you, as Jesus did.  
5.  Guard against “the deceitfulness of riches.”
6.  Pray.

The historical record from 1933-1945 does not cast the German Mennonites in a favorable light, partly because of how they failed in some of the above areas.  They chose loyalty to and complicity with Hitler, whose evil cruelty is legendary.  As Aryans (white non-Jewish), Mennonites were not in danger of being dehumanized and targeted for extermination.  Perhaps this favored racial identity gave them an inflated sense of their own virtue and entitlement, completely clouding their vision.

Germany had been humiliated and impoverished by being forced to pay steep reparations (for wartime destruction) after they were defeated in WW1.  Hitler was lawfully elected, promising to make the country prosperous and powerful again.  This appealed to the Mennonites, as it did to many other Germans.  Things fell apart swiftly, or came together beautifully, depending on one’s perspective. “[T]hrough constitutional means. . . Hitler systematically disabled and then dismantled his country’s democratic structures and processes” within 53 days. 

A group of Mennonites wrote a letter to Hitler in 1933, thanking him “for the powerful revival that God has given our nation through your energy, and [they promised] joyful cooperation in the upbuilding of our Fatherland through the power of the Gospel, faithful to the motto of our forefathers: No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ.”  

Hitler wrote back and thanked them “For your loyalty and your readiness to cooperate in the upbuilding of the German nation . . .”

Other Christians, Hutterites among them, did not fare well under Hitler.  Many of them fled Germany, and most of those left behind were persecuted.  I am not aware that Mennonites ever used their voice to reprove Hitler or to defend the Jews, some of whom died near the homes and fields of German Mennonites, either in concentration camps or in portable gas chamber vans that traveled throughout the countryside.  This sobering record of complicity with an evil ruler, which was fueled by a desire for prosperity, prominence, and power should prompt deep reflection and humility for the American Mennonites of 2025.

Response to a Private Message

I decided to post here a response that I sent to someone who sent me a private message on Facebook in relation to something I had posted earlier. It came from an account with both a man and a woman's name on it. It was so heavily encrypted, or perhaps so hemmed in by privacy measures, that I could learn nothing about the sender of the message by checking the FB profile. I have made a few edits and additions to the original reply.

*********

First, I'd like to know whether the person writing here is [husband] or [wife]. Since I believe that what I'm saying could be said to either one of you, I'll go ahead in spite of this uncertainty for now.

"I'd encourage you to do a little more research . . ." Let me assure you first that I know how to do research. I've submitted many research projects to teachers of college classes, and gotten approving feedback and good grades for it. I've also taught many high school language arts classes, including teaching students how to do research. For a number of years, I was in charge of crafting a bi-monthly school-wide research project on current events. That's when I first started really paying attention to current events. I retired from teaching in 2018. After that I had a lot more time to read and study to my heart's content.

I have developed and taught high school courses on Anabaptist History. IOW, I know our history in relation to political involvement, and I know that much of what I see now is a radical departure from that good tradition. This is a great grief to me.

I too grew up in a family with strong opinions and spirited debate. We're a diverse group today (12 children), but all of us have high regard for how our parents (and even our grandparents and great grandparents) modeled a life of curiosity about current events and issues, and took a highly principled stand in relation to what was going on in the world. My grandfather, Ananias J. Beachy, for example, was jailed during WW1 for refusing to buy war bonds. He was not disobeying the law, but public sentiment was so strong that anyone who stood for the principle of nonresistance in that way was seen as a collaborator with the enemy.

My Amish great grandfather, Jonas Beachy, subscribed to the Kansas City Star, the biggest daily paper in the region (he lived in Iowa), and it was said in his obituary that he saw great value in knowing what was going on in the world, or else we would not be able "to discern the times."

My father, David L. Miller, left his tracks on every Beachy board (except AMA), since he was a founding member of all of them. He was on a number of inter-Mennonite and community "founding boards" as well. He attended college as an Old Order young man and was ordained to the ministry in the OO church after that. He was a teacher at Calvary Bible School and a regular columnist for Calvary Messenger. I don't say this because I want you to be awed by any of it. I'm saying it to emphasize what I will say next.

I'm sorry to be so blunt, but what you're saying to me tells me that you have not taken time to really hear from me in order to learn. You're listening just long enough to get an idea for how to set me straight from your "superior position and knowledge." For example, I don't know how many times I've explained why I don't vote, and still feel called to speak truth publicly, even when it involves topics like politics that people have strong opinions on. You either did not read that or didn't understand what you read. I'll just point you for now to things that I've already written, and to the example in Scripture of people who spoke prophetically, and the Lord blessed their ministry. My Facebook posts have always been public, so you can go back as far as you want to see earlier posts. I haven't posted much on my blog for some time, but there's a long series on my blog about some of the same topics that I've been writing about on FB of late. My blog address is miriamiwashige.blogspot.com. You can enter a search term there in order to find posts on a particular topic.

I've also said a lot about media consumption in the past. You don't seem to understand where I'm coming from on that front either. Your reference to my "preferred political candidate" is another case in point. I don't have a preferred political candidate except "anyone other than Trump." I know that Biden is old and that he has ailments. I also know that there's much more to learn about this than whether or not he has dementia and whether he should continue to be the candidate. I reference some of what happened in my parents' final years when I evaluate what I see in Biden. Some of it is cautionary, and some of it makes me want to counter the "panic." In short, what you seem so confident of from your sources (that he has dementia--end of story) differs from what some other credible sources are saying, so I'm reserving "judgement" on that for now, and praying for the Lord's will to be done. It will make no difference in my vote (because I won't vote, of course).

I sense that you also might have "prophetic" motivations. Believe me, I know how hard it is to function appropriately in a Beachy setting with such a motivation, especially for women. I'm sure that you know that speaking prophetically means "speaking truth" as much as it means "fore telling." A commitment to speak only truth takes deep humility and a willingness to keep your mouth shut until the Lord pries your lips open with truths that compel others to fall down and worship the God of the Universe. All gifts are given for the edifying of the body of Christ, and putting prophetic gifts on parade for other reasons is counter-productive at best. Opinions on politics are a dime a dozen, and I personally don't think sharing my opinions (or yours) benefits anyone very much--only calling people to faithful living in relation to the claims of God on one's life.

I also realize that speaking prophetically in a God-honoring way means to stay far away from gaslighting. I'm not sure where the term for this manipulative maneuver originated, but I picture it as flooding the area with inflammatory gases and then blaming innocent people for starting a fire if they stroll into the room, bringing a charge of static electricity with them, which causes an explosion. In other words, I dare not spread toxicity or lies and then blame people for causing a problem when they disagree with me.

This leads me to one topic on which I would be glad to hear from you again: How do you look to Scripture and especially to the way of Jesus to guide your ideals as it relates to promoting the growth of the Kingdom of God--today, in America, in this political morass? I still feel a deep need to learn in this area, and I would be glad to learn from you.

After you have familiarized yourself further with what I have already written, I would be glad to communicate on other topics as well.

Please communicate with me by email in the future. My address is miriam@iwashige.com. If I knew your email address, I would be happy to let you continue to write via Messenger, but I want to respond by email.

One more thing: I plan to travel to my sister's place in Oregon for a time of fellowship with my siblings and their spouses, leaving on Tuesday and coming back the following Monday. Since I'll be away from my computer, it's not likely that I'll be very reachable electronically during that time.

Blessings on your walk with God.

A Total Eclipse

The only bad part of viewing the eclipse totality in Morrilton, Arkansas was getting out of the state afterward. We left our viewing site at 3:15 PM and reached our home 11 hours later, at 2:15 AM. Interstate 40 was jammed full, and traffic moved most of the time at less than 20 MPH. We began to travel at normal speeds only after we left Interstate 40 for Interstate 49, which took us north into Missouri instead of further west into Oklahoma.

I think everyone struggles to explain the magic of an eclipse totality experience. Perhaps it's partly because we never otherwise find ourselves in the middle of an all-encompassing familiar environment, when the natural order of things suddenly goes off the rails. Yet the abnormal is itself completely natural. Words do not easily shape themselves around such realities.

Something about all that reminds us of how precious it is to serve an unchangeable God of order, who nevertheless delights in giving us special gifts and unmerited favor. And so, for me, traveling to witness a total solar eclipse, once in a lifetime, made perfect, logical sense. The fact that we could do it together with a host of friends and relatives made it a special treasure. Many of us "moteled" at my brother's house in SE Kansas, which made possible breaking the trip into two hitches of roughly equal length.

Five of us siblings were together, along with some of our children, grandchildren, and assorted nieces and nephews and their children, and a friend/relative from PA. With some typical last-minute planning, we gathered at the Methodist Missionary Baptist Church, after seeing on the internet that the church youth group was having a welcome party as a fund raiser. With restrooms, concessions, and a bouncy house close by, everyone's needs were easy to satisfy.

We lined up our lawn chairs on the sidewalks on the north side of the church and spread our quilts on the grassy level area. Our cars were nearby in the parking lot. A low curb at the edge of the grassy area separated it from a steeply sloping hill down to the parsonage below. The city of Morrilton nestled into the valley.

Besides keeping an eye on the toddlers who seemed inordinately inclined to cavort near the curb, and passing the babies from one set of welcoming arms to the next, we oohed and aahed every time we got out of our chairs and aimed our dark-glasses-clad faces toward the sun. I made sure I stood next to a sturdy flagpole while I tipped my head back and searched blindly for the only brilliance to shine out of the darkness. Between times, I also eavesdropped on the two young men who discussed philosophy next to me.

Breakfast had been served before 5:00 AM, and the mid-morning family rendezvous at my niece's friend's coffee shop en route receded gradually into the background, so a lot of snacking happened too, as well as eating sandwiches from the concession stand.

Near the moment of totality, a giant dimmer switch darkened the sky and hills to the west and the darkness overspread the area. The bird sounds turned to murmurs and then silence. Coolness touched us all. We joined in the applause that erupted from the wider area at the moment of totality. Some of us had tears. Headlights, street lights, and neon lights came on in the town below. Someone quickly threw quilts over the dark-sensing floodlights aimed at the top of the flagpole. Gentle sunset colors piled up near the horizon. The dimmer switch reversed directions and the light returned in the west while darkness faded in the east. Bird calls increased in volume.

In between, at totality (which lasted more than four minutes), we kept looking, again and again, and couldn't stop marveling. Finally, a "gem" appeared to the lower right of the circle (the diamond ring phenomenon), and the brilliance there gradually turned into a short, narrow arc. We kept checking periodically after that, noted the warming temps, and the fading of "golden hour," and eventually began to load things into our vehicles, made one more round to the bathroom, and joined many others for the trek home. *********** I had a chance to travel to Nebraska with others in my family in 2017 when the path of totality occurred there. I had to refuse the opportunity, however, since it was just before school started, and I was too snowed under with getting ready for teaching to make it work. I was a little bit bitter at this necessity, and vowed to see the next eclipse one way or another. I wasn't sure that it would happen though, until Joel's family offered to include me in their travel plans. I rode with them in comfort, but it was a bit of a tight squeeze for them because of me and my luggage. I was sorry about that.

When we left home on Sunday afternoon, high winds picking up topsoil turned the air dirty. I think all of us could begin to relax a bit as soon as we noticed blue sky overhead again, and experienced improved long-distance vision as the air cleared. This happened about halfway to Labette County in SE Kansas where my brother Ronald lives.

The next day we drank in lots of GREEN along the roadsides and in the trees. Obviously, it's been raining somewhere while we're still praying for moisture here.

We felt undeserving of the kindness shown by the folks at the church where we watched the eclipse. I hope they felt rewarded for their welcoming efforts. Traveling to see the eclipse was a very short vacation, but it packed an outsized refreshing wallop to our drought-assaulted souls.

Mysteries of Cross-pollination Between Vine Crops

This will deal only with plants that produce crops that may be commonly called one of the following:  squash, pumpkins, or gourds.  None of them are known to cross-pollinate with melons or cucumbers.  My interest was piqued when Paul Dickens gave me some saved seeds for storage squashes/pumpkins and I planned to grow all of them, believing that none of them would cross-pollinate with the others because they were of different species.  I also bought one packet of Green-striped Cushaw squash seeds from Pinetree Garden Seeds to plant because they were a different species from the ones Paul gave me, and I remembered my mother growing them.  The seed packet had the Latin species name wrong IMHO, and I wrote customer service to ask about it

My plans took on major complications when I got a reply from a customer service person at Pinetree Seeds who referred me to the website linked below. The packet was indeed mislabeled.  It's the only familiar squash in that group, and the group used to be called mixta and is now called argyrosperma--never pepo.  But the other part of the reply opened a can of worms on which I've just now slammed a lid.  The contact person also told me that ALL the squash-pumpkins-gourds cross-pollinate. Woah!  She should have added [with something else], because it's not quite correct to say that everything cross-pollinates with everything else.  Sorting it out took me way too long, and I'm posting it here so that I'll never need to do it again, and so that others might benefit. 

********** 

 Cross-pollination of Cucurbitae

https://www.morningagclips.com/the-complicated-world-of-cross-pollination/

I had hoped to plant all of these storage squashes together without fear of cross-pollination (because they belonged to different species of the Cucurbitae genus), but realize now that I need to do some regrouping:  

1.  Maxima  (Queensland Blue--stored till May for Paul)

2.  Argyrosperma (formerly Mixta, Green Striped Cushaw)

3.  Moschata  (Neck Pumpkin, AKA known as Dutch Long Neck, like a giant butternut)

4.  Pepo  (Tarahumara--Southwest Indian Winter Squash--drought tolerant, and the best one of all for Kansas, according to Paul Dickens' experimentation last year, pick at 90% green stage, stores for 6-12 months)

From the website:

"Focusing on the Cucurbita genus, there are 4 groups of primary interest:

1.  The maxima species, which contains winter squash, buttercup squash, banana squash, and some pumpkins*
2.  The argyrosperma species (formerly known as mixta), which contains the cushaw pumpkin [please note that no other member of this species is commonly grown].
3.  The moschato [sic] species, which is the butternut squash group
4.  The pepo species is a large group containing summer squash, acorn squash, most of the pumpkins, zucchini and spaghetti squash."  

*I'm adding North Georgia Candy Roaster to this list since it was highly recommended by Barbara Pleasant, one of my favorite garden writers.  It is a banana type.  I have not delved at all into which categories that individual pumpkin varieties belong to.  

Main takeaway from website:  " . . . [P]epo can cross with argyrosperma and moschato [sic], and moschato [sic] will cross with maxima."

Personal Notes on Main Takeaway:  

All of this information is relevant only if you want to save seeds from what you grow, and if you want the crops grown from saved seeds to be like last year's crop (the one from which you saved seeds).  

First Group which will cross-pollinate: (Pepo, Argyrosperma, Moschata)

--Zucchini and most summer squash (yellow crookneck, scallop/pattypan) are pepo. Some winter squash are also pepo (acorn squash, most pumpkins, and spaghetti squash).  1.  Seed saving is not recommended when any two of the pepo are grown close together.  To summarize, don't grow any summer squash, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, or most pumpkins in the same vicinity if you want to save seeds.  This is not new information to most of us--especially as it relates to summer squash.  

2.  What is new for some of us is that we shouldn't grow anything in this pepo group with Cushaw (Argyrosperma).

--Cushaw with the Butternut  squash group would be a problem too.   Green-striped Cushaw and Neck Pumpkin, for example.

Second Group which will cross-pollinate: (Moschata and Maxima)
A parallel to thinking of Moschata as the butternut squash group is that Maxima may be thought of as the ButterCUP squash group--which contains many pumpkin-shaped fruits, but also some banana-shaped ones.

1.  Don't plant together any two from the same group if you hope to save seeds.  This is not new to most of us.

--Avoid planting butternut squash and neck pumpkin (both Moschata) together.
--Avoid planting North Georgia Candy Roaster, Banana Squash and Queensland Blue Squash together (all Maxima).

2.  Seed saving is not recommended when Moschata and Maxima are grown together.  What follows may be new to some of us:

--Avoid planting butternut squash or neck pumpkin (both Moschata) with North Georgia Candy Roaster, Banana Squash or Queensland Blue Squash or any Buttercup squash and many pumpkins (all Maxima).

GREEN LIGHT ON THESE COMBINATIONS:

1.  Pepo (big family!) and Maxima (Buttercup and banana types, and some pumpkins) CAN be combined because they will NOT cross-pollinate.  Examples:  

A.  Tarahumara (pepo) and Queensland Blue (maxima)

B.  Tarahumara (pepo) and North Georgia Candy Roaster.(maxima). 

2.  Argyrosperma (Green-striped Cushaw) and Maxima can be combined.

A.  Cushaw (argyrosperma) and North Georgia Candy Roaster or banana squash (Maxima) can be combined.

B.. Cushaw (argyrosperma) and Queensland Blue (maxima) can be combined.

Final simplification for my purposes:

Of my original selected storage varieties, It WILL work to plant one of these combinations if I plant none of the others nearby:*

A.  Tarahumara (pepo) and Queensland Blue (maxima)

                      or

B.  Tarahumara (pepo) and North Georgia Candy Roaster (maxima)

                       or

C. Cushaw (pepo) and North Georgia Candy Roaster (maxima)

                       or

D. Cushaw (Argyrosperma) and Queensland Blue (maxima)

*It would also work to plant any summer squash (pepo) with a maxima (like Queensland Blue).  

*****************                                          

It will NOT work to plant Neck Pumpkin with any of the other storage squash because it is a Moschata, which will cross-pollinate with pepo (Tarahumara), argyrosperma (Green-striped Cushaw), and maxima (Queensland Blue).  

It also will not work to plant neck pumpkin (moschato) with any of the summer squash (pepo) because those two groups will cross-pollinate.

***********

All this make the price of new seeds look really reasonable.  

What we might consider is recruiting a small group of gardeners to each plant one of the combinations that will work, and then to share fruits and seeds with all the others.  

News Roundup on February 10, 2024

 Here is something that I posted on Facebook several days ago.  One person who commented said that I should start a blog. She is not part of my religious/cultural tribe, but finds much common ground with me in matters of faith applied to current issues.  I didn't tell her that I already have a blog, but I did heed the memory prompt to post here some of what I also post on Facebook.  

I'm sure that there is quite a lot of overlap in the reading audiences for the blog and Facebook, and I apologize for what probably seems like bombardment--especially if you are on a different wave length than I am.  

********

Miriam Iwashige

  · 

Shared with Public

I'm writing this primarily for people from my "tribe" who may have limited exposure to current realities on the national scene. What is happening right now with the bill about the border/aid to Ukraine-Israel-and-others is deeply distressing to me.

As background, you should know that everyone agrees that things have been chaotic at the southern border and something needs to change. This has been a reality under every administration for the past few decades at least. Also, you should know that a large majority of Americans are in favor of giving aid to Ukraine in their resistance to a Russian invasion. I'm not sure on how things stand in public perception with regard to aiding Israel, but such aid has "always" been assumed to be forthcoming from the US when Israel has been under attack.

One more crucial element of the current situation is that a number of months ago, Republican extremists in Congress (HOR) loudly insisted that no more aid should be given to Ukraine and Israel until the southern border problem has been solved. Under President Biden's initiative, a group of three people promptly came together to come up with a bipartisan proposal. The group included one Democrat, one Republican, and one Independent. The Republican was Senator Lankford from OK, whose Conservative credentials have never been in question. Kyrsten Sinema (I) from AZ was another member of the group.

After four months of work, the committee rolled out a proposal that included almost everything the Republicans wanted and addressed much of what the Democrats wanted (although it omitted giving "Dreamers" a path to citizenship), but a short while before the content of the bill was even public, Trump began to contact Republican congresspersons to ask they they not vote in favor of the bill because he needed to be able to highlight the chaos at the border to bolster his appeal during his presidential campaign. Right now it looks as though the bill is dead, since the Republican Speaker of the House says that he will not allow the bill to reach the floor for a vote.

Voices from major conservative media outlets applaud the bill. They reiterate that Republicans made a demand, the demand was met, and now they say, in effect, "Just kidding." People who study such things say that the bill before them is almost certainly the best immigration bill that Republicans will ever see.

Let that soak in. Ukraine doesn't get help. Israel doesn't get help. Taiwan doesn't get help. All of these countries are under threat from Communist governments or terrorist organizations. The border chaos continues. This is the case despite the fact that this is not what a majority of Americans want, inside Congress or outside of it--but it's what Trump wants for his own selfish purposes. That this is how public policy in national and international affairs is being made is mind boggling, but it's not as mind boggling as what I see in the unquestioning loyalty that is being offered to Trump.

Meanwhile, Tucker Carlson jets off to Moscow to meet with Putin--who has so far refused to meet with almost all foreign journalists. Several American journalists are imprisoned in Russia. Trump also would be welcome in Putin's presence, it seems, based on what we know of Putin and Trump's cozy relationship in the past.

On other fronts--

An appeals court ruled yesterday that Trump does not have presidential immunity from criminal charges.

An (HOR) impeachment vote yesterday targeting the Secretary of Homeland Security (Mayorkas) narrowly failed. It was initiated by Republicans who pinned the blame for "border problems" on him. Never mind that what he asked for and needed to enforce existing laws was routinely denied him by the same political machinery that became galvanized in the impeachment effort and now in the opposition to address border problems.

One more thing--which I find especially preposterous. Background: The Kansas City Chiefs are headed to the Super Bowl. One of their star players, Travis Kelce, recently began a romantic relationship with Taylor Swift, the singer/entertainer who is arguably at the top of the pile in that world. The "preposterous thing" associated with these well-known celebrities is a conspiracy theory that posits that the Chiefs' and Swift's ascendancy has been orchestrated by "the deep state" for purposes designed to promote the election of Democrats. If you've never heard this, I'm sorry for inserting it into your consciousness. I'm doing it for the sake of disabusing those who have heard it and believed it. End of Facebook quote. One person said in a comment that Biden didn't need a new law--if only he had enforced the already-existing laws. This was my response:

"______________which laws, specifically, has Biden not enforced? Are you certain that enforcing these laws would solve the border problem?

Why did the Republicans insist on tying new border legislation to aid for other countries? It appears to me that they saw a need for a new law--until they didn't.

I'm troubled about framing this as being what "Biden" needed or did not need. Seeing the issue through the lens of political gain or loss for anyone seems to me to be a fundamentally flawed approach.

Please also become informed about how the current amnesty process is broken, how much-needed migrant labor (as well as highly-skilled labor--think foreign students) is often unavailable under current law, how a lack of funding to hire personnel hampers processing and enforcement, how overly-onerous legal pathways to immigration have become, and how much our country actually stands to benefit economically (and otherwise) from immigrant contributions. In each of these areas, effective existing law seems to me to be lacking or insufficient for addressing the problems. Anyone who values Christian compassion, or even humanitarian impulses should also consider how present laws are working by these measures."

In yet another comment, in response to someone else who marveled at the hold that Trump seems to have on people, I wrote this:

_________ "I still marvel at the hold he has on people." Do you think there might be more than "normal" factors involved--as in supernatural, demonic influences? To me, normal factors include thinking--rational vs. irrational, past experience--learning vs. failing to learn, listening--to THIS voice vs. THAT voice, attitudes toward others--open-heartedness vs. animosity, approach to life--courage vs. fearfulness, Jesus--commitment to Him vs. having no commitment, perspective on "common virtue"--loyalty to widely-held values over a long period of time vs. sudden and thorough abandonment of such values . . . . Generally, I think people who make it into leadership positions are there because they tend toward the "good" side of the good vs. bad continuum. I don't see much that seems "normal" in the Trump loyalty phenomenon though. Is there a better explanation than "supernatural, demonic influence" for this abnormality? I wish there were, and would welcome help in reaching a more hopeful understanding.

********* Since then I have posted this:

"Ageism: prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person's age." (Google search page). Perhaps this is as good a time as any to open the can of worms in relation to this issue. I'm not ready at this point to do much more than to acknowledge that we often struggle to get "ageing" exactly right for ourselves and others. Also, I'm sure that ageism is a bad thing.

What do you think? Have you ever seen ageism? Do young people inevitably see ageing differently than older people? What are the social/cultural factors that influence people's ideas about ageing? What do we learn from scientific inquiry and what do we observe personally? Why are discussions about ageing often conflictive? End of FB quote.

Comments on this are still coming in. One of the interesting ideas I've heard for the first time is that healthy ageing involves developmental maturity (I suppose this means as opposed to arrested development at an "immature" stage). I want to explore this further. *********

And this (from a journalist who first caught my eye while I was researching the economic downturn in 2008 to create an all-school study of the then-current economic situation):

Fareed Zakaria, an immigrant and a political centrist, writes about the USA's problematic amnesty policy:

"Despite what some Republicans claim, Fareed writes, the problem with US immigration is the law itself. Currently, migrants cross the border, make contact with US law enforcement, and claim asylum. They can then remain in the US while their cases are adjudicated by a severely backlogged court system. The Senate compromise included provisions to raise the bar for claiming asylum and to allow the president to deny entry, if a certain number of daily irregular border crossings was met.

"Former President Donald Trump opposed the bill and lobbied GOP lawmakers against it. Fareed argues that their criticism was disingenuous, writing: “The most obvious proof that Trump realizes that this bill would give the administration powerful tools to address this crisis is that he is so dead set that it should not pass. Were it to pass, it might well solve large parts of the border problem—which would not serve him politically. He wrote on social media, ‘This Bill is a great gift to the Democrats.’ The rest of the West is facing a similar challenge and is grappling with how to adjust immigration and asylum laws. Many countries have taken significant steps. Yet in America, one of its major political parties is determined to inflame the crisis rather than douse it, fiddling while the country burns, hoping that at least they can inherit the smoldering ruins.”

******** And this:

The grandsons who were here today reported that the bees living inside the Kentucky coffee tree are out. The maple tree is buzzing with the activity of the bees among the tiny flowers. I love it! ********

I'd be very happy to see these things discussed further here, with this more limited (and presumably, safer) audience.

News Roundup

 This is a copy of something I posted on Facebook today.  It's a news/current events roundup, mostly written off the top of my head.

Documentation about current events will not be provided here, but I believe that what I’m summarizing is easily verifiable with rudimentary research. 

1.  The US economy is in good shape, both when compared to the record of the recent past and when compared to global economies. 

2.  A major earthquake hit Japan on Monday.  However, the death toll and the resulting tsunamis were far less devastating than the one in 2011.  The epicenter of this one was in the Japan Sea.  In 2011, the epicenter was in the Pacific Ocean.  Hiromi does not know of any personal connections that he has with any of the people in the most affected area.

3.  Court decisions in two states (Colorado and Maine) have ruled that former president Trump is ineligible for the presidential election ballot, based on the fourteenth amendment to the constitution, which prohibits anyone (broadly speaking) from holding office if they have engaged in rebellion or insurrection. Challenges are pending in nine other states.  A number of the remaining states have either ruled differently from Colorado and Maine, or cases have been filed and then voluntarily dropped by plaintiffs.  Kansas is one of the “dropped cases” number.  This matter will almost certainly end up in the US Supreme Court.  Three members of the court were appointed by President Trump, and the court has an overall Conservative majority.  A Christian lawyer and journalist whom I trust writes that he believes that a very strong case exists for applying the 14th Amendment to Trump.  He states further that no fear of “consequences” should keep anyone from embracing or pursuing faithful application of clear constitutional principles. 

4.  Former president Trump received millions of dollars from foreign governments (at least 20 of them) while he was in office.  This is expressly forbidden in the first article of the US Constitution.  No money received by President Biden has been documented to have come from foreign governments, although his son has received such money.  The investigations that show both of these outcomes were conducted by a committee in the House of Representatives.  The investigation into Trump’s foreign money sources was abruptly halted when Republicans gained a slim majority there–when the investigating committee had only a fraction of the records they sought..  Nevertheless, those few records show a damning picture.  Soon after an investigation into President Biden was opened, impeachment proceedings against President Biden began.

5.  Presidential candidate Trump’s rhetoric has become increasingly extremist.  From my perspective, it seems maniacal and incredibly repugnant and dangerous–not to mention indecent and ignorant.  Many in the populace seem to have stopped listening (I do have sympathy with those who are too exhausted to keep on listening).  Nevertheless, many Republicans appear to be poised to vote for Trump if he becomes the Republican Party's candidate for president.  

6.  Widespread agreement seems to exist that a second Trump presidency would be almost nothing like the first, the main reasons being that he would fill all appointed positions with extremists (often those with almost no experience or qualifications other than their fealty to Trump), pardon all who have been convicted in the courts so far (in relation to January 6 and other Trump-related cases especially), destroy the institutions and traditions that have provided a check on authoritarian rule, disregard laws that apply restraints to him, and actively seek to punish or destroy his enemies.  He states many of these things himself, clearly and publicly. This kind of rule could not accurately be described as Democratic.  Authoritarianism would fit, and other more shocking labels might fit too.

7.  US military support for both Ukraine and Israel is being held up by some in Congress (a minority of Republicans in the House) who insist that they will not vote to support it unless they first secure a promise to impose draconian immigration policies at the southern border.  Meanwhile, Russia is making gains in Ukraine.  

8.  US government funding for some of its major programs runs out on January 19, so action before that is needed if services are to continue uninterrupted.  Other programs have later “expiration” dates

Herbalism

I've had a long-standing interest in herbs.  This topic meshes with other areas of interest such as being a nature lover, a passionate gardener, and an absorber of health information.  More recently, I've come to see that knowledge in herbalism might hold answers to some of the vexing problems in the health care industry.  

Over the holidays, I had a conversation with my nephew who is ready to begin a PhD program in medicine.  He has completed a pre-med degree and done several years of work in a medical research lab.  By pursuing an advanced degree, he believes that he is preserving the flexibility to either enter a clinical practice (after completing a residency) or doing further research.  I didn't think of it while I was talking to him, but I wish that he also could apply his considerable talents and skills to learning how to fit plant-based medicine into his framework.  

I wish health were not seen as the exclusive purview of professionals.  Even if nothing else shifted, I believe that people being more proactive in relation to their health would trigger good changes.  Being proactive seems to me to acknowledge some foundational truths about the created world, about God, and about human choice.  Being proactive also involves learning more in each of these areas.  

Herbalism is where learning about foundational truths intersects with the plant world.  God created a good world, but it soon became marred through human choice, the consequence of which was pain, disease, and death.  Even plants turned rogue, developing thorns and growing where they were not wanted.  Desirable plants refused to thrive without the exertion of human effort.  But God did not abandon His people and did not leave them without recourse.  Plants with medicinal qualities and good human choices to the rescue.

Medicinal plants can often be foraged in the wild, and many can be grown in small backyards.  They are accessible to people with few financial resources, unless they are too knowledge-poor to know how to make use of them.  Many of the effective compounds can be extracted with water.  Others require alcohol or oil. Lack of ability to refine plant products to the point of creating a "single-compound substance" is no detriment to their usefulness, since various compounds often act synergistically, to good effect.  

I believe that widespread availability of plant medicines provides evidence of God's provision for the health of all people everywhere.  Even in a "spoiled" world, nutrients and remedies for health problems exist wherever plants can grow..  The challenge then is to find what grows well where you live and how these plants can be put to the best possible use.  

I'm personally leaning into learning about medicinal plants on these fronts:

1.  Plants that grow in the wild near me that may have medicinal uses.  Learning about how indigenous people used them can be helpful.  Some of them have been the subject of good research.  I love when this is the case, and am very pleased that the University of Kansas has a Native Medicinal Plants Research Program.  It was established in 2009.  

2.  Identifying good sources of medicinal wild plants.  Some of them are so weedy that I'm not sure that I want to grow them on our small property, but I don't always know of places where they can freely be wild-gathered.  Permissions (on public or private land) and pollutants (along roadways or field edges--petroleum products and chemical sprays) can both be issues with wild gathering.  Diminishing supplies in the wild is another issue.  Digging roots is a bigger ecosystem disturbance than plucking flowers or leaves and gathering seeds or stems.  Echinacea comes to mind as an example here.

Many herbal books recommend plantain and stinging nettle--both reportedly ubiquitous "everywhere."  I have no idea where I could go to gather either of these plants, but I also don't know if I really want to plant them in my yard.  Mullein, dock, dandelion, purslane, and chickweed could be added to this list.  It might make sense to simply acquire these plants from a reputable source rather than to try to grow them or wild-gather them.     

3.  Learning what it takes to grow medicinal plants.  Some that need more moisture than can be relied on to fall from the sky can be grown with irrigation in my climate.  Plants like this might be worth planting if/until I find a native or wild plant that accomplishes a similar health effect.  

4.  Learning how to make and take plant medicines.  Indications, ideal stage of harvest, parts of the plants that are useful, how to extract and preserve the useful compounds, interactions with other plant compounds, reasonable dosages, etc.

5.  Looking for plants with multiple uses.  Some herbs are culinary, medicinal, and pest repelling. Some cut flowers have medicinal uses as well.  Prioritize growing these, especially if they grow wild in your climate.  

6.  Figuring out logical groupings for backyard herbs.  I don't have this one mastered yet.  Categorizations that have occurred to me are these:  1.  Similar growing conditions (sun, shade/moist/dry, etc.)  2.  Similar growth habit (annual, biennial, perennial, natural re-seeder, etc.), 3.  Similar effect on the body  4.  Similar plant parts used (probably most critical when root parts are the most sought after plant part) 5.  Ornamental value/weedy appearance/invasiveness.  6.  Proximity to the house.  7.  Hardiness.  (some might survive winter on the south side of the house, but not elsewhere).  In general, I suspect that the most ornamental and those that are most useful in small amounts for cooking will get a spot in the backyard. 

7.  Seeking our Christian perspectives on herbalism, including those from my own Amish Mennonite cultural tradition.  

What I'll likely do is to prioritize No. 1, pray, and do the best I can to take all the others into account as I go. 

I have been seeking information via books, seed catalogs, and online resources.  I own a handful of books on herbs, have checked out others from the library, and am purchasing more.  I'd love to hear from my friends and readers about any aspect of herbalism.  It can be the smallest snippet if that's what you want to share--personal experience, trustworthy source of information, good practitioners--or whatever else that comes to mind for you.