intramuralist ™

Today is the day! … although not just any day. It’s Super Bowl Sunday! … although not just any Super Bowl. The Cincinnati Bengals are the “home team” for Super Bowl LVI, and there’s something uniquely sweet about the Bengals making it this far. Stay with me for a moment — even if not a sports fan, if you will. I indeed believe this is about far more than sports. As one who lived in the Queen City for 25 years — whose sons grew up there — there exists a vibe about being a Bengals fan, that outside of the Cincinnati faithful, one may not truly understand. 

It’s different. It’s deep. No one ever searches for “America’s Team” and finds the Cincinnati Bengals anywhere near the list. Primetime moments are few. They’re not known for their winning. In fact, over the course of their 54 year history, they’ve been known for many things on and off the field that they’d like to forget. 

What’s it like to be a Bengals fan? What’s been hard? Hear from a chorus of Bengals fans…

“The hardest part is all these years of disappointment… No respect… It feels like we’ve been the joke of the NFL… Everyone’s punchline…

It hasn’t been fun… Outside of Cincinnati — and sometimes even in Cinti — it just hasn’t been cool to be a fan… People didn’t take us seriously…

Low expectations for so many years… Always a gaping hole somewhere… Such a defeatist mentality… potential has always felt squandered... I never believed we could win an important game…

A roller coaster with too many years of disappointing outcomes… My hopes have always been dashed… Always watching us struggle… No one, including our fans, thought we were a legitimate contender for as long as I’ve been alive…

Rough… Painful… Embarrassing… Frustrating… So frustrating…”

The emotions of a diehard Bengals fan run deep. As one chimed in, “I felt like I was loyal but the team was not.” It’s hard to be a fan of a small market team that doesn’t have a historical track record of victory, prudent team management, nor consistent, individual integrity. As another opined, “It’s easy to be a fan of the Steelers or Tom Brady. It takes guts to remain a steadfast Bengals fan.”

Prior to this year, the Bengals last won a playoff game 31 years ago. This was expected to be year #32. But the unexpected occurred. Behind great leadership, talented skill players, and a changed culture in which players hold one another accountable, really like each other, and realize what they can do together, the Cincinnati Bengals find themselves both gleefully and confidently playing in Super Bowl LVI. Call it surprising. Call it unheard of. Call it one of the current best stories in sports. Hear it once more from the fans… 

How does it feel to be in Super Bowl 56?

“AMAZING! … Flat out amazing!… The feeling is joyful and huge… I feel like I’m in some alternative universe… Really great… Awesome!… I am SHOCKED!… It feels like a dream… Very excited!… It’s a big, BIG deal!… Fantastic… So happy!… I still have to pinch myself… Surreal… I’m so proud… Incredible… Doesn’t seem possible… It doesn’t feel real… Unbelievable… Spectacular!… I love this team!… My heart can’t believe it… So fun!… I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I root for a team that’s actually one of the best in the league… This feels like full circle and let me tell you, it feels good…”

This is only a snippet; let me add that the “amazing’s” were tenfold.

But allow me to share an additional, developing aspect that also may go unnoticed outside the Cincinnati faithful. In a cultural moment where too often we find things to fight about — and too frequently focus on what we don’t have in common — note what’s happening as a result of the Bengals unexpected, exuberant success…

“I love the feel of the city… what a sense of community!… Seeing the way the city has rallied around the team is unbelievable… fans from all over the world are connecting… genuine friendships… I feel the pulse of the city begin to beat in synchronicity with one another… Loving the energy of the greater Cincy-area with schools closing and challenges to raise money for food banks… I’m so proud of how this has rallied the area! … A real sense of pride in the community!… It feels like an incredible way to bring Cincinnati together after 2 years of depressing Covid issues… celebrities and Instagram influencers are announcing they are rooting for the Bengals… It’s exciting to see the country come together to root on our guys… It makes it that much sweeter… I couldn’t be more proud to say I’m a Bengals fan!”

Let us be sure to acknowledge that there is another team with loyal fans who may be victorious this night. I wish the Los Angeles Rams well. And I think that reveals one more admirable aspect of the Bengals sweet, unexpected season. Maybe because of their track record, maybe because this was so unexpected, maybe because of the years of frustration and even embarrassment, one doesn’t hear a lot of offense nor insult amid Bengals fandom; there’s no “Hey, Rams, take that” or “You’re going down!” There just isn’t any hostile focus on the other team.

There is simply a humble, joy-filled love and appreciation for a team that has given its fans something they never expected nor felt they deserved. Indeed, this is about far more than sports. Go Bengals, go.

Respectfully…  

AR

It’s typically the largest audience of any American television broadcast each year…

It’s the second-largest day of American food consumption… (insert ‘egad’ here…)

It’s also a day when even the far-more-than-casual fan tunes in…

It’s Super Bowl LVI. The Rams at the Bengals (…well, really the Bengals at the Rams — at SoFi Stadium in Souther California). Los Angeles vs. Cincinnati. The NFC vs. the AFC.

On Sunday, we’ll make this story a little more personal, tapping into some of the more in-depth insights that make this game especially special. But there’s one insight that’s been brewing in me for maybe three, four weeks now. One that’s significant. One that applies arguably everywhere elsewhere…

I’m pondering the relationship between expectation, gratitude and joy.

How do the three fit together?

Back to football, for a moment…

By all accounts, the Los Angeles Rams expected to be in this game.

Also by all accounts, the Cincinnati Bengals did not.

Said talented Cincinnati quarterback, Joe Burrow, a week ago, “If you told me that we were going to the Super Bowl at the beginning of the season, I would’ve called you crazy.” To be clear, he was by far not the only one.

It’s not that the Rams were cocky nor the Bengals were selling themselves short. But no doubt one of the great balances of life is learning how to hope for the best while still holding onto reality. 

Crazy.

There’s seems this fascinating phenomena when observing what happens when our expectation bar rests lower than reality. And please know, I’m not suggesting any intentional lowering of the bar. I’m simply acknowledging that there’s something especially sweet that accompanies unexpected success…

Maybe it’s joy.

Maybe it’s gratitude.

Maybe it’s an awareness of blessing… even ones that aren’t promised nor asked for.

Whatever it is, it is beautiful and good.

And so we ponder our expectations elsewhere… 

… in our work… our relationships… 

… our politics… our aspirations…

… our health… our faith… 

… and more.

Once again we see that while sports is oft identified as “just a game,” its implications and opportunity for learning extend way beyond any arena or competitive playing field… Where have we set our expectations so high that we are missing out on something so beautiful and good?

The weekend, no less, will bring much to watch…

The expected rise of the talented Rams are the last stop on the unexpected journey of the upstart Bengals… featuring QB’s Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow — such likable leaders… and also the youngest combo of head coaches ever to meet in the Super Bowl…

I can’t wait.

What a joy…

Respectfully…

AR

On Super Bowl week, let’s start here… an aspect that’s very non-Super Bowl-ish and has implications far beyond the gridiron. 

On Tuesday former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a 58-page class action lawsuit in federal court against the NFL, 3 specific teams, and 29 unnamed others. He is accusing them of racial discrimination in the hiring and retention of black coaches and high level, team personnel. 

It’s actually a fascinating read, as it reads not as a typical legal filing…

It begins with 2 quotes — first by New England head coach Bill Belichick (with his second word, I might add, being a word never felt appropriate to repeat on this blog) — and second by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., addressing the inability to legislate morality but the ability to instead affect behavior. The succeeding preliminary statement then acknowledges that the plaintiff is filing on the first day of Black History Month, desiring to honor the racial leaders who’ve gone before us, such as King, Harriet Tubman, Jackie Robinson, and more. Combined with additional, included portraits and portrayals, it thus reads a little more narrative in form, in my opinion. Please note: that doesn’t make it inaccurate nor wrong; it simply reads differently.

The case is challenging from a legal perspective, as class actions are always difficult to lawfully substantiate, and in regard to Flores’s situation in particular, he accuses team owners/leaders of sham interviews and other questionable and unscrupulous behavior, not necessarily related to ethnicity. Hence, from this far away, it’s impossible to discern with certainty whether or not Flores was hired, fired, retained or treated differently due to the color of his skin. Let us, no less, additionally never forget that how far away we are shapes and potentially obstructs our perspective in these situations… in most situations, if we’re honest. We don’t know what we don’t know.

So let us simply respond with what we do know, as the Intramuralist’s desire is for all of us, who are created equal, to all be treated equal.

An abbreviated list then of what we know for certain in regard to the NFL, diversity, race and hiring practices…

• There are 32 NFL teams. Of the 32 team owners, 30 are Caucasian.
• 11 of the owners are female — 6 of whom own them outright.
• Somewhere between 58-70% of the NFL’s players are black (rosters vary year to year and throughout the year)
• At the top of NFL office leadership structure — referring to the Commissioner and 9 top positions — there are 4 white men, 2 black men, and 4 white women.
• The “Rooney Rule” was implemented by the NFL in 2003 for purposes of encouraging the hiring of more coaches of color. It established an interview quota as opposed to a hiring quota. 
• Since implementation of the Rooney Rule, teams have hired more than 20 non-white head coaches — a bit more than 15% of all hires.
• There is currently only 1 black head coach and 1 Hispanic head coach — although 2 coaches who are persons of color (including Flores) lost their positions last month.
• 19% of current NFL general managers are black.
• The NFL office has openly acknowledged in recent years that they “must see different outcomes” and have not “done well” in building ethnic diversity in its upper ranks.
• Some suggest there is a separation in approach/thinking by team owners and the league office. 
• Many question, also, how prevalent nepotism is a factor in NFL top level coaching hires.

It will be interesting to watch this specific case as the off-season begins (note: there’s one really big game to be played first… “WHO DEY,” by the way). Flores, to note, has asked the court for “injunctive relief necessary to cure the Defendants’ discriminatory policies and practices,” in addition to compensatory damages. He, also, as of this posting, remains a candidate for 2 of the currently open NFL head coaching positions. 

So how do we remedy this?

How do we ensure all people are treated equally?

How do we ensure we never elevate one ethnicity over another?

These are tough questions, friends. And I have no easy answers. I simply want to always acknowledge truth — even what’s hard — and to ensure absolutely all are honored, valued, and that no man/woman/child is valued less nor more than another.

Respectfully…

AR

Upon us once more is the Winter Olympics — officially the XXIV Olympic Winter Games — in Chinese: 第二十四届冬季奥林匹克运动会— and commonly known as Beijing 2022.

The 2022 Winter Olympic Games will run through February 20th, featuring 15 sports and 109 medal events. While the Opening Ceremony begins on Friday the 4th, the curling and luge competitions actually begin today.

Multiple questions come to mind every four year cycle (or 2, if you combine it with the Summer Olympic Games)… 

What country will take home the most medals?

How will the United States fare?

What underdogs will be surprisingly victorious?

And maybe the most fun… what individual stories will capture the country’s attention?

With all due respect to the 91 participating countries, the approximately 3,000 athletes, and the plethora of coaches, officials and volunteers, with some of the challenges in our current geo-political state, my mind settles on a few questions arguably bigger…

Ukraine has a total of 45 athletes competing in Beijing. Amidst the chaos to the east and northeast, 24 men and 21 women have been preparing to participate — a record number of athletes and a record number of sports for the Eastern European country. 

What happens if Russia invades or carries out a more demonstrable act of aggression while the games are being played?

And how will the Ukrainian and Russian athletes interact with one another? What will they say? What will that be like?

What, too, about Taiwan?

Taiwan will be sending a total of 4 athletes to the games — 1 man and 3 women. Originally, the Olympic team was not intending to partake in either the opening or closing ceremonies, noting hostilities between their country and the games’ hosts. Note, too, the once-planned boycott came after a Chinese official wrongly labeled Taiwan as “Taipei, China” — once again, not recognizing Taiwan as their own team.

China refuses to recognize Taiwan as a separate country. They wish to reunify no later than 2049, with multiple, serious and sobering military actions taking place now, aware of America’s questionable foreign policy approach since Afghanistan; it is thus widely believed China is willing to pursue reunification forcefully, speeding up the process, regardless of the Taiwanese people’s desire. Hence…

How will the Taiwanese and Chinese athletes interact? What will they say? Will they care if next to one another on the medal stand?

Can we recognize Taiwan for who they are? Can we actually, individually, celebrate them?

It’s a series of fascinating questions. Where do we prioritize one thing over another? 

Where do we turn a blind eye?

On a bit of a related tangent, it’s been interesting, too, witnessing the NBA — one of America’s most revenue-producing, professional sports — and how they view sports in China. They make millions in Chinese markets but seem to ignore blatant human rights grievances. Are they addressing racial and ethnic inequalities in all countries? If not, why?

And so we ask since we have from almost day one here: are some things bigger than sports?

I’d like to suppose indeed they are…

So one more “hence”… 

When and why?

Respectfully…

AR

This week will have a bit of a foreign flavor on the Intramuralist. We’ve got a few things to cover in the week ahead that extend well beyond America’s borders — however porous those may or may not be.

The most critical situation is what’s happening in Ukraine, the Eastern European country and the second largest country size-wise in Europe. It borders Russia to the east and northeast.

So what’s the issue and why should I care?

First, a brief bit of background (… and I do mean “brief”…)

Ukraine was once a part of the Soviet Union, but became an independent country when the USSR dissolved in 1991. They declared themselves a “neutral state,” which speaks to their role in future conflict and potential military alliances (i.e. such as NATO), but have since become more aligned with the West. Multiple escalations have also occurred in the past 9 years, which have led to increased unrest in the country. Note, too, that Ukraine is marked by significant corruption.

Six months ago Russian President Vladimir Putin released a public policy declaration with the claim that Russians and Ukrainians were “one people” and part of “a single whole.” Wrote Putin, “The wall that has emerged in recent years between Russia and Ukraine, between the parts of what is essentially the same historical and spiritual space, to my mind is our great common misfortune and tragedy.” Since at least November, notably, Russia has been moving troops near the border, with more than 100,000 troops now amassed there.

The speculation is whether the troops (and resulting military exercises) are a negotiating tactic with the West or Russia is planning some sort of invasion — either in eastern Ukraine or a full-scale invasion of the country. The desired outcome and the motivation for the current aggression is uncertain.

So back to why we should care — and not just because we care for the human rights of all people and specifically for the Ukrainian citizens and their right to self-determination…

Allow me to first state the obvious. I am no expert. I am a current events blogger and only an imperfect one at that. I attempt to study history and be aware of the current. Hence, allow me to share the words of David French, a widely respected writer and attorney, known for his intellect and effort to produce “factually grounded journalism”:

“First, history teaches us that Russia’s desire to dominate the nations along its border extends when Russia’s border extends. Even a glance at maps of either the immense Russian Empire of the 19th and early 20th centuries or the Soviet Union at its height demonstrates that ‘Russian interests’ and the Russian border have previously extended even to the west of Ukraine. Russia has in the past swallowed not just Ukraine but also Belarus, the Baltic states, and Poland. And with each move west, its territorial insecurity has extended with it…

Second, the reintroduction of Great Power territorial aggression would once again destabilize the world order. Since the unspeakable horror of World War I, there has been a concerted effort to essentially outlaw wars of aggression as instruments of national policy. The Kellogg-Briand Pact (combined with the League of Nations) represented the first attempt to combine treaties and international cooperation to deter and prevent great power conflict. But treaties are not self-enforcing, and the first attempt at creating global stability failed when Hitler recognized the war-weary weakness of (mainly) Britain and France…

Third, what starts in Europe rarely stays in Europe. Dating back to shortly after the founding of the nation, the United States has encountered the same pattern. Europe goes to war, we seek to remain at peace, yet ultimately we find ourselves in the fight…”

Again, while no expert, it’s no secret that the Intramuralist has been exponentially more concerned with what’s happening beyond our borders since the calamitous withdrawal from Afghanistan. As Michael Schuman recently wrote in The Atlantic, in regard to how China is now watching Ukraine: “China’s Xi Jinping, too, has a geopolitical grievance in his neighborhood—in his case over Taiwan, the microchip-rich island that Beijing insists is and always should be part of China. Like Putin, who is eager to bring Ukraine back under Moscow’s control, Xi worries that a former chunk of his country’s empire is growing closer with the United States and its allies. How Xi interprets (or worse, misinterprets) the outcome of the Ukraine standoff could influence whether and how China tries to reunify with Taiwan, and thus has implications for the security and stability of East Asia…

What can be said with greater certainty is that Ukraine and Taiwan both show how easily U.S. weakness—or even the mere perception of weakness—could unravel the strained networks and alliances that support the American world order and usher in a new era of global conflict and instability.”

How the U.S. responds makes a difference. Also, peace and international order are far preferable to global conflict and instability.

That’s why I care.

Respectfully…

AR

So I apologize now for maybe my clunkiest title ever. Bear with me. I promise this is not really about sports, even though for sports enthusiasts, last weekend was one of the most exciting ever on the professional gridiron.

Last weekend we witnessed incredibly competitive match-ups between teams hailing from the Golden City, Music City, Queen City, City of Angels, City of Fountains, City of Good Neighbors, Titletown and the Big Guava (… not to mention less reputable monikers such as Porkopolis, La-La Land, and the Toilet Paper Capital of the World).

While the nicknames never dampen our fondness for creativity, that’s not why I love the NFL playoffs.

The 49ers, Bengals, Bills, Buccaneers, Chiefs, Packers, Rams and Titans played such highly competitive games that each of the four pigskin contests was decided on the final play of the game with zero time remaining. In fact, the four Divisional round games were decided by a total of 15 points — meaning the average margin of victory was only 3.8 points per game, the lowest average margin of victory in NFL playoff history in a round with at least four games.

That’s still not why I love the NFL playoffs.

There are some fascinating personalities involved in the playoffs…

We are able to watch some growing young men, not close to their perceived athletic prime, utilize their tremendous talent to lead their team… QB’s Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Patrick Mahomes, for instance; they are a respective 25, 25 and 26 years old. Juxtapose the young against the skillful vets we’ve viewed for years… Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Matthew Stafford. It may actually be the last we’ve seen of “Tom Terrific,” “Tampa Tom” or the “G.O.A.T.” Tom Edward Patrick Brady Jr. might not just be the Greatest Of All Time to play football; he’s in the conversation as one of the greatest athletes of all time… all that after taken 199th in the 2000 NFL Draft.

Still… not why I love the playoffs.

The Intramuralist has long loved football. With Packer and Viking roots sharpened by a healthy splash of pre-Jerry Jones Cowboys, I’ve found the game fun and entertaining to watch; it’s strategically complex, and the promotion of players has taken on a life of its own.

Yet my love for the playoffs can best be exemplified in the totality of a few hours late, last Saturday afternoon. I must first confess… yes, I admit… I am a Bengals fan.

There were years when such a public admission was akin to the way some feel emboldened to ridicule or shame various political loyalties… How could you support the flamboyant antics of Chad Ochocinco Johnson?! … You’re really ok with Vontaze B. losing his cool one more time?… And another? Another guy in trouble with the law?…

I learned something through those less-admired, not-so-fun years. When your team isn’t winning, there’s a lot more scrutiny. Let us make no excuses for poor behavior; let us also acknowledge that Cincinnati was rarely, consistently winning. Winning matters.

On Saturday in Cincinnati, I was traveling through and made a point to watch the game with some I knew, some I did not. There were all sorts of people in the room — a variety of age, stage and demographics. We gathered also amidst the bitter cold; it, too — external circumstances — did not matter.

Granted, we were each part of the Cincinnati/Queen City/Porkopolis faithful, but there was no insult nor disdain of the other team. All due respect to the Titans of Tennessee.

When the game began, we were eager together. When the game looked like we might go down in yet another, not-so-fun-years-reminder defeat, we expressed more subdued regret together. And when victory came with emphatic surprise, we jubilantly celebrated together.

Together.

They say the culture is different in the Cincinnati locker room this year. The town seems different, too. Maybe it’s just that I’ve been gone too long.

Or maybe instead it’s because with wise and talented leaders, they’ve magnified what they have in common, minimized the different, and learned that joy and success are contagious when we respectfully share eagerness, regret and celebration so freely together.

It was a good day in Cincinnati. 

I sure do love those playoffs…

Respectfully…

AR

Last weekend there was an awful event in Colleyville, Texas. A man took four persons hostage at a Jewish synagogue in the Dallas-Fort Worth area — including the rabbi — demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui from federal prison. Siddiqui — who is sometimes referred to as “Lady al Qaeda” or in the eyes of NBC News, “a cause célèbre in the terrorist world.” Also according to NBC, “Her lawyer says she opposes violence, but prosecutors said she yelled ‘I am going to kill all you Americans’ after she opened fire on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.”

Hear not from me; hear from Bari Weiss, the former contributor to The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, who left both, eventually in pursuit of a less manipulated approach to journalism… (amen, Bari…)

“Last week, I met a rabbi in Los Angeles. We talked about surfing where to get the best pizza in the city and her kids and politics. At the end of the evening, she was making plans with a colleague, and they extended an invitation. Would I want to go to the shooting range with them next weekend?

I thought about the rabbi with her guns a lot over this Shabbat, as Jews who had gathered for services at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, were taken hostage by a man named Malik Faisal Akram. After nearly 11 hours, thanks to earthly miracles of law enforcement and perhaps heavenly ones as well, they were freed unharmed. Akram, who had predicted his own death in his rantings captured on Facebook livestream, was dead. 

The bad guy was killed. The good guys were saved. It doesn’t often turn out that way. All the Jews I know—even the atheists—are thanking God. 

But why, despite my gratitude, do I feel so much rage? Why does it feel like there is so little comfort to be found? What has changed?

I did not feel this way in the horrific aftermath of the Tree of Life massacre—the most lethal in all of American Jewish history.

Back then, in October 2018, it felt like the whole country grasped that a wound to the Tree of Life was a wound to the Tree of Liberty itself. That the monstrous attack in my hometown was not simply an attack on Jews, but an attack on our collective home. And that what was at stake in standing up against the deranged, conspiratorial mindset that led a neo-Nazi to the synagogue that morning was nothing less than America itself. 

What I now see is this: In America captured by tribalism and dehumanization, in an America swept up by ideologies that pit us against one another in a zero-sum game, in an America enthralled with the poisonous idea that some groups matter more than others, not all Jews—and not all Jewish victims—are treated equally. What seems to matter most to media pundits and politicians is not the Jews themselves, but the identities of their attackers.

And it scares me…”

[Emphasis above is mine.]

Weiss continues by discussing the anti-Semitism that she sees in this country. She points out that Siddiqui is a “committed Jew hater.” She also points out that so much of even the so-called mainstream press and our elect made no mention of such. They omitted the hatred specifically targeting our Jewish friends. There were claims of insufficient information.

As we follow the week of Martin Luther King Day and Dr. King’s call that all people are seen as created in the image of God and treated no more nor lesser — this was hard to stomach. I keep thinking of Weiss’s comment, that we’re “in an America swept up by ideologies that pit us against one another in a zero-sum game, in an America enthralled with the poisonous idea that some groups matter more than others.”

That makes no sense. That makes no sense when juxtaposed against the plumb line of each of us created in the image of God. 

I think both He — and Dr. King — would want more from us.

Respectfully…

AR

We walked. Talked. Spent time together. 

We walked and talked together.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day was this past Monday. It’s a day that celebrates the Christian faith, call for justice and equality, and nonviolent approach of Dr. Martin Luther King. I’m no expert. And I don’t know that I’m really all that qualified to speak on this subject. But I’d like to believe that if a person doesn’t support all three of the above, then they’re not speaking for Dr. King.

I, too, am not capable of speaking for Dr. King. I’m simply an admiring student from afar.

I love many things Dr. King said…

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act. It is a permanent attitude.”

Hope. Light. Forgiveness… I think about when I justify something lesser…

Thinking of his 1965 speech in “Our God is Marching On!”…

“…It is normalcy all over our country which leaves the Negro perishing on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of vast ocean of material prosperity. It is normalcy all over Alabama that prevents the Negro from becoming a registered voter. No, we will not allow Alabama to return to normalcy. The only normalcy that we will settle for is the normalcy that recognizes the dignity and worth of all of God’s children…”

All of God’s children. King never saw justice and equality outside the framework of absolutely each of us being created in the image of God.

And then from one of my favorites, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” a letter written to the nation’s religious leaders in 1963. Remember that at the time, black persons were not allowed to vote. Heck, they weren’t even allowed to sit on the same place on a bus. How does such equate to “all men are created equal”? Yes, we have made some grievous errors; we have corrected some of those errors. But King got our attention… especially when he addressed the question of whether or not he was an extremist in his call to get us to love and respect all people…

“… Was not Jesus an extremist in love? — ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.’ Was not Amos an extremist for justice? — ‘Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.’ Was not Paul an extremist for the gospel of Jesus Christ? — ‘I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.’ Was not Martin Luther an extremist? — ‘Here I stand; I can do no other so help me God.’ Was not John Bunyan an extremist? — ‘I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a mockery of my conscience.’ Was not Abraham Lincoln an extremist? — ‘This nation cannot survive half slave and half free.’ Was not Thomas Jefferson an extremist? — ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’ So the question is not whether we will be extremist, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate, or will we be extremists for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice, or will we be extremists for the cause of justice?”

On Monday I took part with some friends along with our mayor, civic leaders and multiple others, just cleaning up a more impoverished area of our city. We walked and talked. Spent time together. 

The goal was to promote Dr. King’s legacy of service… his Christian faith, call for justice and equality, and nonviolent approach.

May we never omit one of the above.

Respectfully…

AR

One of the causes of the current, clearly adverse political divide is that we don’t necessarily understand all issues and incidents. In fact, we don’t even know what we don’t know. That’s true for you. Me. Pretty much all of us. I wish that truth kept us humble. Sometimes it does; sometimes it doesn’t. We unfortunately each error.

One of the current issues pushed by some is the focus on voting rights. So let’s examine and make today’s post primarily informative. My goal is not to promote any perspective; my goal is to eradicate the rhetoric and sift through fact. Know, too, that it is completely valid to have different opinions regarding different ballot/voting provisions. But it’s difficult to discuss when we are unknowingly ill-informed.

Voting rights are “a set of legal and constitutional protections designed to ensure the opportunity to vote in local, state, and federal elections.”¹ In order to ensure “consent of the governed” — that government’s authority is derived from the will of the people, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence — two equal priorities exist: every eligible voter should have access to vote and no ineligible vote should be cast. If either priority is diminished, “consent of the governed” is potentially negated.

Part of ensuring said consent was setting a single date to appoint presidential electors. In 1792, the 2nd Congress decided there would exist 34 days to vote. However, “as travel and communication methods became faster in the 19th century, potential manipulation and fraud concerns grew.”² The 1844 election — in which Democrat James K. Polk defeated Whig Henry Clay — was rife with fraud allegations. Hence, when debating a bill that would set a uniform presidential Election Day, House members declared the goal was “to guard against frauds in the elections of President and Vice President.”³

Noting that states have made various, legitimate exceptions in the years since, changes were necessary to the voting process in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 in order to make it easier to maintain the distancing and isolation that the health crisis necessitated. The state-led efforts, though, prioritized voter access. Now that the pandemic is evolving into an endemic, states have made efforts to again adhere to both priorities: access and eligibility.

Recorrecting after the pandemic’s climax, some states are perceived to have expanded their approach; some are perceived to have restricted it — each learning from the pandemic provisions. The state of Georgia enacted SB 202, a 98 page bill entitled the “Election Integrity Act of 2021.” One can agree or disagree as to which parts are good or bad; remember our goal today is not to advocate or reject. Here, no less, is a brief synopsis of the bill with context included — as speeches absent of context often promote the ill-informed nature of which we speak. As authored primarily by Declan Garvey, associate editor at The Dispatch, which strives to produce “factually grounded journalism”⁴:

“For starters, the bill actually expands voting access for most Georgians, mandating precincts hold at least 17 days of early voting—including two Saturdays, with Sundays optional—leading up to the election. Voting locations during this period must be open for at least eight hours, and can operate between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Several states (including Biden’s home state of Delaware, which will not implement it until 2022) do not currently allow any in-person early voting, and plenty, like New Jersey, offer far fewer than 17 days.

Despite Biden saying the bill implements absentee voting restrictions that ‘effectively deny’ the franchise to ‘countless’ voters, SB 202 leaves in place no-excuse absentee voting with a few tweaks. It tightens the window to apply for an absentee ballot to ‘just’ 67 days, and mandates applications—which can now be completed online—be received by election officials at least 11 days before an election to ensure a ballot can be mailed and returned by Election Day. The bill requires Georgia’s secretary of state to make a blank absentee ballot application available online, but prohibits government agencies from mailing one to voters unsolicited—and requires third-party groups doing so to include a variety of disclaimers.

Rather than signature matching—which is time-intensive for election officials—voters will verify their identity in absentee ballot applications by including the identification number on their driver’s license or voter identification card, which is free. If a Georgian has neither, he or she can, pursuant to Georgia Code Section 21-2-417, include a photocopy or digital picture of a ‘current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document’ that includes his or her name and address. When mailing back their ballots, voters must print their driver’s license number (or the last four digits of their social security number) on an inner envelope. (An August 2016 Gallup survey found photo ID requirements for voting were overwhelmingly popular: 80 percent of voters supported them, including 77 percent of nonwhite voters.) SB 202 also codifies ballot drop boxes into law; Georgia added them for the first time in 2020 as a pandemic measure, and the law now stipulates that there be one for every 100,000 registered voters or advance voting locations in a county, whichever is smaller.”

When the Georgia law was crafted, a few state lawmakers proposed ending all no-excuse absentee voting and early voting on Sundays, the latter seemingly targeting voter drives at black churches. Those provisions, however, were cut from the final bill. One restriction that was not cut prohibits outside groups from distributing money, gifts, food, or drinks within 25 feet of voters standing in line to vote. Polling places may still provide self-serving water receptacles.

That’s the primary significance of the law in my opinion. (Sorry for the length; I tried to be as brief as necessary.)

Note, nonetheless, that our two most recent Presidents have travelled to Georgia in successive Januarys to focus on the state election process. (Note: it was really tempting to find a creative way to quote the Charlie Daniels classic here). Both tried to convince us in sensationalized, (and in this encourager of respectful dialogue’s opinion) divisive rhetoric that something was/is deeply wrong. 

Let me suggest that both — us, too — are entitled to their opinions, but not to their own facts. One can believe what’s happening in Georgia and other states is good, bad, necessary or unnecessary. But after (1) studying the law, (2) recognizing allowances were made solely for the pandemic, and (3) prioritizing equally both voter access and eligibility, one can logically question whether claims of illegality, inaccuracy, or worse are based on fact.

We can legitimately disagree, friends. But it’s also important to be accurately informed.

Respectfully…

AR

¹ Britannica, Brian Duignan, www.britannica.com/topic/voting-rights, December 17, 2021)

² Ben Leubsdorf, Election Day: Frequently Asked Questions, Congressional Research Service report prepared for Members and Committees of Congress, January 6,2021, p. 2.

³ “Election Bill,” Congressional Globe, December 13, 1844, p. 29.

⁴ Coppins, McKay (January 31, 2020). “The Conservatives Trying to Ditch Fake News”. The Atlantic. Retrieved 12 April 2021.

We’ve said it before; we’ll say it again: this COVID stuff is confusing… multiple variants, mixed messages, changing conditions, changing approaches, and way too much politics. I continue to attempt to empathize with our healthcare workers; no wonder so many are increasingly exhausted! Amid the serious health concerns, there remain tons of questions.

As the Intramuralist oft scans a broad spectrum of news sources in order to discern what we’re wondering and potentially promoting, note the following, recent forty, all about Covid…

1. A 4th Shot? 
2. Are hospital workers running out of sympathy for unvaccinated COVID patients?
3. CNN wonders: Is the media out of touch with the public on COVID?
4. Confused By The CDC’s New COVID Isolation Rules?
5. COVID vaccines for ages 5 to 11 start today but can schools open safely in the shadow of Omicron?
6. Do Masks Protect Against the Omicron COVID-19 Variant?
7. Do you have a cold, the flu or Covid-19?
8. Do you need a booster shot to be ‘fully vaccinated’ against COVID? What does ‘up to date’ mean?
9. Fox to Psaki: How is this still a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” if the boosted are getting sick?
10. Has COVID Testing Declined Under Joe Biden?
11. Has Covid vaccine efficacy turned negative?
12. How did the 1918 pandemic end, and could the same thing happen with coronavirus?
13. How effective are COVID-19 vaccines against Omicron?
14. How Effective Is a Face Mask Against COVID-19 if You’re the Only One Wearing It?
15. How Is a Third of the Population Being Hypnotized?
16. How is COVID going to end?
17. How is Omicron impacting your life?
18. How long should you isolate if you’re fully vaccinated but have Covid-19? 
19. How Reliable Are Covid-19 Rapid Tests for Detecting Omicron?
20. How Soon Will Covid Be ‘Normal’?
21. How Will The Pandemic End?
22. If It’s Really a ‘Pandemic of the Unvaccinated,’ Mr. President, Why Is My Vaccinated 6-Year-Old Wearing a Mask?
23. Is Covid Causing Decision Fatigue?
24. Is COVID here to stay?
25. Is COVID-19 a Disability?
26. Is COVID-19 driving our teens to drugs, alcohol?
27. Is COVID-19 ever going to go away?
28. Omicron: Do travel bans work against new Covid variants?
29. Omicron is here. What are your treatment options if you get Covid-19?
30. Omicron-specific vaccines could be ready by March. Will we need them?
31. So When Does the Emergency End?
32. Vaccinated and test positive?
33. Vaccine choice follows politics in US. Why doesn’t it in Germany?
34. Vaccine Passports Are Here to Stay. Why Worry?
35. What exactly is today’s status of the vaccine mandate in the federal space?
36. Why are so many vaccinated people getting COVID-19 lately?
37. Why Did the CDC Change Its Mind About COVID Isolation, Quarantine Rules?
38. Will 2022 Be the Year We Put the Pandemic Behind Us?
39. Will history judge Trump as harshly as his critics on COVID-19?
40. 2 Years of COVID: What Comes Next?

This is hard, friends. On many…

So many questions continue…

Respectfully…

AR

[Source list: AARP, ABC, American Greatness, Associated Press, The Atlantic, BBC, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Christian Science Monitor, CNet, CNN, Deseret News, Federal News Network, FOX News, Health Magazine, Hot Air, Huffington Post, The Intercept, The Jerusalem Post, Joe Rogan Show, Miami Herald, MSNBC, National Law Review, NBC News, New York Post, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Newsweek, NPR, PBS, The Post Millennial, Reason, Substack, USA Today, VeryWell Health, VOX, and The Wall Street Journal.]