My Uncle Chris works at Ft. Leavenworth, and he took Dave and me on a tour of the post. For me the most interesting thing was putting the place in historical context. For instance, this is the place where travelers on the Oregon Trail pulled their wagons up the hill after crossing the Missouri River. You can see how the earth has been shaped ( Read more... )

I didn't take this photo today, but it's one I really like, and I thought it would be appropriate in light of the celebration going on across the country. I'm hopeful for the future today, but I'm also reflecting on the past, and the fact that we can celebrate over 200 years of peaceful transitions such as the one that occurred today. No matter ( Read more... )

Rosa Parks died last night at the age of 92. Growing up in the Northeast, I learned about the Civil Rights movement, about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. Being so far removed in location, time, and ethnic surroundings, it was difficult to really understand it. Dr. King being dead didn't help. Rosa Parks, therefore, has always been a ( Read more... )