Dear Jared Kushner

Dear Jared Kushner:

I read your letter stating that your father-in-law, Donald Trump, is not anti-semitic or a racist. You are wrong. You see him from a very narrow perspective.  You see him as your wife's father, your kids' grandfather and the guy who came to your wedding.  And when he looks at you he sees a rich, White, good looking individual who happens to be a Jew so you're good with money.  You fit into his compartments nicely.

What the world sees, however, is an extremely boorish, loudmouth who denigrates so many different types of people including, of course, Jews. And he has surrounded himself with people who are obviously anti-semitic. There is no denying that.

Your family background is gripping but that doesn't make you an expert on who is or is not an anti-semite.  Words matter. Actions matter. Decisions matter. Acquiescence in the face of blatant anti-semitism is hard to ignore. That's what you seem to be doing.  You describe him as  being loving and tolerant. Where was his tolerance for a disabled reporter? Or for people who genuinely disagreed with him?  Yes, he is tolerant, for those who decry the Jewish people, Blacks, women, feminists, Latinos, Muslims, Gold Star families.

There are many questionable qualities your father-in-law has and concern for others is not one of them. He is not humane, except for his own tight little family. Anti-semitic? Yes. He has appointed the vilest of people to be in his inner circle. Anti-semitic is just one of the horrendous qualities he has displayed.  Open your eyes. He is not who you think you see. And the world knows and understands this.

This is the article I was responding to:
http://observer.com/2016/07/jared-kushner-the-donald-trump-i-know/

I am done, for now!

Okay, I'm done with the whole crappy mess.  The damage is done. And it is damage. The Republicans tore our country apart, piece by piece. They're very good at it. And if you think I'm being partisan here, I don't give a crap.  They went LOW.  No matter how you feel on each side, there is no doubt that the Republican mind is filled with racist, bigoted, misogynistic, convoluted thinking that hatred of Muslims, Blacks, Latinos, the growing LBGTQ community, Jews, women, the old and infirm is normal. Why else would the vitriolic epithets hurled at all these groups come so readily to the lips of so many GOP (read 'Trump') supporters?

If you think we should give the guy a chance, I'm not anywhere near ready. Again, the damage has been done. The outright lies, the obvious lack of intelligence, the stirring up of hatred, the complete putdown of so many, the snide remarks resulting in his opponent being marked for physical jeopardy (don't think that wasn't meant), the secretiveness, the refusal to show his tax returns, the myriad of lawsuits, his vile language and actions with and toward women. Vilifying your opponent with lies (and she has been vilified for decades because she is a woman) just cements the pettiness and viciousness with which Trump will always be known.  He is a piece of work and it's not good.

Both candidates have flaws. But some flaws are WAY OVER THE TOP.  When you run for the highest office in the land, you don't go for the miserly, boorish, garish, uneducated, least ever qualified or fit for the job, who thinks it's okay to stiff people who work for you and bankruptcies are good business practice as long as he doesn't lose any money.  You go for the most qualified, educated, intelligent person who has a proven dedicated life of service to so many others; who has a wealth of experience dealing with those who were across the aisle in Congress, world leaders and whose foundation has helped millions around the world.

Planning to dismantle all the good that President Obama accomplished during eight years of the most vitriolic assaults on his (and his whole family's) character while stifling his ability to  move this country toward a more humane and good world, is the proof that the GOP doesn't give a damn about most Americans, only their religious, bigoted and uneducated agenda and their desire to take away so many rights that Americans hold dear.

I don't tolerate unbelievable stupidity well at all. The next four years will be filled with that, I fear. An ignoramus doesn't become a genius. Trump will remain what he is: a self-centered, power-grabbing, money-grubbing zhlob (isn't Yiddish terrific?) surrounded by people (mostly men) who have designs to make this country what it was back when White men were the only ones who mattered.  This does not bode well for so many and I cry when I anticipate the damage that will be done.

But, it is what it is. I will do whatever I am able to do to combat the stupidity and hatefulness by speaking out or writing about it or signing petitions or whatever I can do. I am encouraged by all the people who want something better for this country than what will be offered for the next four years. And no matter how much damage the Republicans will inflict on us, it will be undone in years to come.  

What do you do in the wee small hours?

In the wee small hours of the morning, when I find it difficult to sleep, I rise from bed and tiptoe into the living room, tap the base of a small lamp, pick up the book  I'm in the middle of reading, settle into the rocking chair and immerse myself in a different world.  It's during these times that worries retreat to a faraway place, so far away that when my eyelids finally start drifting downward, my only thought is to get back to bed before I fall on the sofa fast asleep.

These kind of nights have started to happen a bit more frequently of late. To what do I attribute these sleepless episodes? I'm at a place and age in my life where worrying seems to be walking toward center stage.  My life has been an extraordinary ride, full of excitement, wonder, good times, good health, lots of laughter and much happiness... intermingled with those times that are filled with sadness that happen to everyone.

So, during some of those wee small hours, the book gets put aside and I start talking with myself, having a two-way conversation, you know..... one of those "On the one hand....", then "On the other hand...."  Sometimes those conversations take me all over the place, sometimes they stay right on point, on one particular area of worry.  I've yet to come up with any perfect solutions or clear cut answers to the myriad of questions these conversations raise.  But sometimes, once in a while, the conversation crystalizes enough for me to tap the worry down a bit and convince myself that I or we will get through whatever it is that has to be tackled.  Somewhere, deep down, strength seems to wend its way to the fore, clear my head at least for a while and I feel once again in command.

Wherever I got that strength from I am thankful that so far it has appeared when I need it the most.

So, what do you do in the wee small hours?

Copyright. 2017 © Reisa Sterling Miller. All Rights Reserved

A response to an Arizona Republic article

I'm posting this as a blog so more people will read it.

After reading a column by a local reporter in the AZ Republic this morning, I wrote him the following email:

Mr. Goodykoontz:

Once upon a time, honesty and fairness were considered virtues. Today’s mass media have thrown them out and replaced them with the abdication of all pretense of responsible reporting. Donald Trump and the GOP get to say whatever they want, lying through their teeth with savage, vitriolic words slithering out of their mouths and the media lets all of it slide. The lies are left to boil in the cesspool of public thought, unchecked by the Fourth Estate which silently condones them by their silence and inattention. But, should Secretary Clinton say or do anything about calling out the abominable behavior of Mr. Trump or his supporters, she is pilloried, drawn and quartered by the media. Journalistic ethics have been thrown out the window in favor of creating controversy for the corporate heads who see these tactics as a stream of money for selling more papers, attracting more viewers and listeners and generating more and more profits. As corporate entities own all the media and most big companies lean Republican, it’s easy to see that bias also plays a huge part in what gets reported and how it’s reported.

The media have abdicated their prime responsibility, to present the truth. Your question at the end of your column today: Will the media recover? is easily answered. No, it will not because until profit is taken out of the equation, pandering to a gullible public who eats up controversy and accepts lies as truth will be seen as a money-maker and that, above all, drives the news business today.

Respectfully, 

Reisa Miller

That DASH is not some esoteric concept

I haven't written a blog entry since May.  That's the month when life as we knew it came to a screeching halt. And in the ensuing time, that Dash concept or idea has occupied my thoughts sporadically, at least a few times each week.

The Dash: that imaginary line from the beginning of one's life -------------------- to the end. The Dash: to be filled with all the things that make life worth living: all the actions, reactions, the good, bad and ugly, the positives, the negatives, the learning, the understanding, the caring, the striving, the loving, the uniqueness........ the laughter, the tears.

The Dash: It's a finite length of time, unknown to us as to the length of our own Dash but hoping it will be a long one.  For too many, it's unbearably short.  But even if it isn't, we all think that Dash could go on forever.

Personally, the Dash is now playing a more important role in the life of someone I love. And when the looming fact that the Dash is possibly heading toward its finale, we do everything in our power to prolong it, to coax it, to coerce it, to push it ever onward so that the end is totally out of sight, even if that means draining every resource you have, seeking out every possibility on the face of the earth to make that Dash continue long into the future.  It's a daunting task to ferociously seek out ways to lengthen the Dash but finding strength in a situation like this is not hard.  It is what we do, we humans, who love so deeply that we'll relentlessly find a way to make the Dash continue through its long and winding road.

So, to those of you who understand what the Dash is all about, make sure the space that it takes up is lived to the fullest, with the most happiness, good deeds, good words, humaneness, kindness, good intentions and always, always, lots of giggles.

Copyright © 2016, Reisa Sterling Miller. All Rights Reserved

My Memories of Gramma

We lived in a four-family house in a small, working-class suburb just north of Boston. My Gramma lived downstairs from us, my aunt and uncle lived in the apartment next to hers, we lived above her apartment and the last one was rented out. The house had originally been owned by the mayor of the city many, many years before and was a single family home before it was turned into a four-apartment house.

As a youngster, I was always at Gramma's, my mother's mother. I got a lot of exercise running up and down the back stairs several times a day from our apartment to hers for one thing or another. She had a large stuffed rocking chair in the kitchen. Who had rocking chairs in their kitchen? She also had a small icebox in the kitchen and I remember watching the 'iceman' come to deliver a block of ice when needed. Wonderful aromas emanated from her little pantry where the cupboards, stove, sink and a regular, but small refrigerator were located.

When I was about eight years old, my mother asked if I would sleep downstairs every night to "keep Gramma company." I eagerly agreed to it.  Gramma had a daybed in the living room  and her bedroom was in the front of the house.  I loved sleeping down there. Every night, Gramma would walk through the living room on her way to her bedroom, softly reciting evening prayers, especially the Shema as she went. And I would listen very carefully trying to remember the Hebrew words, not really knowing what they were or what they meant.... only that I knew they meant something really special to her by the way she said them.  But what I strained to hear and try to repeat to myself was really a corrupt version of the actual Hebrew words. It isn't until decades later that I found out how the actual Hebrew was supposed to be pronounced. I remember the moment when I realized the connection between her words of prayer and the real words of the Shema and how, all those years, I had been saying them so wrong!

Every morning, Gramma made breakfast for me and every morning all I ever wanted was her "finekochen", an egg scrambled with cottage cheese and a glass of milk.  She would sit with me while I ate and we would talk about lots of things. Some of those conversations included discussions about the news of the day. That was a treasured time and provides warm memories that I hold close to my heart of someone I loved very much and who loved me so.

Her apartment was a place of safety and refuge whenever I got into trouble upstairs. And she had good hiding places, too! Gramma's house was my second house, a place that was always filled with good food and lots of love.  I know I've written about a bit of this before but, as I get older, I treasure even more what I've experienced in my life. And those memories of my Gramma are some of the sweetest.  

To answer your question, Mark Curtis

Mark Curtis:

To answer your question as to whether there is any candidate that would make me leave my home country............

My husband and I actually had a conversation along those lines today.  If we were younger , say in our 40's we would seriously consider leaving this country if any Republican got into the White House.  The unfortunate thing is that there are so many countries in the world that are not worth moving to because they all have similar problems: bigotry, racism, misogyny, homophobia, unbridled hatred, wars, etc. What it comes down to is we have more people willing to bring their hatred out in the open and actually act on it. Kindness, intelligence, humaneness, care of others, working together to make things good for everyone - those things are slowly being erased from the American scene and replaced by, for want of a better word, idiocy.

Don't you want to live in a country that prepares for the future, not turning it back into the nightmare it used to be for many of our citizens who are not White, Christian and male? The current breed of Republicans seems to base their world view through their Bible, their homophobia, their racism, their greed and hatred. Who wants to live in that kind of world? But that's what the United States will become if any Republican gets in to the White House.

It's a disease

I just can't stand to read the crap reported by the MSM (those corporate shills) anymore. And the crap is supplied by Republicans: the largest group of mealy-mouthed, illiterate, ill-informed, racist, bigoted, misogynistic pieces of the lowest form of humanity.

Republicans: full of hatred, vile, whining little hypocritical bastards who can't understand that the world sees them as super assholes. Their corporate masters pull the strings and their menial peons do their bidding: they repeat the lying sound bites that have been shoved down their throats and these poor shlubs march off toward the edge of the cliff without realizing they've been had.

The Republican presidential candidates can be defined as an intellectual lightweight who reveals his stupidity with every word that comes out of his mouth, has a Narcissus complex and who has no clue what government is all about (Donald Trump); a Dominionist crazy person who wants to Christianize the United States (Ted Cruz) (for a really good explanation of what this movement and Cruz is all about, I recommend you read this blog on jonathanturley.org: https://jonathanturley.org/2013/10/12/ted-cruz-dominionism-and-jesus/); and a nondescript seemingly quiet, woman-hating, brain-cell deficient nut (John Kasich) who is as creepy as the other two.

Republican thinking: It's a virulent disease.

Kindness, where have you gone?

Kindness has taken a hike.  It used to be a distinguishing characteristic of United States citizens. Parents instilled it in their children.  It was practiced everywhere, in schools, in public, at gatherings, in social situations, in business situations (sometimes), even at sports events! But that was then and this is now.

The now I'm referring to is the current cloud hanging over the entire country, courtesy of the Republican candidates running for President. It's not just kindness that has disappeared. It's civility, it's tolerance, it's compassion, sympathy, decency, thoughtfulness, gentleness, consideration.

Trump uses the worst language to describe Mexicans, Muslims, "Others" who are not like him. But when anyone else describes him in a negative way, out of his mouth drops not so subtle threatening remarks insinuating that something dire will befall that person. The entire Republican party engages in cruel, relentless, malevolent, hard-hearted, revengeful, unkind, lying rhetoric all the time to discredit all who don't march to their narrow, zealously religious, Constitution-bashing, anti-everything goose-stepping mentality.

There is a difference between Democrats (Liberals) and Republicans (Conservatives/Tea Party).  One sees the good in a nation filled with a variety of cultures; the other sees only that a variety of cultures is a threat to their way of life.

Being kind to one another should not be an afterthought.  It should be a distinguishing feature that people from around the world think of when they think of the people of the United States. Sadly, the Republicans are destroying what little good reputation we still have among the world community.

We need a Democrat in the White House.....PERIOD.

There's screaming and finger-pointing in the Democratic camp.  Hillary. No, Bernie. Bernie.  No, Hillary.  It should be clear to anyone with an ounce of brains that we're screwed if any of those Republican imbecilic, whiny, dangerously crazy liars running on the GOP side ever gets into the White House.

Any Democrat who'd rather vote for any of those foaming pieces of GOP crap than whoever the Democratic nominee is, is the equivalent of a left-wing Tea Party idiot and can be labeled as incredibly stupid. Our lives depend on electing a Democrat to the presidency.......... period!

If you must, hold your nose and vote for ANY Democrat because if you don't we'll have a country not worth living in, especially for women and minorities and the young and the old and the infirm.  How many of you want to put up with all that GOP crap against women's rights and the rights of everyone who isn't a big, fat, white, ugly, so-called "Christian" male who thinks like a neanderthal?  How many of you want to let your sons and daughters go to war again?

Your lives and your souls will be owned by the extremely rich and the rest of us will wallow in the dirt, scratching for any little tidbit of humanity that the Oligarchs might throw our way.  And there won't be much. And then there's the Supreme Court. We're doomed as a nation if any Republican gets in and THAT'S the bottom line!

Two Sides to Arizona

We are New Englanders, born and raised. We moved to Arizona to be closer to our children and  that's the only reason we moved here. We've been here nearly eight years and these are my thoughts about living in this state .

Arizona is an absolutely gorgeous state.  The sunsets are spectacular with breathtaking colors. The weather is interesting, varied and very pleasant. This is a huge state and contrary to popular notions that this is just the 'desert southwest', Arizona has four seasons.  The northern part of the state is known for excellent skiing and is, in fact, one of the premier skiing destinations in the country.  Spring and fall around the state is a glorious show of gorgeous colors in native plants, from desert to high country.

Arizona skies, sunsets and sunrises, mountains and deserts are a photographer's dream and since photography has become my avocation, I am overjoyed at all the opportunities I get to capture the beauty Arizona has to offer.

We have also managed to meet some really wonderful people here. Interestingly enough, most of them have moved here from out of state, many from back east. Some of them are even related to us. Yes, we have family members who live here, too.

But there is a very dark side to this state. Politically, it's a hell hole. It's run by kooks, right-wing religious nuts, anti-education, anti-environment, anti-open government, pro dark money, money-grubbing, greedy, intolerant, misinformed, self-absorbed and terribly stupid people.

The current governor, Doug Ducey, wants to cut Arizona from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. He cites the backlog of cases. But the real reason is the 9th Circuit leans to the liberal side.

Ducey is also beholden to the Koch brothers. They funneled a huge amount of "dark money" to his run for governor; he has gone numerous times and he's attending the latest "gathering" of Koch 'paid for' politicos and is attended by hundreds of rich conservatives who spend wildly on their candidates to push their agendas and spend wildly to oppose other candidates (read "liberal, Democrat, progressive, all others).  In other words, Ducey is a Koch puppet.

The GOP-heavy legislature is one of the sleaziest groups ever to run a state. They have stolen money from kids, the poor, the infirm, veterans, schools.... the neediest who live here in order to cut taxes for the rich and corporations.  They've kicked people to the street, made it a crime to be homeless, made it their business to dismantle the public school system and championing charter schools who take public money with no accountability. One of our legislators runs one of the biggest charter school systems in the state but doesn't see a conflict of interest.  Ninety-eight million dollars has been cut from the state's public universities and Ducey thinks he's terrific for restoring eight million!  Arizona ranks 48th in education spending and the Superintendent of Public Education has no background in education at all.  All she does have is an 'R' next to her name, nothing else that would qualify her for such a position.

The Arizona legislature isn't bright enough to understand how to meet the needs of its people. It waits for its marching orders from the likes of ALEC, the Center for Arizona Policy run by Cathy Herrod, both of whom actually writes legislation. She's ultra-conservative and has managed to involve herself in the running of the state as if she was an elected official.

People, here, don't understand the danger of the Right Wing Nut jobs who run the state. It's a "My way is the only way" stunted, misogynistic, unintelligent, bigoted, racist, bullying kind of thinking. A caveat: Arizona is not the only state afflicted by the Dark Side.

So, on the one hand, we have amazingly gorgeous scenery, weather, some good friends and of course, we're close to our sons.  And then there is the The Dark Side that is Arizona politics. The good outweighs the bad by a long shot because it will remain as wonderful as it is. And The Dark Side, well,  that will change because there is always hope that the nutcases will be voted out and more intelligent heads will finally prevail.  If the state is to survive, that will happen sooner rather than later.  And that's a good thing.

Am I glad we're here in Arizona? Yes, as long as I concentrate on the parts that I love: close proximity to our sons; my photography; the weather (which makes me feel good); the scenery; the friends we've made; the benefits of warm weather casual living (never having to shovel snow, fall on ice, wear layers of clothing to keep warm, skidding down the highway) and a myriad of other wonderful things that make Arizona wonderful and unique.

Conversations in my Head

I'm positive I'm not the only one who has experienced this.

I'm driving around town and a thought runs through my mind. It may be something I needed to remember or part of a list of things I need to do. More likely, though, it's a few words or a sentence either from the radio or in conversation with someone riding with me that proves to be the impetus for an idea for a blog post.  It becomes a running conversation with brilliant points being made, cogent sentences and it could go on for a few minutes.  My last thought is:  Will I remember all the ideas and points that just ran through my head long enough for me to write it down?  More often than not, by the time I get anywhere near my computer or a notebook or just a piece of paper, the thoughts are in the wind, long gone, out the door, disappeared and lost in a puff of wind.

The same thing happens as I'm about to fall asleep. The thoughts come swirling through my head like a locomotive barrelling though the tunnels of my mind. I get up to make notes and it's as if the doors to the locomotive have opened and all the ideas have flown the coop, down the tunnel and are, once again, in the wind.

I can't tell you how many incredibly wonderful blog ideas I've had in the last few years that have never been written as brilliantly as when they were writing themselves in my head.  I need a recorder in my head, something, where I can just push the button to record all those incredibly intelligent streaming thoughts and ideas and have them available for playback when I'm ready to write a blog.

A tape recorder, even attached to my body, isn't the answer. Many times, when these attacks of brilliance happen, I'm not alone and appearing to talk to myself when in the company of others gives rise to a whole host of other problems.

I do have a fairly decent memory, though, so dear readers, rest assured that the posts you do read here are carefully thought out, at least in the beginning.  That stream of conversation I experience elsewhere has a habit of showing up once I actually start writing about something.

Now, where was I?

She Walks with the Spirit...She Reaches the People

When I had my radio talk show in Connecticut, I had the distinct privilege of having Retha Walden Gambaro as a guest on my show.  She had come to New London to display her sculptures "Attitudes of Prayer" at the Ya-Ta-Hey Gallery.  I realized during our conversation that I was sharing airtime with an incredibly special woman.  We became friends as a result and Warren and I were graciously invited to spend a weekend at Retha and Steven's home in Stafford, Virginia.  On the Saturday of that weekend, Retha and I sat down in her living room and she proceeded to tell me her life story which she asked me to record.

She walks with the Spirit….She reaches the People

As we settled into the luxury of overstuffed couches to begin our interview, I marveled at the grace and beauty of the woman seated near me.  At the tender age of 85, Retha Walden Gambaro exuded not only the strength of her ancestors, but a love for all that surrounds her.

Retha Walden Gambaro, born of a Creek Indian mother, is a sculptress who has captured the essence of Spirituality in an amazing 38 piece exhibit she calls “Attitudes of Prayer.”   As a child, Retha says, she loved to touch things and remembers receiving lifelong spiritual messages from the touching.  As a grandmother and great grandmother, she wanted to pass on to the children in the family the spiritual messages that come with prayer.

After her last child left home, Retha decided it was time to do something for her.  She bought canvas, paints and brushes and, nothing happened.  Her husband, Steve, kindly suggested that perhaps she should trash the canvas.    Minutes later, a phone call from her friend, Lois, changed the course of her life.

Lois insisted that Retha was a sculptor because she had seen a big green cheese frog Retha had fashioned for a party.  The two bought 25 pounds of clay and Retha started working with it.  As she saw something emerging from the clay, it was as if she wasn’t doing it.  She was overcome by emotion, the tears streaming down her face and she realized she had a gift.  She says many times when she is truly inspired and doing something that comes from deep within her, it’s as though she is receiving a gift instead of giving something.

Retha didn’t begin any formal lessons until another friend, Elizabeth, encouraged her.  She had done 3 or 4 small sculptures in clay.  Elizabeth saw a bust Retha had done and sent her a note with a check to cover a six week summer course at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington D.C.   Elizabeth’s note ended with “G-d has given you a gift and this money is just to help you polish it.”   Retha was 52 years old.  But, she says, she’s been in training most of her life without really realizing it; by the way she observed life around her.  

She went to the Corcoran and was taught by Berthold Schmutzhart.  After the six weeks, he called Retha out into the hall and told her, “I don’t give A+’s, but my wife and I have been talking about you and we feel that G-d has given you a gift and we want you to share our studio for a year to polish that gift.”  He knew nothing of Elizabeth’s note.   At the end of that year, Retha and Steve bought a studio and her career as a sculptress began.

“Attitudes of Prayer” was an idea born of the need to help children learn that praying is something that can be done anywhere, anytime because it can be done silently and children should be encouraged to do that.  She began with small simple things that children could come and help her sand.  They would talk about the sculpture and she would help them realize that the sculpture was a prayer.

Retha recalled that as she and her grandmother, whom she idolized, walked under the cottonwood trees and along the Salt River in Arizona, she never heard her pray out loud, but somehow, Retha knew she was praying.  Retha finds sacredness in the silence and peace that comes from within one’s heart.

The 38 sculptures range from 8” high to over six feet tall, with names like: ‘Gratitude’, ‘Prayer for Deliverance’, ‘Exultation’, ‘Child’s Prayer’, ‘First Prayer’, ‘Meditation’, ‘Unity’, Supplication’, ‘ Warrior’s Prayer’, ‘Acceptance’, ‘Mourning’, and ‘Peace.’  They were created, not as an example of any organized religious group, but as a universal spiritual feeling that many people experience without words. 

“Attitudes Of Prayer” is the central theme of Retha’s life.  She feels that her life has been one long blessing with the experiences she has had, the people she has met and, the spiritual force that has been with her and within her for as long as she can remember. She calls this force, this spiritual thing,  ‘Love’ and she finds it everywhere she goes and within everyone she meets.  As a young child, she always knew that she was never alone, that there was some sort of protection surrounding her.  This strong feeling has propelled her into the creative life she enjoys now.

Her studio in Stafford, Virginia is crowded with pieces in various stages of completion.  She has done commissions for the Marjorie Merriwether Post Pavilion in Washington, D.C. …colleges .... Pfizer Pharmaceuticals ........

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

At this point, we stopped recording and just continued to talk about our respective families and lives and our spiritual backgrounds. That weekend was a life-changing experience for us.  Warren and I had never been in the presence of two people who loved each other more, radiated spirituality, goodness, graciousness and love in every word, in every movement, in every look, in every touch.

Retha, born December 9, 1917, in Indian Territory, Oklahoma, left us on September 9, 2013.  Warren and I were blessed to be in her presence, to have known this kind, gentle, talented, lovely woman who filled the space around her with goodness, love and serenity. I think about her often and count her among the best parts of my life.

                                     

Retha Walden Gambaro, in her studio in Stafford, Virginia.

This country is already in Hell, courtesy of the GOP!

I'm at the point where I want a large number of people to disappear from the face of the earth, recede into the woodwork permanently, be forever silenced, be exiled and never to be heard from again.  How many different ways can I say this?   All of these people I want silenced are Republicans.

I'm just totally and completely fed up with the hatred, stupidity, fear-mongering, war-mongering, lying, greedy, racist, misogynistic, bigoted sons of bitches who think internment, identifying badges, Christians only, God above the Constitution, denigrate and silence women and minorities, feed the rich and starve the poor shit is what the United States is all about.  Where the hell did they come from?

Every day, some more crap slithers out of their lying, frothy mouths. Who, in their right mind, would say the drivel, the swill that they come up with?  Is there some sort of contest among these crazies to see who can think up the most outrageous, non-sensical, claptrap utterances with the prize being a seat at the White House?

Not one of the current load of crazies running for the GOP presidential nomination has enough mental ability - intellectual acuity to run a sewage plant. They play to the worst rage in humans and feed it until it explodes.

I just can't stand that this country is so full of idiots in the form of gun nuts, tea baggers, right wing Christian lunatics, all of them filled with intense hatred of those who are not like them and don't mind  unloading that hatred on the rest of us.

My anger runneth over and under and around and through.  Honestly, a deathly plague on all their houses.

So, I've actually done the things I love

I've actually worked in three different professions during my working life: elementary school teacher; radio news broadcaster/reporter/talk show host; and law office manager. Loved them all, but REALLY loved the radio stuff.

Among the things I would have loved to incorporate into my working life was singing and playing the drums and photography and tap dancing and acting and researching and writing.  Realizing, of course, that I probably couldn't make a living doing many of those things, I managed to work them into my life in other ways.

Ah, the singing part! Alas, my singing has now been restricted to vocalizing in the car, sometimes quite loudly and swaying a bit to the beat.  I think that was because as a teenager, someone indelicately described my singing voice as sounding somewhat like a file on a tin table.  I didn't sing much after that.  However, the kind director of my junior high glee club allowed me to be part of it anyway.  I sang very softly.

I played piano for a while as a kid but didn't go far enough with my lessons to become really proficient to be able to sit down and play anything confidently.  Nevertheless, I enjoyed making some music and played at home for many years until we moved to Arizona and sold the piano so we didn't have to move it!  I do miss it, though. During my teen years, I purchased a set of bongo drums which I still have.  Every once in a while I bang out some rhythms.

I was brave enough to offer to play some instruments in my college music class.  I was given a glockenspiel and that was fun but a bit too heavy for me to handle.  I switched to the bass drum and that was a hoot! So, bongo drums and the bass drum, sounds and rhythms I dearly love.  I think I would love to have my own drum set.  My love for music rubbed off on my younger son who is an incredible guitarist and owns an audio post-production studio in Phoenix where he gets to be musically creative with his clients.

I became a teacher and was allowed to be creative with my lessons. I taught in my home town, at an Air Force base and in Connecticut: all were very different situations where I could incorporate many of the things I love.  Writing lessons that would inform, inspire, and generate a desire to know even more became a lesson in creativity for me.  But it was one well learned. My students brought out the best in me and I think I did the same for them.  I remember many of them with great fondness and hope that they have gone on to have really wonderful and productive lives.

While working in radio, I wrote news reports, made sure they were factually correct and delivered   fluently over the air. I also had the chance to do special, multi-part reports. A favorite was a three-parter on Russian immigrants who had settled in our local area.  Interviewing them, editing the audio, writing the story, adding music...one of the best experiences of my professional life.  But the MOST fun was interviewing people on my talk show.  Politicians, entertainers, authors, artists, a sculptress, attorneys, doctors, heads of every social service agency in the county, teenagers and senior citizens were all on my show. We covered every topic under the sun and I learned a lot as did my audience. When I think of that experience I know I was really lucky to have been in the right place at the right time.

Even at the law office, the experience of meeting so many interesting people and learning their stories held a special fascination for me.  This is where I learned that "justice" is not always "the law."  That was the source of some very lively conversations in the office.  My expertise in critical thinking was honed to a fine point here!

I've been in several amateur shows, plays and musicals where I had the chance to tap and sing and wax poetic.  And over the years I've always had a camera in my hands.  Photography seems to gallop in this family, on both sides.  Almost half a dozen family members were or are wonderful photographers and one, my older son, is a photojournalist for Getty Images.  And since moving to Arizona, photography has become my avocation.  I get to be creative with my photography and that makes me happy.

And..... I write this blog.  This has given me the chance to do the writing I've always wanted to do, writing about a lot of things, some personal, many on politics, current events, religion, sports (professional and college), dogs, music and just whatever piques my interest. And my interests are legion.  Oh yes, I read......voraciously.  Books of all kinds litter the house, all in various stages of being read. I go from one to another and pick up the threads as if I never put the book down.

So, when I think back to what I've actually done over the years, I can sit back, smile and enjoy the memories while I contemplate making new ones.

Copyright © 2015, Reisa Sterling Miller.  All Rights Reserved

Back and forth with Sen. John McCain

This is the reply I got from Sen. John McCain when I wrote to him about Planned Parenthood.  Below that are the comments I shot back to him.

On Aug 26, 2015, at 1:54 PM, Senator John McCain <Senator@mccain.senate.gov> wrote:

 August 26, 2015

Ms. Reisa Miller
(my address)

Dear Ms. Miller:

     Thank you for contacting me regarding the recently release videos depicting senior executives of Planned Parenthood discussing the organization's practice of harvesting and selling the tissue and organs of unborn babies.  I appreciate you taking the time to share your views on this matter with me, and while we disagree, I understand your position.

     As you know, abortion is one of the most heavily debated social issues and it often invokes strong emotions from its supporter and opponents.  I am sure you are also aware that I have long opposed abortion and have consistently voted against federal funding for abortion-rrelated activities.  Because of my strong belief in protecting the sanctity of life, I found the videos regarding Planned Parenthood, and the apparent practices being discussed the videos, to be appalling.  With this in mind, I recently joined 42 other Senators on a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell questioning the legal, ethical, and policy implications of the footage and calling on the Department to cooperate with future investigations into planned Parenthood practices.

     I believe that society has a moral obligation to protect the unborn, and this obligation cannot be considered insignificant or irrelevant.  The Supreme Court's ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Casey did not overturn Roe v. Wade, but it did affirm the right of the individual states to determine whether and how abortion services could be regulated.  Therefore, I encourage you to let your state legislators know your thoughts on this issue.

     Again,, thank you for sharing your views with me.  I hop you will continue to share your thoughts on other issues of mutual concern with me, as I am sure that we will find that we agree on a number of these issues.  I look forward to hearing from you again.

Sincerely,

John McCain         United States Senator  JM/eh

My Reply:

Aug. 26, 2015

Dear Sen. McCain:

 The videos have been shown to be doctored.  Yet, you won’t admit that you’ve been duped. You continue to reside on the bandwagon of sound bites and deny the truth because it doesn’t suit you. Are you just too old to do your own thinking?  97% of the services Planned Parenthood provides are essential and life-saving services for women of little means.  Your position just tells me that you don’t care whether these poor women can access these medical services. And what you don’t understand is that no one WANTS an abortion but that women must have the right to LEGAL services and to make their own decisions about their own medical needs.

You’re an old, White crotchety male who has no right to stick your nose in any decisions women have the right to make. And you’re really wrong and a hypocrite about the so-called "sanctity of life” you profess to protect when you and your Republican gang constantly eradicate safety nets that help children, the poor, the elderly and everyone who is not part of your rich, White corporate world.

You are being led by the nose, you spout the same ideas every other Republican utters, you have nothing to offer, no empathy for the majority of citizens.  No, we don’t agree. And I can’t wait for the day you are no longer in the Senate and the harm you and your GOP cohorts perpetrate on us  will be, at least, diminished by one.

Sincerely,

Reisa Miller

Chandler, AZ 85225

Copyright ©2015, Reisa Sterling Miller. All Rights Reserved

Hypocrite, thy name is Republican

The definition of Hypocrite would show one word: Republicans.

Swiftboating John Kerry (D) for his Vietnam service (3 Purple hearts), Max Clelland (D) who lost three limbs during his service in Vietnam and Tammy Duckworth who lost her legs and who was told to shut up about her military service, but coming to the defense of John McCain because an insignificant twit like Donald Trump spits out an obnoxious comment about McCain's service. Trump, who got three deferments and one medical deferment, spent his time having lunch at swanky restaurants, should choke on every bite of food he consumes from now on.  He's a schoolyard bully, belligerent, and highly vindictive.

Republicans have defined and refined the word hypocrite since, at least, Ronald Reagan, who proved to be just an actor in an empty suit.

Hypocrasy about Obamacare, once hailed by the very Republican Heritage Foundation and originally instituted in Massachusetts by, horrors, a Republican governor, Mitt (Is that a real name?) Romney.

How about all the Republicans who voted for the US to go to war but continue to deny veterans the benefits they need when they come home broken and injured!

How about the war on women?  Republicans don't call it that but women are the victims of their assaults on reproductive rights, equal pay, personal medical decisions etc.

And the hatred for everyone who is not white or Christian from the party of "family values", the one where white and/or Christian pedophiles are apparently okay (Dugger, priests), oft-married whites are okay (Gingrich, Trump, and so many others).................

We have home-grown terrorists who are white, Christian, Tea Party members but the GOP doesn't talk about or acknowledge them.  Much of the murder committed in this country is done by white males. But the GOP blames Blacks, Muslims (even those who are American citizens) and or immigrants (legal or otherwise) for everything.

What it all comes down to: Republicans never take responsibility for the atrocious, horrendous, unfair, racist, misogynist, extremist positions they espouse.  They simply point fingers and blame their opposition for doing the same things. Republicans/Tea Party extremists are not the same as Democrats/Liberals/Progressives.  The GOP and their minions are incredibly backward, nasty, unintelligent, seemingly crazy, sometimes really stupid, hard of heart, greedy and have taken lying to a new level.  They are ISIS, the Taliban, Al Qaeda all rolled up into black suits, red ties and white shirts.  They are on a mission to serve up the United States to their paid masters.

They really should change the name of their party to HYPOCRITES UNITED, INC!  That's much more honest.

And for the record, this is strictly aimed at the legion of double-talking Republicans who make the news, not my Republican friends who still have hearts and brains and eschew the craziness of their party. I have not painted the ENTIRE GOP with  a broad brush, just most of them!


Copyright ©2015 Reisa Sterling Miller All Rights Reserved

Chicago Botanic Garden--Simply Gorgeous

Recently, my husband and I visited the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, IL for the second time.  It's described as a living plant museum and, indeed, it is. The first time, we took a train ride through the over 385 acres.  This time, we leisurely strolled through the gardens just enjoying the absolute beauty of the place.  Here is a sampling of that beauty.  ENJOY!

Copyright © 2015, Reisa Sterling Miller.  All Rights Reserved

Driving? Yeah. Flying? Not So Much.

I would rather walk across the United States than get on a plane and fly.

How was I to know that flying wasn't going to be a great experience for me?  My first clue: Leaving Logan Airport on the first leg of our honeymoon trip, we start to taxi down the runway.  My head starts to scream and swirl, my mouth is desperately holding back the urgency to vomit and the sweat is pouring down my face and neck.  By the time we get up in the air, I'm like a crazy woman digging my nails into my new husband's hands and desperately looking for a way out of this monster tube I'm in.

By the time we land in New York (at the wrong airport) I'm a basket case. Northeast Airlines has become two of the dirtiest words in my vocabulary! We have to helicopter to the correct airport.  It's really hot in the helicopter, no air conditioning, the priest on the flight is ripping his collar off and I'm looking for the door! We land and run to catch our next flight.  I run to the bathroom to vomit. I hear "Last call for BOAC flight to Bermuda" but I'm still hunched over the toilet. My new husband runs into the ladies room, finds me and drags me to our flight where the flight attendant is handing out cold towels. She looks at me and shoves two down my blouse and slaps one on my forehead.  I sit and promptly go to sleep.

BOAC is serving filet mignon on the flight. The aroma wakes me, my tray table comes down, I take one look at it and my husband enjoys both portions. By the time we get to Bermuda, I am green, faint and don't do well on the bumpy ride to our hotel.  As far as flying, it's all downhill after that.

It's been almost 49 years since that first flight and I have flown back and forth across this country visiting family and friends.  None of the flights have been wonderful for me.  I've endured some particularly bad ones (for me) where I've landed with weak knees, green to the gills and trying to keep the vomit from spurting out.  But, I continue to get on planes because it's the fastest way to get from here to there, especially in emergencies and there have been a few.

My plane anxiety has lessened somewhat since I started gulping down Dramamine by the bucket, chewing ginger (which I don't like) and packets of gum.  I can almost manage a coast to coast trip without ripping out my husband's throat.  But plane trips are becoming a less frequent occurrence.  And even though I sincerely would love to travel to Israel (our Rabbi is taking the gang---for the third time) I just can't get on plane for a trip that takes more than twelve hours and goes over the ocean!  And I no longer will fly to anywhere in New England during the winter or anyplace where there is snow on the ground.  Nope, not going to do it.

So, if I'm not going to get a filet mignon or cold towels on any future flights what's the point?  Considering the hassle it is to fly today i.e. no legroom, no food, charged for everything, small seats, lost luggage, the TSA, high ticket prices, ad nauseum, I won't be doing a lot of it, just what's necessary to keep seeing family and friends.  I'd just rather they come here. Besides, my husband rather likes the skin on his hands.

Flying!  What keeps that damn  plane up anyway???

So, you think you " support our troops."

All over the Internet there are memes that have the words: "I support our troops" along with photos of service people, active duty, retired, lost in combat, graves at Arlington, etc.  What do those words actually mean?

How many of us say those words or share those memes, especially on Facebook?  And that's the only thing we do.  We even fly the American flag from our homes and cars, we attach red, white and blue magnetic ribbons and decals on our cars to proclaim our support.  What does that do? Nothing.

Do we actively try to find a job for a vet who doesn't have one?  What are you doing about finding that homeless veteran a safe place to stay?  Do you donate time and/or money to legitimate groups who actually do these things for veterans?  How, exactly, do you support our troops?

There are those who demonstrate their support by actively and physically doing things to make veterans' lives better.  There are those who can send money to legitimate groups who help make veterans lives better once they come home.  These people are wonderful and I'm grateful that they do what they do.

But, like Congress, if you "support" the troops when they are off fighting in other countries but don't give a damn when they come back by not electing people who will support them physically, emotionally, making sure they can get jobs, housing, benefits (that were promised), top-notch health care and education, then you don't support the troops.

Talk is cheap. Posting memes on Facebook or slapping a magnetic ribbon on your car is cheap.  Back it up with real action, physical or monetary.  But back it up.  Don't make your words ring hollow.

A Source of Money

People aren't lives.  They are a source of money.

I've lost two dear friends to cancer in the last fifteen months.  Each passed away about six months after diagnosis.  While I still can't wrap my head around the passing of such wonderful and young women, I feel intense rage at the machine that continues to rake in money through costly treatments that, for the most part, don't result in cures.

With all the money donated over so many years, ostensibly to fund the research to find a cure for this goddamn disease, there hasn't been the breakthrough I, and millions of others, expected..... a full cure for all of the different types of cancer.  This horrible malady should have been eradicated years ago.

What goes into "so-called" treatment?  Weeks, months and sometimes years of ingesting chemical cocktails, all in the hopes of "going into remission".  Even being in remission for a certain number of years is no guarantee that this dreaded disease won't come back in some form or another.

And the money for all this "hope"?  It all goes to the pharmaceuticals who reap in HUGE profits on the drugs they hawk, the researchers who find bits and pieces to the puzzle but never really come up with enough significant results to wipe it out completely, the cancer charities (some of whom are bogus like the few just shut down here in Arizona).

We are lulled into thinking pink ribbons mean something.  They don't.  "Running for a cure" is an admirable thing to do but that money raised goes partly into someone's pocket (sometimes a lot of it) or pays for the outlandishly expensive drugs (because profits, you know) or pays for telemarketing calls begging for more money, and, yes to research where finding A CURE FOR ALL CANCER still seems to be very elusive.

There are cures out there.  There has to be but Big Pharma would lose an enormous amount of money (profits) if they became widely known.  To them, people aren't lives.  They're a source of money (PROFITS).  And so I lose friends. I feel rage. And I cry because that's all I can do.

I'm your next blog!

Okay, I was going through my FaceBook page and came across a funny meme. I wanted to read it to my husband who was watching television.  I asked him to mute the sound and watched while he poked the remote here and there, changed channels, brought up the Guide and generally looked bewildered trying to "mute" the damn thing.

I just couldn't hold it in any longer and proceeded to split my sides laughing and laughing and laughing.  I was guffawing so much I couldn't read the meme to him at which time he said to me, while laughing, "I'm your next blog."

The TV remote seems to be a complete mystery to him.  I think, sometimes, that he'd prefer the old buttons on the TV.  To say that he is tech-deficient would be an understatement.  But he sure does provide the reason for a lot of laughter in this house which he good-naturedly endures.

Still laughing so hard, I managed to croak out to him that I'll do the blog and include the joke.

Here it is without the photo of Bush accompanying it:

Donald Rumsfeld briefed the President this morning. He told Bush that Three Brazilion soldiers were killed in Iraq. To everyone's amazement, all of the color drained from Bush's face, then he collapsed onto his desk, head in hand. Finally he composed himself and asked Rumsfeld, "Just exactly how many is a brazilion?"

So, here's to my husband, who always provides the funniest off-the-cuff moments.  No wonder I have so many lines on my face.  They're all laugh lines!

I'm sick at heart

The violence in Baltimore is making me sick.  I understand the utter despair and rage of those who are rioting but those acts of destruction only make things worse. Freddie Gray's death was unbelievably horrendous, an immense travesty of justice, a symptom of police brutality and policing getting out of hand.

It shakes my belief that law enforcement officers, police officers are supposed to "Protect and Serve". I am not an African-American but if I was, I'd be scared out of my wits to walk on a sidewalk, drive a car, walk to school, or do anything in public that normal Americans usually do for fear of being shot, bludgeoned, kicked or choked to death by a racist guy who works as a cop to "legally" act on his hatred of "others".

And I do believe that there is much more hatred toward African-Americans, Latinos, LGBTQ and all 'minorities' because Republicans and the Supreme Court have encouraged the legalization of racism through laws, state by state.

I cry because I don't recognize this country.  It has become an unsafe, scary, hate-filled place to live for so many people.  The only light shining on this country is the light of bigotry, misogyny and hate.  The goodness of individuals is overshadowed by the boots of the white and rich coming down on the necks of those who have so little power.  We have lost our democracy and humanity.  I don't think we'll get it back any time soon unless there is a sea-change in attitude toward all of humanity that every single person deserves respect, kindness, a helping hand when necessary and every person is worthy of dignity, consideration and courtesy.

My "conversation" with Senator John McCain regarding net neutrality

I recently wrote to Senator John McCain regarding net neutrality.  This is his response to me and below that, my reply.  It remains to be seen whether there will be any more communication.

April 10, 2015

Dear Ms. Miller:

     Thank you for contacting me regarding the issue of network neutrality.  I appreciate your taking the time to share your views with me.  I have been closely monitoring developments in the net neutrality debate as they have quickly unfolded in the months since the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia struck down the FCC's 2010 Open Internet Rules in Verizon v. FCC in January 2014.

     As you may know, on February 26, 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to approve a 317-page plan to regulate the Internet by classifying broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act.  The Commission's party-line vote will dramatically increase the government's role over our nation's broadband by treating the Internet as a public utility under federal regulations that were originally created for monopoly-era phone companies.

     Over the last two decades, the Internet has flourished under limited government oversight.  I have long opposed efforts to increase the government's control over our nation's broadband, and believe the FCC's action will undermine the innovation that has allowed the Internet to become what it is today.  Allowing businesses to thrive without burdensome regulations is the best stimulus for our economy.  This is a matter for Congress to carefully consider and correct.

     Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding network neutrality.  Please do not hesitate to do so regarding this or any other matter of concern.

                                        Sincerely,


                                        John McCain
                                        United States Senator

MY REPLY:

April 14, 2015

Senator McCain:

You're very much mistaken if you think I believe your reasoning.  Regulations preventing your big corporate friends from screwing the rest of us is what's needed.  You're just a shill for your very rich friends who want to control every damn facet of our lives.  What you think of as "burdensome regulations" are what's saving the average person from being drowned by rich corporations.  For further proof just look at the Internet overseas where the cost is significantly less and the speed is greater.  Without regulations, carriers here would slow down usage for those who pay less and favor more affluent businesses and individuals.  This would help your campaign contributions but would do little for the middle class and would certainly stifle the poor.

Can you explain what regulations have stifled US carriers' innovation so as to prevent them from coming close to providing services comparable to those in other countries?  The spectre of carriers creating a tiered Internet which would surely place burdens on most Americans but allow the rich unbridled access is most disturbing.  Your propensity (like all your Republican cohorts) for favoring the rich over everyone else is abhorrent and very un-American.

I strongly disagree with you and your position and, like me, we are numerous.  Regulations keep things fair and safe.  If you can’t see that, it’s time to pack it in.

Reisa Miller

___________, AZ

 My email address appeared here.

News reporting and a conversation with an Arizona Republic columnist

I was a news reporter on the radio many years ago.  I read news stories off the wire but only after I checked and edited them, if necessary, for clarity, accuracy and essential content to keep the meaning clear.  My own news assignments were done the same way: written for clarity, accuracy and essential content.  It's a job I truly loved and wish I had had the opportunity to make it a life-long career.

I read an article in the finance section of the Arizona Republic yesterday and something jumped out at me.  I decided to write to the columnist about it and this is the result.  What do you think about this exchange?  My thoughts about it are at the end of the blog.  

Russ Wiles is an accomplished personal finance writer who is the co-author of two books on mutual funds. He's been with the Arizona Republic since 1991 and covers anything to do with money.

Our email conversation began here..........

Dear Mr. Wiles,

I was interested in reading your Sky Mall article in today's AZ Republic until I got to the paragraph that included the following, "Many of the firm's senior executives and employees are Orthodox Jews, according to the Fast Company article."

Since that kind of information is not germane to the story what possible reason would you have to justify including it other than to play to a negative stereotype?  Would you have written the same sentence had those people been Catholic or any other religion?

I don't think you meant it to be offensive but it was.  If that statement jumped out at me, I'm sure I'm not the only one who took umbrage at it.  I'm probably the only one, though, who has taken the time to write to you about it.             

 Will you please enlighten me as to why you included such an irrelevant statement?  

Thank you for your attention.

His reply:

On Apr 1, 2015, at 12:14 PM, Wiles, Russ <russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com> wrote:

Hi Reisa,

Thanks for the note. I’m sorry you found the reference to Orthodox Jews to be a negative stereotype.

Mr. Pikarski seemed comfortable discussing it, and other press reports about C&A have mentioned it too.

I find it unusual and interesting, at least for a company with an Arizona presence.

Catholic-owned firms aren’t uncommon in Arizona but might be in other parts of the world.

Russ Wiles

Finance and money writer

The Arizona Republic |azcentral.com | 12 News

My reply to the above:

Mr. Wiles:

Mr. Pikarski may have seemed comfortable discussing it but that doesn't mean it needed to be in the article unless he specifically asked you to include it.  It simply was not germane or pertinent. I don't know what someone's religion has to do with the purchase of a company (unless, of course, it plays into "Hobby Lobby" problems later).

It's  a red flag to me and probably others.  I've been a news reporter and I would have specifically asked my interviewee for permission to use that kind of information, although I don't know why it would be included.

It was an interesting article but, in my opinion, the information in question was just not necessary.  I appreciate you getting back to me so quickly.

Reisa Miller
Chandler, AZ
reisamiller@cox.net

Again, I heard from Russ Wiles:

On Apr 2, 2015, at 8:42 AM, Wiles, Russ <russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com> wrote:

Hi Reisa,

I’ve been thinking about your Catholic comment in more depth and, yes, there are several situations where I can envision citing religion in some cases.

For example, if SkyMall was purchased by a group of Catholic nuns or Syrian Christians fleeing ISIL or Baptists who all attended the same mega-church in Gilbert, then I think we would definitely mention those situations and possibly give them more play than one sentence near the bottom of the article. Granted, it’s a judgment call, and I still don’t think the Orthodox Jew reference was negative. But I also agree that it wasn’t terribly significant, so I did remove it from the online version of the article.

 

Anyway, thanks for the feedback.

 

Russ Wiles

And my reply to him:

Russ:

You have a great sense of humor.  I assume you’re not Jewish and may not be familiar with the subtleties that some words/phrases conjure up when used in certain ways.  But enough on this.  Thank you for removing it from the online version.   It’s removal doesn’t change the point of the article.

Your interest in following up with me is greatly appreciated.  Thank you for doing so.

Best to you…..

Reisa Miller

Chandler, AZ

reisamiller@cox.net

My thoughts about this exchange:

When I wrote to Mr Wiles, I wasn't sure I'd get a reply.  I believe Mr. Wiles listened to what I had to say and explained how he came to write what he wrote.  The fact that he followed up tells me that he's more than a conscientious reporter.  That he ultimately agreed with me enough to make an adjustment to the online version is secondary to the fact that he took the time to reach out to me.   I deeply respect someone who cares enough to follow up on an email, act on it and not just dismiss a reader's concern.  I know this was a small concern, but he acted on it.  That's impressive .