Progressive Diary
Progressive Diary offers informal observations on progressive life and governance.
Fiddles and Democracy—March 2011
Twelve musicians sat in a circle, fiddles in hand, as the instructor played a tune with short shuffle strokes and then with long saw strokes. I sat across the room with pen in hand, watching and listening as a lesson in democracy began to unfold.... Read more.
Mid-term Elections across the USA—October 24, 2010
The mid-term elections across the USA rarely draw as many voters as the presidential elections. But keep in mind that every election is another chance to vote for democracy and against the growing consolidation of corporate wealth and power that is eroding our democracy....
Democrats Killed Health Insurance Reform—Updated March 31, 2010
My wife Elizabeth and I live in Minneapolis, but we aren't much different from any family anywhere in today's America. We both work full-time, have kids, and don't have much money to spare. I'm worried about how we are going to pay for health insurance in the coming years.....
Reading Thomas Jefferson—February 10, 2010
I have been reading letters of Thomas Jefferson. In every letter there is a love of language, not only as something beautiful or captivating but, more importantly, as something necessary for arranging the ideas on which our society is built....
Thanksgiving Every Day—November 26, 2009
One evening when my family and I were saying our thanks at the dinner table, thanking the farmers who grow healthy food for us and the many people whose work enriches our lives, our little boy, age five, asked a very sensible question: Why are we thanking the farmers if they aren't here and can't hear us?....
Resources Reorganized at DemocraticPromise.org—August 29, 2009
The various entries formerly thrown into a grab-bag section of the DemocraticPromise website called "Resources" are now better integrated into the site. Commentary has been pulled out to form its own section and still includes Progressive Diary and Essays....
The Federal Budget Plan and Real Progress—May 1, 2009
The federal budget plan the US Senate and House agreed to in April moves America another step toward a renewal of democracy and prosperity. As progressives, we all need to ask our representatives for even more assertive progress on all fronts going forward....
Barack Obama and the Question of Delivering—January 3, 2009
Leading up to the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama, I have heard a lot of people asking aloud whether Obama will be able to deliver all that everyone expects of him....
Holiday Shopping—December 14, 2008
Shopping for the holidays this year, we have found a wealth of great American-made gifts....
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