I began traveling the world as a boy; how fortunate I was. My trips took me to London, Paris, Moscow, Berlin and the Asian Pacific islands. I met those “figures” of history: Churchill, Hitler, Stalin and FDR.

What a time I had. I enjoyed my first airplane flight; we were “up-in-the air” for a week, circling the Chesapeake Bay, learning about re-fueling a twin-engined Douglas DC-3.

Douglas Aircraft's DC-3, was configured as the C-47 "Gooney Bird"transport for the U. S. Army Air Corps. (Public domain photo)

Those youthful trips, no matter the historical context, didn’t eclipse the opportunity to meet baseball heroes Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, baseball’s famous or infamous commissioner Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis, who straightened out the nation’s pastime, and many others of that bygone era.

Recently– in my seventh decade–I was in London getting a first-hand look at Buckingham Palace. The news was Prince Harry was coming to Washington, D. C. this week. Durn it, I didn’t get an invitation.

My memories of those world travels were sparked recently. I’d read that some members of our local governing body suggested closing a library as a budget savings. Egad! The line “little thinkers are big stinkers” floated across my mind.

War Correspondant Ernie Pyle at a field desk, WWII. (War Dept. Photo)

In my youth, when a boy could walk without fear to the public library, I took advantage of the book shelves as my interests abounded. One of my favorite people was the great war correspondent Ernie Pyle. A real newspaperman!

I also read popular columnists of the Forties, Broadway’s Earl Wilson and his “It Happened Last Night.”

I never missed the wide-ranging banter of New York’s Walter Winchell in print or the radio, “Good Evening, Mr. and Mrs. North America and all the ships at sea, let’s go to press.”

New York gossip columnist/radio personality Walter Winchell. (File photo)

Now, I’d be a bit remiss not mentioning columnist and writer Damon Runyon, known for his “Guys and Dolls” and Sky Masterson stories set in the “Roaring Twenties.” There are others, too, and I absorbed all of this great history and writing on the ground floor of my hometown library. 

Libraries are treasures of every county, city, town, and schools of all levels.

When politicians start cutting library budgets or shutting down hours of service it’s time to get up in arms and put the “arm” on the politicos.

Time this young reader spent in the library was pleasure, dreaming and learning about the world. While modern technology is absolutely stunning, my days of meeting world leaders, visiting national parks and reading about sports and movie characters shaped my world. 

It was also fun to read Clarence E. Mulford’s books. His novels were about the western hero, Hopalong Cassidy. In his books Mulford, a New Englander, created Hoppy as red-haired, a cusser, a smoker, tobacco chewer and a fighter.  It was later in the television shows I learned that Hoppy became a clean living, silver-haired horseman of the storied Bar-20 ranch.

To this day, I recall the five-day flight in the DC-3. I didn’t need parental approval for the flight, even though I was just eight years old. “Bill Black” was the star character of the book. He wasn’t selfish in his flying and allowed us all to pilot the plane. In my imagination, it was flying high and low over the Chesapeake Bay, Tangier Island, up around Baltimore and back. 

I looked forward to those days, which were usually Wednesdays and Saturdays. I walked to the library, where I spent hours in the quiet room with newspapers, magazines and books. “Google” wasn’t around in those days of yore and we weren’t spoiled by the largesse of the internet.

Image of Sherlock Holmes (right) and Dr. Watson from "The Strand Magazine," which published adventures of the storied London Sleuth.

Oh yes, I also became acquainted with Sherlock Holmes. What a time it was. A few weeks ago, I was in Crowborough, Sussex, England. A statue of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Mr. Holmes’ creator, overlooked the village from the town square. A few blocks away, I visited Sir Arthur’s home, now housing senior citizens. On other trips, I’ve visited Mr. Holmes’ second-floor apartment at 221-B Baker Street.  You’d be surprised how many people think Sherlock was a mortal.

Let me admit, without the library I never would have learned to fly an “aeroplane,” interview such worthies as Churchill and Mr. Roosevelt and learn about Drew Pearson, one of the early journalistic “muckrakers (I love that word).” 

One day, I read about baseball’s Babe Ruth, who could eat a dozen hot dogs, drink a half-case of beer and then hit home runs. Fact or fiction, it was fun reading.

H. L. Mencken, home grown pundit of Baltimore SUN. (File photo)

One of my happiest days, though, came when I accidentally met Henry Louis Mencken, the Baltimore newspaper editor and author. I’ve thanked him since for such works as “Happy Days,” “Newspaper Days” and “Heathen Days.” 

Would-be journalists (I prefer the term “newspapermen”), who haven’t read and enjoyed Mr. Mencken, are not educated.

The idea that libraries are too costly for communities is short sighted. 

Mencken’s quote is perfect: “A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar.”

I’ve paid my dues to The Mencken Society; I’ve also paid my taxes and I say simply, keep the libraries open, especially on weekends and holidays!—©2012 Harry M. Covert

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 This story also appeared at www.thetentacle.com and is used with permission of the author and The Octopus LLC.

 You may contact Mr. Covert at hmcovert@thecovertletter.com

If a house divided cannot stand, why do Americans choose to partition themselves?  Shared experience can unite people of different cultures and is part of what helped this “melting pot” of a nation survive all these years.  So how are we doing it?

Growing up near a military post in a growing suburban area, I was exposed to people of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.  My school and church environments showed me that we were all Americans and children of God despite the diversity in the area. 

After moving to Buffalo, I was struck by how Western New York residents celebrate diversity.  Many houses have a flag outside, indicating what they perceive themselves to be: Italian, Puerto Rican, Irish, German, Polish, and others.  I see American flags at public buildings, fire houses, and the like;  I do see a few “Don’t Tread on Me” flags, but rarely the Star-Spangled Banner.

Are Buffalonians more proud of their ethnic heritage than they are of themselves as Americans? 

There are festivals during non-snow months for everything from Dyngus Day, a traditional Easter Monday celebration from Poland, to the Puerto Rican Day parade, which has no historical basis.  There are also the standard U.S. diversity events: Martin Luther King Day, St. Patrick’s Day and a Gay Pride celebration.

It was more difficult to find non-diversity related festivals, such as Taste of Buffalo, Buffalo Wingfest, and Elmwood and Allentown Art festivals.  One thing I could not find was a Memorial Day Parade in the City of Buffalo.  For that I have to get out of town.  Independence Day gets a concert and two nights of fireworks, aside from the latter we are left to celebrate on our own. 

Even the Juneteenth Festival gets more attention; a 5k race, a parade, and for the rest of the weekend, Martin Luther King Jr. Park is filled with street vendors, crafts, food, music, and all manner of celebration. 

Our government is basically a two-party system, indicating that most of our leaders are members of one of the major parties. You’ll see the split between Democrats and Republicans if you find yourself going to a town hall meeting,  or watching a U.S. House of Representatives session.  They quarrel like children, their statements punctuated with accusations of evil on the other side of the aisle.

Conceptually the two parties decide what they like, then compromise.  Dictionary.com defines compromise in a few different ways: “a settlement of differences by mutual concession;” or “an endangering, especially of reputation; exposure to danger, suspicion, etc.”  So, when a compromise is reached, neither party gets what it wants. 

Abraham Lincoln quoted Jesus’ declaration, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”  How has the House of Representatives “stood” this long? The news media regularly reports failings of the GOP, or missteps of Democrats.  Media covereage can incite public violence, as in the death of Trayvon Martin. 

We are all Americans; we have not had a uniting event to remind us since World War II. 

The“War on Terror,” which began Sept. 11, 2001, was a shared experience of global proportions, but has dragged on almost 11 years and has become an unpopular war, dividing us as did the Vietnam War. This internal tumult not only undermines our authority to exert global influence, but becomes an international embarrassment. 

Jesus tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Is seems time to accept our identity as Americans, find common ground with our American neighbors and stop dwelling on what separates us.  Every citizen in These United States can tell you what is broken, so let’s start repairing the house from the inside.–©2012 Patrick M. Covert

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Mr. Covert writes from Buffalo, N. Y.

(FREDERICK, Md.)—I returned this week from a wonderful reunion with my high school class of 1961 in Newport News, Va.  A common theme was the quality and integrity of teachers and administrators in our school system, which handed us diplomas having value. We were ready for work or college!

Consider that many students attempting to enter Frederick (Md.) Community College must take remedial English and math classes just to start their quest for a bachelor of arts/science degree.  This prompts the question: What has happened to education here?

Several weeks ago local teachers began protesting rejection of a significant pay raise in the 2013 county budget  by ”working to contract.” That means they clock in and clock out; no more, no less than is required in their job descriptions. It is a concept ordered by Frederick County Teachers Association (FCTA) union leader Gary Brennan, who fails the “Character Counts” criteria. Mr. Brennan’s fantasy campaign of lies and distortions to justify teacher raises has been easily discredited.

More money or else, he demands, in an economic environment where entitlements threaten local government solvency. The union suffers a self-inflicted black eye.

A review of pay charts reveals most Frederick County Public School (FCPS) employees earn competitive salaries. Teachers are not leaving and commuting does not inhibit their desire to teach here.

The voters’ revolt two years ago brought in new school board members who forced retirement of then Superintendent of Schools Linda Burgee (PhD). Theresa Alban (PhD) was choice of the school board’s selection committee, undoubtedly based on her credentials as chief financial officer of Howard County (Md.) Public Schools.

There have been no enlightened education initiatives from Dr. Alban or the school board, which used a scimitar to excise what it thought was a culture of corruption and academic malaise.

Wresting control of the FCPS checkbook seemed the political imperative. Writing checks based on a hoped-for windfall of money is not fiscal responsibility. We need to fund plans to refurbish crumbling school facilities. Teachers and administrators must wait their turn.

Dr.  Burgee had qualities I found in my high school teachers. They, too, were committed to their vocation. They felt an urgency to help us succeed, spending hours before and after school to help us overcome challenges of learning English, mathematics, science, history and government.

My teachers wouldn’t understand “working to contract.”

One of Dr. Alban’s first orders of business was to dismiss “with prejudice” several of Dr. Burgee’s administrative staffers, citing “incompetence.” It was a show of power, highlighting a clumsy and amateurish “takeover” of the school system.

Education is more than getting rid of the discredited TERC mathematics curriculum, or sanitized history and social studies textbooks. My grandson’s second grade experience brings no joy to me or to this capable and loving child. I could teach him arithmetic better using what I learned as an A-plus student in eighth grade math—my senior year.

My classmates’ success is indicative of our high school experience. They are owners/operators of international corporations; secondary school and university educators, writers, doctors, lawyers, principles in music and New York theater and successful community leaders.  Several athletes achieved success as high school and college coaches.

Our city school board members were products of the quality secondary and university education network. They took advantage of liberal arts and specialized curricula, which lost emphasis in the turmoil of the 1960s.

I fully support our community college’s approach to helping students get started, but continue to perceive that many four-year colleges and universities are on a downward academic spiral! Beautiful and modern campuses and alumni contributions don’t necessarily equate to quality education.

We visited our old high school, which now is owned by the U. S. Government to house U. S. Navy personnel assigned to ships being built or repaired at Newport News Shipbuilding. We were allowed to walk past the former principal’s office and found ourselves recalling there could be no good outcome from a call to see the assistant principal or dean of women. Once the principal was through with us, our parents were the next challenge.

What a sad reality that a local high school student recently had the courage to assault a teacher, who was escorting him to the principal’s office for being disruptive and using foul language.

Consider, too, a teacher in a failing Montgomery County (Md.) school was told recently she needed to identify more with her students, to dress like them and speak in ethnic vernacular in order to be a better teacher.

Bad manners and disruptive behavior cannot be excused! We have lost focus because we are afraid to offend an ethnic group or individual.

I hope successful local school board candidates in November’s election will show more than their self-serving rhetoric, which appears to attack symptoms and not the “disease” infecting teaching/learning in education here.

We can never truly “go back home,” but I did, realizing a greater appreciation for my academic roots. Would that Miss Suttle, Mrs. Nettles, Miss Maguire, Miss Wise and so many others were here to guide our children. I am indebted to them.—©2012 Norman M. Covert

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 This commentary also appears at www.thetentacle.com and is used by permission of the author and The Octopus, LLC.

You may contact Mr. Covert at nmcovert@thecovertletter.com

(Buffalo, N.Y.)–I am a member of the “Internet Generation” so it probably comes as no surprise that I use internet resources for everything from news to shopping, education and entertainment.

I was there when “AOL-speak” took root in the youth of America. I faintly recall a time before “lolz” and “omg” “pwned” us all (for an explanation ask someone mid-twenties and younger.)

Many conversations with my coworker Dave start with, “Since when did THIS language become acceptable?”

Typically our next action is to peruse wikipedia.com® or reference.com® to find the answer. Usually entries have listings for its proper usage, or proper spelling, with a side note concerning “slang” or “common usage.”

The modern world’s lack of concern for basic rules of the English language is a constant irritation. I see how it inhibits effective communication.

The English Language is dynamic and alive, constantly evolving as it has since before the Battle of Hastings in 1066 AD. Normans invaded the British Isles and influenced global change.

The Normans also injected a new dialect to fold into and further evolve “Old English.” The natural progression of a language follows and adapts to its purpose of communication.

We must both know the same language for us to effectively communicate. Furthermore, we must both follow commonly accepted rules of the language.

It was a population’s common usage in 1066 that defined its rules. Now we have PhDs, linguists, books by author Noam Chomsky and The Holt Handbook. We have countless English dictionaries, including the revered Oxford, or more common Merriam-Webster. Yet when I interact with the general public, any assurance that we speak the same language is gone.

Topping the list of my grammatical irritants are:

their/there/they’re;

disrespect (it isn’t a verb!);

also “dis”; “yo”; “word”; “ain’t”; epic fail;

and a basic lack of proofreading.

I admit to some ‘failures’ employing the “King’s English.” I was raised in public schools, a social environment where knowing the lingo can be the difference between outcast and insider status. I try to employ a mix of the good grammar heard in my parents’ home, ’90′s pop culture slang and a bit of the New Yorker/Canadian “urban” from here.

Writing for public consumption is a different story, as it should be for anyone who wishes to be taken seriously. One of the attractions to writing is the opportunity to be patient about composition, taking my time to ensure effective communication.

My internal censor may be found wanting at times, but that is no excuse. My goal is to attempt intelligent and thoughtful composition of thoughts.

Verbal communication between two persons can be a challenge, but might there be hope for the mass media?

USA Today surprised me last week. I read glaring typographic errors among six articles that lead to abandoning the paper out of frustration. I was first diverted by a photograph for which the caption described priests lying “prostate” (of course you know that is a gland, try “prostrate”).

So I turned on the television and what did I see? A car ad spoke about the “oh twelve” Hyundai. I own an “oh six” Scion; should it be a “double oh six”?

What happens to my faith in the source if I cannot read the newspaper or watch a car ad without errors overwhelming the message?

Dailysource.org published an article on problems in the media, citing a poll from 1999 that found 35 percent of newspaper readers found grammatical errors multiple times each week. I could find no date on the article, but odds are that the numbers are worse today.

I suppose when you consider the average reporter with a Bachelor of Arts degree earns $33,000, the old adage “you get what you pay for” rings true.

The website also cites deadlines and bottom lines as the chief culprit for the typo dilemma. I conducted further internet research and found a never ending supply of hilarious misprints, forgotten substitutions and wrong photographic captions.

One link, though, caught my attention: “Regret the Error” by Craig Silverman or, “How Media Mistakes Pollute the Press and Imperil Free Speech.”

Off to the library I went. I found the book, along with its two “best friends,” and after reading for hours found more than I needed.

My original thesis here was that minor annoyances such as typos or layout mistakes could undermine a reader’s faith in the reporter. Silverman cites James Reason, whose theory of “error traps” takes some of the responsibility off the individual reporters and lets editors and corporations bear their fair share.

Silverman also declares that editors who gloss over basic mistakes probably don’t do much fact-checking.

Furthermore, 84 percent of Americans trusted their daily news source in 1985. That number dropped to 52 percent in 2004. Every week I read business reports of venerable newspapers laying off reporters and production employees, losing money, beset by other corporate problems undoubtedly because they failed to evolve with the digital revolution.

Can newspapers afford to lose what little customers they have remaining?

As I read about yellow journalism, I feel a modern frame of reference. Simply watch the evening news, look at newspaper headlines, or watch commercials for the hundreds of “talk shows” which pollute the airwaves these days. You will see a relationship to the socio-political quagmire in which New York City was mired at the turn of the century.

I feel as though newspaper titans like Hearst, Pulitzer, and Sulzberger could be Fox, CNN, and CNBC. We may not hear the outright lies of 1897’s hard-core journalism, but when a young, attractive anchor regularly says, “Stay tuned, the next story could SAVE YOUR LIFE,” I feel the need to change the channel.

What does the foregoing have to do with bad grammar? The premise that someone who is careless enough to err on basic grammar may have already laid off the fact checkers and will do anything to attract viewers to earn advertising dollars.

Journalism has been long regarded as the “Fourth Estate,” a public watchdog for the government, which is supposed to check-and-balance itself. If journalists continue to allow their craft to be degraded, there may be a time when they fault themselves out of a job.

Without a voice, “The People” have no assurance of the process and the other three “estates” have no input from their constituency. When that happens, I suppose I’ll just get my news from Dave. LOL.–©2012 Patrick M. Covert

Patrick Covert writes from Buffalo, N. Y.  He welcomes your comments.

The Christian feast of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) seems to have come early within some chapters of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

Tongues of fire, not from the Holy Spirit, are leaping from its national headquarters attempting to blunt calls to restore “Jesus Christ” to the 2012 Chaplains Guide/Missal. Washington D. C. denizens call this “back channel chatter.” Public DAR sites do not mention the new guide books for chaplains.

D.A.R. President General Merry Ann T. Wright (DAR official photo)

The word from President General Merry Anne T. Wright, National Chaplain Laura Marcella Reid and the governing board, is aimed at shushing local chapters who are guilty of “circularizing” information on the changes and urging members to express their objections to national.

President General Wright reportedly has requested that chaplains be “sensitive” at all times (to other faiths). She says there was never a mandate either to use Jesus’ name, or not say His name. In addition the DAR insists Jesus’ name is not “banned” – rather it “requests” chaplains to “pray in the name of God, without referencing Christ.”

When she began her four-year term in 2010, one of her goals was to affect “change.” The nebulous term included refurbishing Constitution Hall,  its national headquarters near Independence Avenue.

She may not have been privy at the outset to the project to revise the guide/missal, which may have been in the works several years. It may be the kind of “change” she would have wanted left to her successor in 2014.

PG Wright commented on her daily blog this week that volunteers and staff at headquarters have been exceedingly busy the past three weeks, but no mention was made of the prayer issue.

Chaplains are asking why revisions were made in the first place. The volume offers “guidance” on traditional prayers from invocations, to benedictions, dedications and special occasions, which have always been an important part of DAR rites.

The previous guidebook, they point out, contains Christian and non-sectarian prayers. Some critics also have proposed incorporating prayers ascribed to such founders as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

Some members have complained you cannot ignore that “Jesus Christ has just been removed” from the national guidance! They feel the Judeo-Christian foundations of the DAR and their personal faith are being rejected.

At the core of the disagreement, critics say, the Ritual/Guide/Missal is “completely devoid” of Jesus’ name. The insult continues, they add, pointing out the Easter section contains the name “Jesus,” but only mentions the “Christ Child” in the Christmas guidance.

Chaplains are especially irate that the Christmas Day prayer ends “in the name of peace and love.”

Venerable Constitution Hall, national D. A. R. headquarters. (D. A. R. photo)

The latter statement certainly roils members, who identify “peace and love” with the counter-culture of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Hippies, Yippies, Yuppies and a variety of protestors rejected the notion of American patriotism, which is embodied in its history, culture and flag–which was often burned in anger.

“Peace and love” sounds nice, but the battle cry is decidedly anti-American in its origin and therefore does not fit in the history and traditions of the DAR.

In recent remarks to state leaders, President General Wright redefined the DAR as a “secular hereditary society,” another point of contention for those who cling to original roots of the organization.

Personal feedback has been immediate and supportive among members who read our The Covert Letter commentary “What’s In His Name?” (Tuesday May 1, 2012).

Their personal angst called attention to pro and con discussions burning up cyber-space since the changes were made public. Sadly the issue is setting compatriot sister against sister. We learned more than one chapter meeting turned sour over mention of the new guidance.

Unfortunately the issue also may ultimately see the resignation of some long-time members of the organization. They are descendants of American Patriots who fought or provided patriotic service in the American Revolution.

These wonderful ladies and the DAR have a long record of keeping fealty with the heroes of the Revolution, honoring their memory with monuments and ceremonies, including marking graves of soldiers. The spirit of patriotism has been nurtured by the DAR and it is hoped a compromise can be achieved.

With the 2012 National Congress due to convene in June, there isn’t much time find a compromise that will sit with the critics, however sources contend an addendum to the guide/missal might be in the works. There is no assurance it will see the light of day.

We applaud one unidentified daughter, who believes she must spread the word to all members in hopes a compromise can be achieved. She quotes St. Paul’s admonition in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me.”

As we opined in the first commentary, the personal discourse is certain to cause wounds which will be difficult to heal. The heart of the DAR remains at the local level and “Big Sister” has no way of spying on them.

Whether Jesus’ name continues to be a part, we know He remains in the hearts of many and you cannot legislate faith. We wish them “peace and love.”–©2012Norman M. Covert

A concerted effort is underway here and abroad to silence the message of hope and salvation preached by the acknowledged Prophet Jesus of Nazareth and recorded in the No. 1 bestseller “The Bible.” For the record, He is “My Guy.”

Some ideologues tremble at the historical record of His birth more than 2,000 years ago; His ministry; His arrest and torture by Roman soldiers and Jewish San Hedrin; His crucifixion at Golgotha; or His witnessed resurrection from the dead. It has been an enduring story of hope and salvation.

Stars in circular array are features of so-called Betsy Ross Flag of 1777. (NMC Photo)

Most of all there is fear and trepidation among the ideologues hearing or invoking the name “Jesus”— given to him by God, Our Father in Heaven, the Supreme Being.

Is it possible the distinguished, elite Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) has surrendered to social pressure and joins so many American institutions banning the use of Jesus’ name in invocations and benedictions?

Yes! Believe it, Pilgrim, except for Easter, they submit! Political correctness has come to this institution, which was founded by those whose ancestors “pledged their lives and fortunes” in the cause of American independence.

The DAR is separate from the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), which so far is adhering to its Judeo-Christian heritage. Our local chaplain said, “Jesus,” at the semi-annual meeting and no expressions of shock came from the assembly.

“I am the way, and the truth and the life,” Jesus was quoted in the Gospel of John 14:6, “no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”

Saying it wants to be “inclusive,” the DAR dug in its heels last week in the face of an overwhelming number of emails, letters and phone calls to change its stance.

Nevertheless, DAR President General Merry Ann T. Wright refuses to rescind the latest “guidance” on ritual prayers. Mrs. Wright apparently enjoys the backing of her 11 board members.

State and local chapters nationally are up in arms over the new guidance and have flooded national headquarters with letters, emails and phone calls.  Members claim they had no indication such radical changes were being incorporated.

With the 2012 DAR Congress set for Washington, D. C. in June, the amended rituals and missals were “made available” in February.

The DAR admits it has made misguided decisions in the past. It claims mea culpa, living with the rejection of Black Contralto Marian Anderson, who was scheduled to sing to a mixed racial audience at its historic headquarters in 1939.

Contralto Marian Anderson's rejection by the DAR a self-inflicted would yet to heal. (Public domain)

Then First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s intervention embarrassed her DAR compatriots. Ms. Anderson was given the opportunity to perform an Easter Sunday concert that year before hundreds of thousands of spectators at the Lincoln Memorial.

The disagreement over Jesus’ name has become so intense that back channel messages warn that chapters and members who reject the new guidance may be subjected to legal action. The latter may include expulsion from the vaunted organization of women, who claim fealty to their patriot ancestors.

President General Wright apparently challenged one state chaplain who was concerned that so few members knew about the radical change in policy. Word spread quickly and sparked resistance from members.

DAR headquarters warned that the NSDAR attorney would possibly be contacting the chaplain, adding that “disciplinary action will result” if she continued “circularization” about the missal.

Other state chaplains verify Mrs. Wright sent messages to them in March containing the same admonition to cease and desist the awareness campaign.

Mrs. Wright and the DAR have stepped into the cow pies on this one. This controversy won’t play out for several years and much hard feeling will result from it.

A few years ago local city fathers voted to have different persons offer prayer before official sessions. Guidance was to pray in accordance with their beliefs and practices. However, there was dismay when a Christian alderman ended his prayer in the name of “Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 

“And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the  Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. If you love me you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:13-15).

Marian Aderson (at left in front of piano) performs to the throng at the Lincoln Memorial, Easter 1939. (Public domain)

There seems to be no question about “official” guidance in offering prayer and supplication to the Almighty.

I was encouraged during my tenure as local president to convene an advisory panel of Rotary International clergy members. It was charged with recommending guidelines for those offering the invocation each week. One member insisted he was offended by the use of Jesus’ name.

The panel recommended and the club approved that anyone offering the prayer/blessing would have the freedom to pray in the manner to which they were accustomed.  Afterward most Rotarians, including me, capitulated, using phrases like, “We ask this in Your name,” just to keep the peace.

The Boy Scouts of America does not forbid using Jesus’ name, but avoids controversy using the Philmont (N.M.) Ranch Prayer: “For food for raiment, for life, for opportunity, we thank thee O Lord.”

Army chaplains also are instructed to pray in the manner of which they believe and are accustomed. You might see a mixture of closing affirmations that include various forms of the Lord’s name, sometimes even “Jesus.”

Veterans organizations don’t  mention Jesus’ name in its ritual handbooks , but don’t forbid its use.

The DAR’s internal hemorrhage on this issue will have no short term solution. It’s reputation may hinge on clinging to its Judeo-Christian roots.

Mrs. Wright may have meant well, but the national membership will eventually prevail.  In the end, Jesus would counsel Mrs. Wright and her board, “Go and sin no more.”—©2012 Norman M. Covert

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Ladies and Gentlemen, I happened upon an interview last month in a National Public Radio (NPR) program as I drove to the local mecca of capitalism to buy socks.  The interview was with Brian Lamb, who is stepping down as the chief executive officer of C-SPAN.

 As I got home, new socks in hand, I was inspired to watch C-SPAN’s live coverage of the U. S. House of Representatives. The general debate was related to repeal of provisions of the Protecting Access to Health Care (P.A.T.H.) act, or H.R. 5 of session 112.

I have never watched such debate before, but it definitely held my attention.  The rules of order were closely respected by most representatives and it made for a well-balanced debate.  These men and women are highly respected by their constituents, who expect them to represent their interests in Washington, D.C.  I assume they are intelligent and educated individuals, some introduced by a professional title (“Doctor” or “Lawyer”) in addition to the state and district which they represent. 

Speakers were separated into two factions, those who authored the P.A.T.H. Act and those against it.  Each speaker, pro and con, was convincing.  Each representative, in his own right, was passionate and made great arguments—until they started the familiar, “You don’t want this because you’re Republican,” or, “Democrats are evil, bloodsucking vampires, like ‘Twilight’….”

Ok, maybe I paraphrased.  I read H.R. 5 thoroughly so I could understand what I had watched.  The arguments each side had against the others were either blatant misrepresentations, or carefully worded half truths. The bill has merits, but it contains some redundant “common sense” statements and vague wording open to interpretation. 

I am torn if I had to vote for or against this bill.  Do I think these are good ideas? Yes.  Do I think we need more laws to govern what an intelligent and logical jury should do anyway? Absolutely not!  We supposedly still govern ourselves. This bill takes away power from a jury and contains multiple statements requiring the jury to be misled.

“The jury shall not be informed about the maximum award for non-economic damages.”

A funny thing is: I could not have actually known facts about the bill from listening to these politicians.  I could not have made a decision listening to the debate.  Partisanship is making our government move like a two-ton canoe in the mud, rather than the swift and efficient sports car it should be. 

If every day is like this, it is no wonder nothing gets done in Washington. 

As retired Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) said, “‘C-SPAN’ should put the cameras in the cloak room.

“The cloak room,” he added, “is where intelligent and spirited conversations happen, not on the Senate floor.” 

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(EDITOR’S NOTE: The H.R. 5, the P.A.T.H.  Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives 223 to 181 on March 22, 2012, and awaits consideration in the Senate.)

Patrick M. Covert writes from Buffalo, N. Y.

Trending on Twitter @twitter right now: “Is the digital world killing creativity?”  Thank you Pete Cashmore @mashable for this enlightened statement.  Adobe Systems Incorporated @adobe commissioned the survey which spawned this question.  Of course Adobe likely intended this, because their latest product, “Creative Suite 6,” just hit the shelves. 

This simple survey has people thinking about creativity.  Is this an innocent trend survey or brilliant marketing strategy?

Mashable.com displays the info-graphic results of this survey.  In a nutshell, more than half of Americans surveyed believe themselves creative, yet one in four doubts that he/she is achieving their creative potential.  We also believe our institutions are stifling creativity. 

More Americans believe themselves more creative in contrast with a global population, yet we believe Tokyo, Japan, to be more creative than New York City.  Keep in mind, this study was simply a survey of 5,000 global residents, and was not based on any other empirical evidence.

Americans feel employers value productivity over creativity, according to the survey.  I would have thought this to be obvious. 

Who pays the bills?  I @crashwny know that if I do not perform the “billable tasks” expected of me, I am no longer of value to my employer.  My company @ruralmetro needs to have revenue to pay me.  Therefore, if I produce, I am valuable and I continue to get a paycheck. 

Most of my time at work involves repetitive tasks which allow me to be ready for that five percent of the time when I have to come up with creative solutions.  Do I feel my creativity is stifled at work? No, not when working at the core objective of my profession, although I also realize that my creative solutions to operational problems are completely ignored. 

When management is notified about an operational problem of which they already are aware, they tend to turn “off,” no matter what the non-management employee has to say.  It is cubicle farming 101, and that’s what MBA’s are for.

 Oscar Wilde @wit_of_wilde said, “Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation.” We Americans have been discontent since the 1600′s when our ancestors started leaving their homelands to come to these shores.  Surveys like this prove we are still discontent. 

Discontentment in our workplace drives individuals to innovate from within, or leave and start their own businesses.  Discontentment within our educational institutions should drive students to become educators and advance schools to higher standards. 

A college underclassman’s discomfiture with his social atmosphere at a university became Facebook.

So what does all of this have to do with the digital revolution which surrounds us? 

Adobe doesn’t reveal the answer.  Business and Legal Resources, hr.blr.com – not on Twitter, published results from a 2007 survey, which gives a similar picture.  Eighty-five percent of respondents reported themselves as creative and only 63 percent of those said their jobs tap into their creativity. 

The gap between the creative and those who are allowed to be creative is still over/under 25 percent.  The digital revolution had less hold on society in 2007. Could I make a conclusion about digital media and creativity based on this data? 

Mashable has no historical evidence to support its hypothesis that the digital age is to blame.  Adobe says nothing about technology being to blame.  And I cannot find a similar study done prior to widespread use of the Internet.

I check my three social media sites every day;  Twitter™, Facebook™, and Google™.  One of my favorite “people” is Karine (@artsoholic). She is primarily on Google and fills my data stream with new art every day.  We think and discuss the meaning behind the art, sometimes with the artist themselves joining the discourse. 

Kevin Smith @thatkevinsmith is one of my not-so-favorites.  I look past his constant shameless self promotion to see his constant shameless productivity, which spans all available media.  He is a prolific filmmaker, writer, actor, and producer.  He has a web-based radio station, releases daily podcasts and tours North America doing live shows. 

Finally, and soon to be on Twitter is The Covert Letter www.thecovertletter.com . This sporadic release blog is my inspiration and my outlet for the written word.  It aids and abets broadcast of my opinions, thoughts, and ideas to the world at large.

I say to Mashable and Adobe: In the future please do actual research and compare with research by others to at least pretend to back up a statement, which millions of Twitter users are “tweeting” about worldwide.  The new digital age, in my mind, gives us a broadcast outlet for our creativity and it is up to us whether we use it wisely.

Or we can be like @julianastrong1, who uses current trends along with an attractive profile picture to spam Twitter users, which I suppose is also a creative way to advertise.—©2012 Patrick M. Covert

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Patrick M. Covert writes from Buffalo, N.Y.

 A long-time friend took notice of my commentary last week on Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, saying she thought I had underreported the number of victims in the Holocaust. She was, of course, correct in her understanding.

However, my citation that six million Jews died in the Nazi death camps from1932-1945 is accepted by historians. Apparently it wasn’t clear that I was referring to the genocide of European Jews alone, purpose of the Yom Hashoah declaration of the Israeli Knesset in 1953.

Jewish Twins at Auschwitz, victims of Dr. Josef Mengele, Angel of Death.

My friend is correct that a more accurate accounting of the persons who died in the reign of Nazi terror amounts to at least nine million. Some even say 12 million.

The nine million figure includes persons determined by the National Socialists to be out of the mainstream. Among the group, they identified homosexuals; mental and physical “defectives;” children of non-Aryan descent; persons with unacceptable political beliefs; and religious “zealots.”  

Also among the victims were selected twins from Jewish families and Romanian Gypsy children, all of whom were subjected to the horror of Dr. Josef Mengele’s surgical knives at Auschwitz-Berkenau, Poland. The Soviet Army liberated that complex in January 1945.

Being of Germanic ethnic heritage spared none of the foregoing victims from the network of horror in occupied Europe. Victims came from 35 countries. Historians agree that some three million Poles died in the camps along with another one million Russians captured by the German Army in Operation Barbarossa, invasion of the Soviet Union.

Nine million victims may be a low number, but the actual number will always elude historians because of the magnitude of Nazi ethnic and human “cleansing.”

We should point out that German Chancellor Adolph Hitler and his brutal henchman Martin Bormann are considered primary conspirators in the liquidation of European Jewry, the “Final Solution.”

German troops, both Waffen SS and Bundeswehr, followed their battlefield victories with all manner of brutality. They herded men, women, children, elderly, infirm, artists, musicians, lawyers, tradesmen and professional practitioners to the trains and trucks to be shipped to points unknown. This was the ultimate “profiling” under martial law.

Box cars were crammed to capacity with holocaust victims sent to various Nazi death camps in Europe.

The accommodations for these victims aboard cattle cars were brutal; their destinations dreadful and murderous. We still have no genuine understanding of the privations they endured. As more years pass new generations will find less likely their ability to empathize.

What a tragedy that the Hitler regime could dismiss with so little remorse the humanity crushed under their jack boots. The victims’ history, traditions and religious beliefs weren’t what we call in modern parlance, Politically Correct (PC).

Their lives bespoke no support or understanding for Hitler’s abhorrence of Jewish influence in the modern world through banking, commerce and the arts. The perceived political opponents occupied the sphere of Hitler’s influence in Western Europe and some locations in Eastern Europe.

View of watch tower and barracks at Dachau concentration/death camp, near Munich.

Sixty-seven years ago Allied military units began overrunning the network of death camps as World War II drew to an improbable close the first week of May 1945.

The crush of Allied victories on both fronts bared the tragedy of the camps for the world to see. I noted the liberation of the Austrian Mauthausen complex May 5, 1945. Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945.

News Correspondents embedded with the units, filed dispatches which screamed across the Atlantic and exploded on the American conscience. The truth about the Holocaust decried what had been a systemic denial by the Roosevelt Administration and the mainstream American press when reports leaked out in the mid-1930s.

Dachau, just outside Munich, Germany, was liberated April 29, 1945, and had a mixed population of Jews and non-Jews.

We arranged a visit to Dachau for 45 members of a Middletown, Md., Boy Scout Ski Explorer Post and their leaders in 1985 as a side visit to a European ski excursion. We marveled at the awe these teenagers displayed seeing the ghostly barracks and artifacts. They will never forget the experience.

Reichsfűhrer Heimlich Himmler inspects labor conscript at Dachau ammunition factory. (Dachau collection)

It is the numbers that continue to confound and astound. Six million? Nine million? More?

Archives of the U. S. Army, the British Imperial War Museum, and German repositories contain still and motion picture evidence of the atrocities. Photographs reveal mounds of corpses, open trenches containing remains in disarray, crematoria with human ashes, stocks of gold teeth, clothing and anything of value seized by the Nazis. The evidence cried out for justice.

The Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal, replete with lawyers, a suitable number of defendants, guilty verdicts and sentences to hang, all reported by the swarm of news correspondents, failed to offer closure to victims’ families. The heart of Europe lay in the graveyard of its own undoing.

I was reminded by Dr. Harvey Levy, who is mentioned in the original article, that his personal losses in the Holocaust included three grandparents and numerous uncles, aunts and cousins.  His heritage is the norm, not the exception. 

Time doesn’t really ease the pain for him and the numbers don’t count anymore.

Never again!—©2012 Norman M. Covert

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(Editor’s Note: Yom Hashoah observances began last Thursday, April 20, and continue to be conducted throughout mid-Atlantic region this week. President Barack Obama was keynote speaker Monday, April 23, 2012 at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.)

You may contact Mr. Covert at nmcovert@thecovertletter.com

(FREDERICK, Md.) — We love compliments, but perhaps the most succinct to arrive this past year came from David Virtue, D.D., who maintains a first-class blog. David wrote in response to an article: “In’Covert’ible!”

Thank you, sir!

Norman M. Covert

When elder brother Harry Covert bequeathed responsibility to me for publishing The Covert Letter™  in late January 2011, we wanted to assure his devoted readers there was no cause for alarm. Harry didn’t go anywhere; he is next door. He remains editor emeritus and you will see more of his writing soon.

We have tried a number of “tweaks” accomplished by our tireless techie Leia of Power Studio. You have noted your appreciation for the photos and art accompanying each article. We believe it helps tell the story and enhances the presentation. We seek to make it an easy site to navigate and hope we are making progress on your behalf.

Reader comments and emails tell me you like the opportunity to read from guest columnists and those we have introduced as Editors at Large. Tom McLaughlin was retired as a high school teacher and lives in Borneo, where he served with the Peace Corps 40 years ago. You also met another retired/still active educator and math team coach Nick Diaz. He dug into his pre-teen past to write a thoughtful series on Cuban refugees. He promises to do more when not enjoying the weather from the seat of his motorcycle.

Harry Covert

More recently you had the chance to read back-to-back commentaries by my son Patrick Covert, who gives you his contemporary view of life in These United States. There is more to come from Patrick, who lives with his family in Buffalo, N.Y.

I was also pleased last year to publish two commentaries by cousin Juanita (Gaines) Ellis, who writes from Williamsburg, Va. She provided insight into the divided city of Jerusalem; Israeli challenges sharing the Holy Land with neighboring Palestinians; and looming threats from Egypt, Syria and Lebanon as a result of the so-called “Arab Spring.”  

My commentaries have explored serious and light topics. You found me pondering the Afghan War and the danger facing our fighting men and women in Southwest Asia. I also appeared as the foreign correspondant filing reports in the popular “Jerusalem Dispatches” series during Holy Week. I took a few chances writing about personal topics like ”Seymour” the prolific Pumpkin plant (it has babies now); then found myself opining about regional and national politics and historical milestones.

The Covert Brothers started on such a contraption, learning 'asdf jkl;' and graduated to 'etaoin shrdlu' and 'wysiwyg.'

A colleague once remarked that a columnist never lacks subject matter. Correct. We want it to be factual, readable and informational. Our goal continues to be adding to the quality of your life with thoughtful and lively writing.

We welcome our new subscribers and thank our old “friends,” all of whom we hope will continue to read and provide feedback.

Our goal is to have you find us “In’Covert’ible!” again this year.—©2012 Norman M. Covert

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You may contact Norman Covert at nmcovert@thecovertletter.com. He and Harry also appear at www.thetentacle.com each week.

Visit David Virtue’s blog  www.virtueonline.com.