Today was grandchildren and cider preparation

Saturday Night Live starts its new season in fortyfive minutes and this is my first post of the day. Having the two cutest grandchildren over is far more important than gratifying my pontification genes. I’m not sure I feel the same about the time I took getting ready to have a cider press party next week but the grandchildren were around for that too so it took priority.

I did manage to read Pete Langr’s effusive column in the Budgeteer proclaiming how lucky Duluth is to finally have schools worthy of the name. Maybe we are lucky but at the rate Loren Martell lawnsigns are springing up the gratitude seems a little thin.

Langr and I probably see eye to eye on a host of issues but where the Red Plan is concerned I might as well be a member of the Tea Party. The historian in me understands that there are often silver linings to great catastrophes. The 1st Amendment of the Bill of Rights can probably trace its origins to the revulsion of later generations to the horrors of the wars of the Reformation. But it doesn’t always happen this way. I remember my confidence that America had learned its lesson in Vietnam and then we marched into Iraq. However pretty and functional our new schools the people of Duluth had no choice and damned well know it should have been their decision.

I’m glad the children are happy. They’ve endured a couple lousy years of Red Plan preparation. I just hope the unfortunate repercussions of the Red Plan’s implementation will be resolved despite the muffled reporting of them by the local press.

Langr is an intellectually honest enough fellow. He once traded a few skeptical emails with me a few years ago taking the part of an injured Red Plan booster who could not fathom my constant sniping. Unlike some of the self righteous Dixon groupies who labored to expose me as a kid hater Pete conducted a rational discussion/debate. (These apparently took place in 2007) His questions of me were genuine and he really wanted to know why I felt the way I did. As I recall we left off our emails in an agree-to-disagree mode accepting that each of us were honest in our convictions even though our opinions were diametrically opposed.

That’s true civility compared to the phony crud I read from so many writers to the DNT letter’s section who figure that having stolen something for a perceived greater good the injured parties should just shut up and move on. Oops, this is Duluth so that should be: “move forward.”

BTW – I’d gladly link to Langr’s column but the Trib hasn’t yet made it available.

About the author

Harry is a ferociously good natured eccentric in Duluth Minnesota who detests traitors dressed up as Uncle Sam. You can find somewhat better edited writings of his at the Duluth Reader "contributors." page. The URL is:

https://duluthreader.com/contributors/h/84/284-harry-welty