About the essayist

I’ve been an Army Airborne veteran, college graduate, mechanic, seaman, hunter, and outdoor adventurer.

From early 2002 through 2008  I wrote an op-ed column in a general readership local newspaper that circulates in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, where my ancestors, in 1848, established the farm where my wife and I now live. (Ozaukee County has voted about 2/3 Republican, 1/3 Democratic in recent elections; Wisconsin is a state teetering on the edges of the supposed red/blue divide). I was paid exactly the same (uncorrected for inflation) that Sam Clemens was paid ($25) for a newspaper column he penned in 1867 – (before he wrote a book and became better known as Mark Twain). I’m doing it in the 21st Century to provide a different perspective here, and for no other reason. Writing for a general readership newspaper keeps me in close contact with truth and with people. My essays do not assume readers all start out with my perspective, but they do assume a willingness to think, and not simply react.

I don’t pretend to have no point of view, or to have no dog in the fight. I make no effort to conceal my acquired bias. And I make no pretense that it doesn’t affect my writing or reporting. However, my point of view is often (not always) altered or established during my research for the article.  I always learn from my research, and I strive to always do careful research, and to cite my sources.

The reader knows where I am coming from, and in my opinion, that is better than for the reader to be blind-sided by a pretense, a sham of neutrality. I only write about subjects that I personally care a lot about, and if I care strongly about something, I probably also have strong preconceived opinions about it. And I suspect that is true about most other people – including writers and commentators.  But I know that you don’t care what my opinion is. We all have opinions. What we all need (and what is so hard to get from our talk show hosts, our mass media, corporate PR spokespersons, and our elected officials) is accurate and concise information. I have high personal standards of factual reporting, and of accuracy. Please tell me if you find a mistake or a misleading statement or analysis. Any comments (especially including critical ones) are welcome and valued.

I post and reply to all comments unless you request that I not do so, or unless your return email address is bogus. I include only your first name and last initial with your comment. Your request for anonymity will be honored. You may post a link to a non-commercial site. I may excise from your posted comment portions which are strictly personal in nature, and not pertinent to the writing, or which address an unrelated topic.

Since the newspaper publisher did not archive my essays on its website, or make them available to people who are concerned about the issues and use their internet browser to search for material, I started my “Hearts and Minds” blog to archive these historical essays, and to try to make them available to concerned and inquiring minds as I research and write them.  I have continued writing essays after my newspaper column was summarily canceled by the publisher for reasons which he did not care to divulge to me.

Click on a Category that interests you.  Or just scan the titles and brief introductions posted in reverse chronological order on the home page.  If you don’t feel quite right about the legal dogma that a corporation has the Constitutional status, and therefore the Constitutional rights of a “person”, or if you are concerned about the fate of democracy in the USA in the 21st century, do not ignore, do not miss my series of essays examining that issue.  Go back to 2002 and read “The Madness Must End”, published six months prior to the invasion of Iraq. And then read “A History Lesson Learned the Easy Way”, published three years later. Study my carefully researched series of essays in the /health-care-crisis/ category, or read (if you dare) “The Ultimate Universal Invasive Species is Bound for Planet B“. Check out my “Conversations with Sid D. Complex”, or my technical Paddlesports series dispelling the mystery and the myths that make canoeing and kayaking terrifying – or at least more difficult than they need to be.  I think you’ll find enjoyable writing and useful information in a concise form that perhaps you’ll want to share with others. They have all been fact-checked and are well-researched.

Some of my essays are easy reading stories. Some focus on local manifestations of hot national topics, like racial injustice and proposals for a marriage amendment and the death penalty. Some are tightly organized summaries of important best-sellers that you haven’t the time to read, but really should – like “The Spirit Level” for instance.  “Social Engineering for Wealth” and my ongoing series on the health care crisis and the threat to Social Security in America are worthy examples. (A well executed condensation provides a valuable service to readers with limited time and a need to know.) Some are human interest snapshots, like “Courage in the Storm” or “The Appearance of A Rock”. Several environmental issues are addressed in other essays.

Thanks for stopping by. Keep on truckin’.
See comments from others, and make your own below, and at the end of each posted essay.