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David Brooks in today’s NYTimes wonders out loud if the contemporary American behavioral trend of heightened self-approval may be weakening the national civic culture. He often asks such “community” questions as he tries to puzzle out the workings of our democratic-republic system. He makes a comment on the connection to toxic partisanship in…
Read More »On today’s “Political Intelligence” page of the Boston Globe, senior political writer Glen Johnson tell us of his meetings and inaction of the recently deceased writer and columnist David Broder. The site posts the actual note from Broder to Johnson – a longtime admirer – who was seeking a position with him at…
Read More »Lately, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich talks more and more about a possible run for president in 2012. Early on, one of the major issues candidate Gingrich will need to address is his past infidelities. Recently, Gingrich sat down with David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network and…
Read More »MassMoments reminds us today of the Boston Massacre that played out over several days in early March of 1779. Boston was a tense town with many in the populace unhappy with British troops in occupation. For many months there were taunts and skirmishes with the troops that culminated in actions and…
Read More »On this day – March 4, 1861 – Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the 16th President of the United States. The Inaugural Address given that day was long-awaited, historic, eloquent and far-reaching. Would Lincoln threaten slavery in the states? Would he enforce federal law? Seek returned of seized federal properties? How would he handle the…
Read More »Mass Moments reminds us that on this day – March 4, 1872 – the first edition of the Boston Globe “hit the streets” as a newspaper intended by its owners to be “of the first class.” Funded by six wealthy Bostonians – it was intended as not just a business venture…
Read More »Pavel M. Payano, member Lawrence School Committee Congratulations to Pavel M. Payano on his appointment last night to a vacant seat on the Lawrence School Committee. The 25-year old Payano is a well-know young activist in his community who credits his own success as a student in the Lawrence…
Read More »On this day – March 2, 1776 – the so-called Seige of Boston began when under orders from General George Washington – the American artillary forces began the bombardment of Boston. The roots of the seige are actually found back on April 19, 1775 with the battles of Lexington and Concord.…
Read More »The power of communication as a tool of democracy is clear as MassMoments tells us today that in response to a rash of changes foisted on the colonies by the those representing the Crown, a network was formed to express a litany of grievences and keep colonial communities linked and…
Read More »In a practice that ended a decade ago, Hynes’s Tavern on upper Gorham Street each year would sponsor a 5-mile road race for St Patrick’s Day. The 1999 race stands out in my mind because so many of the runners and spectators wore “Tenczar for City Council” t-shirts. When first-time…
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