Janet Morrison's Blog, page 9

Going forward as Americans

In yesterday’s blog post, A 4th of July like no other, I lamented the fact that I do not feel celebratory on this United States Independence Day. Here are my thoughts on this 4th of July – the 249th birthday of America. Never take your freedom to read whatever you want to read for granted. People … Continue reading Going forward as Americans →

A 4th of July like no other

Tomorrow marks the 249th birthday of the United States of America. It was on July 4, 1776 that our national Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia. This has been a tough year so far. In the months leading up to July 4, I wasn’t sure how festive this year’s celebration would or could be. … Continue reading A 4th of July like no other →

#OnThisDay: 26th Amendment Ratified, 1971 – Part Two

As I indicated in my blog post yesterday, #OnThisDay: 26th Amendment Ratified, 1971 – Part One, when I started researching the history of the 1971 ratification of the 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age in federal elections in the US from 21 to 18 years of age, I got in over my head quickly … Continue reading #OnThisDay: 26th Amendment Ratified, 1971 – Part Two →

#OnThisDay: 26th Amendment Ratified, 1971 – Part One

I can always remember the year the 26th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified. It lowered the legal voting age in the United States from 21 years old to the age of 18. The argument that ultimately won the day and the ratification of the 26th Amendment was that if 18-year-olds were old … Continue reading #OnThisDay: 26th Amendment Ratified, 1971 – Part One →

A rude awakening about what constitutes historical fiction

I was caught off-guard on June 14 when I read Sarah Johnson’s Reading the Past blog post and learned that the decade of the 1960s is now the hottest thing in historical fiction. Yikes! I remember the 1960s well. In fact, I remember some of the 1950s. I admit that I had not thought of … Continue reading A rude awakening about what constitutes historical fiction →

A little fascism here, a little fascism there…

I’ve read that some people who blindly voted for Donald Trump are having buyer’s remorse now. As far as I know, I don’t know any of them personally. If you now wish you had not voted for Trump, please tell me. Not a day passes that we don’t learn of another fascist step the Trump … Continue reading A little fascism here, a little fascism there… →

How do we get out of this mess?

Many of my blog posts this year have been about the mess we’re in. American democracy is being challenged like no other time in recent history, if ever. Some people have been known to say in the last six months that we could have another civil war in the United States. Perhaps you’ve thought it … Continue reading How do we get out of this mess? →

Reacting to the Cards You Are Dealt

I considered saving today’s topic for my July 7 planned blog post about the books I am reading in June, but I decided it deserved its own post. Last week, I read the fourth chapter in How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith, by Mariann Edgar Budde. If the author’s … Continue reading Reacting to the Cards You Are Dealt →

Concerns over the Smithsonian on Juneteenth

There are more pressing worries today in the Middle East than what is happening at the Smithsonian Institute, but I am posting this as planned. I mentioned my concerns about the Smithsonian Institution in my March 31, 2025, blog post, Words Trump wants federal agencies to “limit or avoid”, but like many parts of the US … Continue reading Concerns over the Smithsonian on Juneteenth →

The US President’s True Colors

After I settled on the title for today’s blog post, I realized you might think this is going to be about cosmetics and shades of makeup. That’s not where this is going. Saturday’s parade I think we all know what Saturday’s parade in Washington, DC was about, and it wasn’t for the US Army’s 250th … Continue reading The US President’s True Colors →