History

March 29, 2020April 18, 2020

What Is Your Secular COVID-19 Story?

I think I am a writer and a student of history. The other day in the mist of our self-quarantine, my 76 year old mother asked me if I was recording my experiences during this once in a lifetime pandemic (hopefully once in a lifetime). I hadn’t been actively doing it but she got me thinking about people’s stories. It was then I decided to collect as many of them as people would send me. I am most interested in the secular perspective and so that is the common thread I would like see.

Long after moments in history, such as the COVID-19 outbreak, recede into the ether of historical memories, people will want to know about how those who lived at that time experienced the event. The secular experience probably won’t be much different than a majority of the world population but the goal of The Secular COVIDStories Project is to collect and save for posterity the secular perspective on this tumultuous time in history.

December 13, 2018April 18, 2020

‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ Is Not A Christmas Song And Should Be Banned

screencap from video of Baby It's Cold Outside

Adding a Christmas tree still doesn’t make it a Christmas song

‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’, written by Frank Loesser in 1944, is suppose to be a Christmas song with lyrics one couldn’t really make into a song today unless it was a rap song. People lost their minds, as social media outrage can happen, when a few radio stations removed the song from their Christmas play lists. The song isn’t even a Christmas song so the questionable lyrics is just another reason to remove it from the radio during the holiday season.

May 28, 2018April 18, 2020

This Memorial Day, The Story About My Dad’s Death In Vietnam Gained A New Chapter

PFC Michael John Kelly (1948-1968)

Memorial Day is for remembering those who served who didn’t make it back home alive. We honor their sacrifice.

Millions of people have just as many stories about their lost loved ones. For years I believed one story about what happened when my father was killed. Only recently I found out what I knew wasn’t the whole story.

My father, Michael John Kelly, was killed in action on February 15th 1968 in Vietnam. His platoon was on patrol when it was ambushed. My Dad was on point and was killed instantly. I was only a month and a day old at time and never met him or knew him.

October 11, 2017April 18, 2020

The Bill Of Rights Says No One Has To Stand For The Anthem

image of students giving Bellamy salute in 1941

Forced Patriotism circa 1941

I never liked being forced to do something especially if I had major moral issues about it. I had a telemarketing job where I had to sell stuff I knew people didn’t need to buy. As a kid, I hated having to recite the pledge of allegiance and as an adult I refuse to recite it and I don’t stand the for the national anthem. It isn’t because I hate my country, it’s because I love my country and want it to do better. If the pledge and anthem mean anything it’s my right to address my grievances with my government like not standing for the national anthem.

August 21, 2017April 18, 2020

Removing Confederate Statues One Step In Acknowledging Historical Mistakes

Statue of the traitor Robert E. Lee in Richmond, VA.

New Orleans, Charlottesville, and Baltimore are the latest flash points in countering white supremacy efforts to sanitize our history. Confederate statues and monuments have been removed or there are plans to remove them. Some people complain that such actions are erasing history but in fact removing Confederate statues is one step in acknowledging our historical mistakes.