Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) was one of America’s best-known authorities on the universality and similarity of religions and myths we humans have created and lived by for hundreds of thousands of years. Campbell saw these recurring cultural explanations and superstitions as deeply imbedded in our daily lives. One similarity many of these phenomena have is they often center around springtime. While mankind has left countless records of beliefs in supernatural beings long before Judaism, Christianity and Islam, these three currently ascendant faiths each reflect the significance of spring’s influence, especially in stories of rebirth. The famous prosecutor of the Charles Manson Family, Vincent … [Read More...] about Ah, Spring!
Gavel Gamut
Recent Articles
The Battle Is Joined
If one builds a cabin in the woods that looks like it is a tree, one should not be surprised if nature’s creatures consider one’s home their home. Such is our situation but Peg refuses to accept it. Now that the vernal equinox has passed, the last freeze is history and deer season is over, nature has returned. And, just as multiple creatures are mating and munching on millions of prairie flowers and tender shoots, Peg cannot contain her enthusiasm. She gleefully joins in the annual rites of spring planting and propagating, regardless of how many seasons I remind her that the main beneficiaries of her tilling, mulching, watering, seeding, spraying, dusting, covering, pruning and growing are … [Read More...] about The Battle Is Joined
Broad Strokes
When I was two years old, my Uncle Bud was in the Philippines training to be part of our invasion force into Japan when President Truman made the final decision to use our atomic bombs. My family never doubted the morality of the decision. Based on Japan’s military tradition of bushido and the fact they would be defending their homeland, it was estimated that America would lose a minimum of 250,000 and possibly up to 4,000,000 soldiers in “Operation Downfall”. From my family’s viewpoint, the loss of 200,000 people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 was justified by Japan’s “pre-emptive” attack on our naval fleet at Pearl Harbor on December 07, 1941. Of course, the average Japanese citizen … [Read More...] about Broad Strokes
You Shall Know the Truth & the Truth Will Set You Free (John 8:32)
Jesus was born in Palestine and did much of his teaching there about 2,000 years ago. The words Jesus spoke were so offensive to the chief Jewish scribes and priests they called upon the Romans to crucify him even though he had committed no crime except, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place” (Luke 23:5). Actually he was just calling for peace and justice. The Chief Pharisee, Joseph Caiaphas, and his ruling Judaic council charged Jesus with heresy and asked the Romans to try him. The Roman rulers, Pontius Pilate and King Herod, could find no fault in his behavior and planned to release him. Pilate then called together the chief priests and … [Read More...] about You Shall Know the Truth & the Truth Will Set You Free (John 8:32)
Hate Speech
Time Magazine’s book, The Making of America, posits Benjamin Franklin’s aversion to the abuse of arbitrary power was at the root of his philosophy. Ben believed that the surest guard against such abuse was freedom of speech and the unfettered flow of ideas. As Colonial America’s most influential member of the press, Franklin was instrumental in the birth of our nation as one where the otherwise unchecked power of government could be reined in by the free flow of ideas and truth publicly aired. Without the First Amendment there would have been no United States of America, such was the fear of unchained governmental power among our Founders: “Congress shall make no law respecting an … [Read More...] about Hate Speech
Spring, Humbug
James Taylor wrote Sweet Baby James in 1970: “There's a song that they sing when they take to the highway A song that they sing when they take to the sea Song that they sing of their home in the sky Maybe you can believe it if it helps you to sleep But singing works just fine for me” If you side with those who dream of a home in the sky, paradise was populated by Adam and Eve. Their Garden of Eden was perfect but that did not stop Eve from trying to improve it. You know, kind of like some wives when spring arrives. Say my wife, Peg, for example. I can imagine the conversation between Adam and Eve. “Adam, isn’t this idyllic? Everything is just perfect. However, that one tree needs its … [Read More...] about Spring, Humbug
Food Fight
President Trump spoke to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, March 04, 2025 for 99 minutes. His entrance to and exit from the podium each took about 15 minutes. The Cabinet, the Supreme Court and the Joint Chiefs of Staff were in attendance as were invited guests, members of the media and numerous interested observers. The proceedings were telecast to the world by several media outlets who commentated on the events. The Democratic Party’s selected responder, Senator Elissa Slotkin, spoke briefly after President Trump. As the President entered the chamber numerous Democrat senators and house members turned their backs, displayed custom designed placards with anti-MAGA comments and did … [Read More...] about Food Fight
Motes and Logs
The United States has several mottos: E Pluribus Unum [out of many one], Land of the Free, America the Beautiful, In God We Trust, United We Stand, This Land Was Made for You and Me, etc. If a national motto is meant to be a goal, perhaps we should consider adopting golf legend Jack Nicklaus’ motto when the media was urging him to pile on Tiger Woods after Woods’ consenting adult personal behavior came to light. Jack responded, “How is that any of my business?” Now, I shamefully admit to the titillation aroused by indiscretions of public figures such as Tiger, Bill Clinton or The Donald. However, my too normal weakness does nothing to assuage our national political angst nor does it comport … [Read More...] about Motes and Logs
Man’s Almost Best Friend
You may already know that Peg and I live in an isolated cabin where our human neighbors are not close, but often other species are. We enjoy the normal reverie of our own thoughts but occasionally have our space invaded by two and four-footed, uninvited interlopers. We have had to deal with raccoons, opossums, field mice, voles, skunks, ocelots, possibly a rare mountain lion or two, crows, hawks, eagles, assorted squirrels, woodpeckers and songbirds and flocks of quail, among several others, including armadillos and curious coyotes. During the recent snowstorms and related inclement weather, the armadillos were ascendant with holes appearing almost everywhere. Now, some folks may find all … [Read More...] about Man’s Almost Best Friend
Honor
Gentle Reader, I was recently invited to address a group of high school honor students. I prepared the following remarks and hope they and you find them worthy of your interest. The theme given for the ceremony for the honor students was, “Write your own story”. I designed my remarks around that theme. HONOR “Honor Students, as you write your life’s story you really only need to keep in mind a few elemental rules. First, remember you are fortunate to have your American birthright to always guide you. When our son, Jim, first went to the old Soviet Union in 1992 he found complete strangers would pick him and his fellow Americans out and ask them if they were Americans. Jim decided the … [Read More...] about Honor
You Say You Want A Revolution
The Beatles sang: ♪ You say you want a revolution … You say you’ll change the Constitution Well, you know We all want to change the world You tell me it’s the institution Well, you know You’d better free your mind instead ♪ I do not know why those British songsters were singing about changing America’s Constitution during the Viet Nam War. Perhaps they were just selling a song or perhaps they felt it was a return to 1776. Regardless, today in the United States it seems a lot of Americans seek to remake America in their own image and the quickest way is a revolution. Of course, not much thought may have gone into what a revolution would truly mean in 2025 et. seq. On the other hand, … [Read More...] about You Say You Want A Revolution
Books
Unanimous for Murder
Live on Amazon.com and Kindle eBooks!
Unanimous for Murder picks up where JUDGE LYNCH! left off. A gripping story of small town murder and judicial shenanigans on the western frontier when the western frontier was east of the Mississippi.
Echoes of Our Ancestors: The Secret Game
Jim’s new novel tells the exciting story of a long hidden but important football game that occurred between representatives of Haskell Indian Institute (now the Haskell Indian Nations University) and professionals from the then Kansas City Cowboys in 1924 at a secret location on the Osage Indian Nation near Pawhuska, Oklahoma - where Jim was born.
JUDGE LYNCH!
“Judge Lynch Holds Court!” That was the banner headline in a Posey County, Indiana newspaper after seven African American men were murdered by a white mob during October, 1878.
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Gavel Gamut Greetings from JPeg Ranch
“Gavel Gamut Greetings" is an anthology of topical and historical selections mainly about regional events and personalities that have appeared in my weekly newspaper column, Gavel Gamut.
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