Steve Fernlund and The Long Way Home

The social media site I like to call the Book of Face helps me learn more about human behavior, and it scares me sometimes. In the age of social media and 24/7 news cycles, constructive dialogue is rare. An insidious tactic on Facebook from all sections of the political spectrum is "whataboutism," a simple rhetorical maneuver that ends any attempt at meaningful discussion. When someone you’re communicating with starts their following sentence, “Yeah, but what about…?” you know the discussion is over. "Whataboutism" is a common rhetorical tactic that involves responding to an accusation or criticism by deflecting it with a counter-accusation, often related to a different issue. It's a way of avoiding the original point, oftentimes because the original point is contrary to what we feel and believe. On St. Patrick’s Recovery Day, I reposted an article on Facebook titled “Minnesota State Sen. Eichorn arrested on suspicion of soliciting a minor.” The post contained a...

Social media taught me that we can hardly expect politicians and their handlers to demonstrate truth and honesty when most of us have a truth and honesty problem of our own. Spin, the antithesis of truth and honesty, runs wild. “Truth" and "honesty" are closely related. Truth refers to a state of being in accordance with facts or reality. It's about what is, regardless of personal beliefs or opinions. A statement is considered valid if it aligns with verifiable evidence. The earth is round, the climate is changing,  and vaccines work. Honesty involves being genuine and sincere in one's words and actions. It's about having integrity and avoiding deception. It emphasizes the intention to be truthful. A person can be honest, believing what they say is the truth while still being wrong. And there’s the rub. People can honestly believe something that is not true. And that’s where social media “discussions” go off track, insults are hurled, and reality is denied.  ...

I wrote a column two weeks ago that hasn’t seen print and maybe won’t. It’s about how weak leaders lose respect whenever they are the first to scream and shout. The White House meeting, which ought to have been private, inspired it. In the meeting, the trio of Trump, Vance, and Rubio dominated the President of a European ally for all to see. My writing may have been extreme, so I kept it private, for now. On March 4, Politico’s Meredith Lee Hill reported that Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), the chair of the House GOP's campaign committee, told Republican lawmakers during a closed-door meeting to stop holding in-person town halls amid a wave of angry backlash from people over cuts made by the new administration. Town hall meetings are vital for politicians to stay connected with their communities and effectively represent all their constituents' interests. They encourage citizens to participate in the democratic process. They are, or should be, nonpartisan.  Take Minnesota House Dis...

The Swedish Death Cleaning continues at Casa Fernlund but at a slower pace than a few weeks ago. The other day, The Bohunk opened one of the handful of boxes remaining, and it was evident no one had seen the inside since Disco was raising its ugly head in the 1980s. Inside was a perfectly folded edition of the Minneapolis Tribune dated July 12, 1980. It looked like, except for fading, when I picked it up off the front step of our house in Bloomington that eventful day.  In those days, the Tribune was a couple of inches wider than the paper you hold today. That meant an additional column on each page—six sections with 56 pages. Reading the paper was not a small undertaking. Still, it was the favored activity to enjoy with coffee and a smoke.  July 12 is my birthday, and that day in 1980 started early. The Bohunk and I were proud parents of three blondies, all less than 10 years old. The Bohunk was at the end of her fourth pregnancy, and we didn’t know if there’d be another girl...