It would be amusing if it weren’t so serious. Last weekend’s expressions of supposed free speech were almost universally called demonstrations by the media and “mostly peaceful” by some. In contrast, the Jan. 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol was labeled an “insurrection” and “riot” by the media.

NHA TRANG, Vietnam - Rod Kjersten has returned to Vietnam for the first time since he was a nurse in the U.S. Air Force hospital in Cam Ranh Bay. Now 77, he recalls the precise date when he left - May 28, 1970. He served at the hospital for two years where he treated wounded American soldiers and saw many die. He says while he was initially "gung-ho" about the U.S. and South Vietnamese war efforts, he has since become "neutral." Asked why, he said it was after seeing the Ku Chi tunnels on this trip. These were some of the tunnels used by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers to hide and "pop up" to shoot at Americans.

While contemplating the horror of two young and soon-to-be-engaged Israeli Embassy employees who were gunned down by a man shouting "free Palestine" and "I did it for Gaza," outside the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., last week, I recalled the opening line to a song from the old off-Broadway musical "The Fantasticks" - "You wonder how these things begin." That song speaks to the love between a boy and a girl. Applied to the Washington shootings it makes you wonder how hate begins.

The massive cover-up of Joe Biden's mental and physical decline, which is only now being revealed by certain media types who were part of it, reminds me of a similar event more than a century ago.

Last week, President Trump announced the establishment of a White House Faith Office. Its purpose, as described in a White House announcement, is to “...empower faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship to better serve families and communities.” Don’t they already have access to a higher power?

It was a partisan speech. It was an optimistic speech. It was a speech that laid the blame for inflation and the massive number of migrants and illegal drugs that entered the country during the previous administration at the feet of Democrats. It was an uplifting speech about the future. It was a deliberately divisive speech when it came to policies pushed by the Democrats as opposed to policies endorsed by Republicans. And it was at times a funny speech as President Donald Trump pointed to Democrats and the silly signs raised by some, blasting them for all sorts of things when they had the power. It was a long speech. One commentator said it eclipsed the long-winded speeches of Bill Clinton.

When Jimmy Carter began attending the First Baptist Church in Washington after becoming president, I thought it a unique opportunity to better understand his faith. He taught a Sunday School class as he had done for years in his native Plains, Georgia, and I joined it.