Marin will celebrate Veterans Day tomorrow, (Nov. 11) remembering those who served in the armed forces. Flags will fly, tributes will be made. It will be good and right.
But, I promise you, there will be a weight on everyone’s mind. The U.S. exit from the Afghanistan war last summer could not have gone worse. We left people behind. That shame will stick to us for generations.
You can re-litigate the exit and try to spin it in a direction that serves your purposes, if that somehow makes you feel better. But, in the long tradition of American military history, the way left Afghanistan will remain an abiding discomfort whenever veterans are gathered. That’s just the way it is and somebody’s gotta tell the truth about it.
OMG! NO MORE LAWN BOWLING
The homeless campers who took over Lee Gerner Park during COVID and now have overstayed their welcome, have agreed to confine themselves into an enclosure in the park until their lawsuit with the city is resolved. They also — and on this I kid you not — agreed to eschew cursing and microaggressions while inside the enclosure.
The new Code of Conduct for LGP campers, now sanctioned by the Federal Court, includes this gem:
“Aggressive and disorderly behavior is strictly prohibited. This includes the use of profanity around children, inappropriate sexual comments, racial slurs, vandalism, fencing, lawn bowling, and damage to trees and flowers.”
Oh, the cruelty of Novato. No lawn bowling for the homeless?
CARDS & LETTERS
I received a beautiful note from Charley Vogt of the Rotary Club of Ignacio thanking us for our annual Rotary edition.
“We can’t thank you enough,” he wrote.
The truth is that Marin can’t thank Rotary enough. The things this civic group does — whether there’s a worldwide pandemic or no — is remarkable. We are glad to share that news.
(If you missed seeing the Rotary section and would like to take a peek, go to https://novatoadvance-ca.newsmemory.com and punch in the 10/27/2021 edition.)
WHAT I’M WATCHING
Medal of Honor is an anthology doc series on Netflix. It’s based on combat events that lead to the Medal of Honor. It is terrific television. The production value is high and, of course, the stories are captivating. Catch it if you can because it is worth every moment you spend on it. It’s not about war, really, it’s more about the human condition and our ability to make extraordinary sacrifices.
So far there is only one season with eight episodes. There’s talk of season two. No dates announced.
ONE MORE THING
— Man at local bookstore: “Do you have the book ‘Man The Master of Women?’” Bookstore lady: “The fiction section is in another aisle, sir.”
— “One ‘Ting’ Leads To Another” — the story of a professional triangle player.
— I have a step ladder because my real ladder left when I was just a kid.
— Accusers in the Salem Witch Trials were middle school girls. To those of you who endured middle school, this should make sense.
— To the clothes with a tag that reads “Hand Wash Only” I throw them in the washer and say “Go with God.”
— Finally, I found my spirit animal.
Thank you for reading. Until next week, please be kind to all you meet, laugh a little and always question authority.
(Sherman Frederick is an award-winning journalist and publisher of Marin’s community newspapers — the Novato Advance, San Rafael News-Pointer, Mill Valley Herald, Ross Valley Reporter, Twin City Times and the Sausalito Marin Scope. He is co-founder of Battle Born Media, a news organization dedicated to the preservation of community newspapers. You can reach him by email at shermfrederick@gmail.com.)
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