Julius Jones Update

Oklahoma’s Governor Stitt has commuted Julius Jones’s sentence to life without parole. If the case against Mr. Jones is as weak as some people claim that it is, this is less than justice, but while there’s life, there’s hope. Perhaps at some point, Julius Jones may be able to establish his innocence to a court’s satisfaction.

Autocracy, Inc.

I recommend going to https://www.theatlantic.com and looking for Anne Applebaum’s article, “The Autocrats Are Winning.” For a time it seemed that freedom was expanding, but now the world’s autocrats have found ways to defeat movements for freedom, and to cooperate with each other. Authoritarians with different official ideologies have found common ground in the desire to stay in power and continue looting their respective countries.

The article isn’t pleasant reading, but it demands attention, especially considering that tyrants and kleptocrats seek to expand their influence over the remaining free societies.

Crisp Fall Days

Thursday was warm enough to go outside in shirtsleeves comfortably, and was a bright day with clear blue skies and good light for viewing the multicolored foliage; the smell of Autumn was in the air. There are green leaves, bright yellow leaves, vivid red leaves, and also som drab leaves.

After some clouds and rain late Thursday, Friday was another bright, crisp day with blue sky, but much colder, demanding gloves and a winter coat. There were still leaves on the trees, providing a feast for the eyes.