The Louisiana-based congressional redistricting case, Callais v. Louisiana, was argued for a second time this past Wednesday at the U.S. Supreme Court.  It is always interesting to me when Louisiana has a case before the Supreme Court.

The case was first argued in March and centered on whether Louisiana’s 2024 congressional map—which added a second majority-Black district— amounts to an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.  The outcome could determine how states nationwide apply the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in future redistricting cycles.  The Court delayed ruling and ordered the parties to submit new legal briefs addressing whether Louisiana’s creation of a second majority-Black congressional district under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) violates the 14^th Amendment (equal protection) or 15th Amendment (the right to vote may not be prohibited based on race) to the Constitution.

Although the questions the Justices ask during oral argument may very well not be indicative of how they ultimately rule in a case, I still find their questions insightful.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s questions indicated that the 1965 Voting Rights law may not have been intended to last forever and, instead, “sunset” at some point.  Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s questions reflected the same concern.  Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson interjected that because the VRA is derived from the 15th Amendment, “it does not have a time limit.”  It was an interesting point although I don’t think it is legally correct.

Louisiana’s Solicitor General, Ben Aguiñaga, arguing for Louisiana, urged the Supreme Court to prohibit the use of race as a factor in redistricting. “We are 50 years removed” from the original use of these race-based factors, he argued, and they “have placed states in impossible situations, where the only sure (thing) is more racial discrimination for more decades.”  He contended that the racial considerations required under VRA are tantamount to a system of “government-mandated racial balancing” and urged them to be rejected outright.

He then took some sharp questioning from Justice Jackson who asked him whether, in Louisiana’s view, identifying and remedying racial discrimination is a “compelling interest.”  “If I’m right that Section 2 is about identifying the problem and requiring some remedy, I don’t understand why your answer to Justice Kagan’s question about, ‘Is this a compelling state interest,’ would be ‘no,’” Jackson said.  “The answer is obviously yes,” Jackson said. “You have an interest in remedying the effects of racial discrimination that we identify using this tool. Whether you go too far in your remedy is another issue.”  Justice Jackson then confounded me when she seemed to suggest that being a minority voter was similar to being disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In defending the Louisiana law and map as she is required to do, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill originally argued that the map adding the 2^nd minority district could stand legal muster.  However, when the Supreme Court requested that the parties address specifically how the 14^th and 15th Amendments affect the VRA, the state took the position that race-based redistricting is unconstitutional.

This rehearing indicates to me that the Court wants to take another look at the potential inconsistency that exists between the Voting Rights Act (VRA) and the 14^th Amendment’s prohibition of racial gerrymandering.

The Equal Protection Clause in the 14^th Amendment of our Constitution requires that our laws apply equally to everyone and prevents governments from discriminating against different groups, particularly based upon their race. However, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which was designed to enforce the 15^th Amendment—which guarantees the right to vote regardless of race or color—prohibits voting practices that result in the denial or abridgement of the right to vote on account of race.  This includes practices that “dilute” minority voting strength.

These two legal principles are directly in conflict.  The Voting Rights Act (VRA) is a statute, and no statute trumps the Constitution so the VRA could fall to the constitutional mandate of equal protection in the 14^th Amendment.  If the VRA is struck down, redistricting across the nation will be affected.

The Supreme Court should confirm the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection and end the Voting Rights Act requirement of racial discrimination.  This would honor and adhere to the principle inherent in Dr. Martin Luther King’s “dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character …”

(First of two parts)

There was a time when being a “professional bass fisherman” was not considered a real job. A time when conservation was an afterthought and the phrase “catch and release” was considered crazy talk. A time when anglers looking to fish for a living did not have to be great communicators or promoters like is required today.

So, let’s look at how the sport has progressed over the last 50 years and a few of the men who made the sport of bass fishing what it is today, men who deserve the credit for what we call professional bass fishing. Then we’ll look at where the sport might be headed.

During the decade of the ‘70s, bass fishing was starting to take hold as a true sport. Ray Scott, founder of the Bass Angler’s Sportsman’s Society, now known as B.A.S.S., took the sport to a level no one other than Ray himself saw coming.

In the 1960s, Scott, working as an insurance salesman, had a vision for what he thought could revolutionize the sport of bass fishing. He wanted anglers to be able to compete and make a living doing it. He wanted it to be a means where anglers could provide for their families while doing what they loved.

Fast forward to the 1980s and ‘90s as Ray’s vision was starting to come together as some of the greatest anglers of all-time began to make a name for themselves — anglers like Bill Dance, Roland Martin, Rick Clunn, Gary Kline and Hank Parker. Guys who laid the groundwork and foundation for anglers to follow.

Almost every one of these top anglers made a name for themselves with their TV shows. But one program called the “Bassmasters” set the tone by covering each and every bass tournament. It allowed for great teaching moments for anglers all across the country to learn how professional anglers were catching fish. The popularity of this program was huge for fishing and attracting potential sponsors.

Other TV programs like “Bill Dance Outdoors,” “Jimmy Houston Outdoors” and “Fishing with Roland Martin” have led the way as the most successful TV bass fishing programs of all-time. Then Hank Parker dipped his toe into the TV world with his own program known as “Hank Parker Outdoors.”

They quickly found out that the way to prosperity was through the TV market where they could reach thousands of viewers on a weekly basis. What’s impressive is the fact that all these TV fishing programs still exist today!

It was these same anglers who started the journey themselves by hitting the road like a traveling circus, fishing lakes and rivers across America while competing and introducing bass fishing to so many.

Credit also goes to some other legendary anglers like Kevin Van Dam, Davy Hite, Mark Davis, Larry Nixon and Skeet Reece, who all have played a role in creating a way for anglers to make a living as professional bass fishermen.

The sport has come a long way from the early 1970s and hopefully it will continue for generations to come. But I’m really starting to wonder, have we already gone through the so-called “heyday” of professional bass fishing?

Next week in Part 2, we’ll take a look at the obstacles anglers are facing today in order to make a living as a professional bass fisherman.

Preachers have all sorts of microphone stories. Microphones left one when one has “turned aside.” Microphones left on in the middle of singing. Thankfully my ushers know how to get my attention on that one. The last two Sunday’s I have lived my Saturday nightmare. That nightmare is we show up to lead worship, and we don’t have the bulletin the congregation does.  The other part of that dream, the microphone doesn’t work!

It’s a common clergy nightmare: you’re mid-sermon, the Spirit is moving, the congregation is leaning in… and then poof — the microphone dies. You tap it, blow into it, give the sound booth a look that says, “Help me, Lord,” and suddenly your voice is swallowed by the sanctuary’s silence.

But maybe — just maybe — this isn’t a technical glitch. Maybe it’s a parable.

Because isn’t that how prayer sometimes feels? You’re pouring your heart out to God, asking, pleading, praising… and all you get back is silence. No booming voice from heaven. No divine thumbs-up. Just the spiritual equivalent of a dead mic.

But here’s the twist: when the mic goes out, the preacher doesn’t stop preaching. They raise their voice. They step forward. They trust that the message matters enough to be heard — even if it’s not amplified.

And maybe that’s what faith looks like when God feels silent. You keep praying. You keep showing up. You trust that your voice still reaches heaven, even when it feels like the sound system of the soul has short-circuited.

After all, Scripture is full of mic-drop moments — but also mic-off moments:

Elijah in the cave, waiting for God to speak through fire and wind, only to hear a whisper.

David crying out in the Psalms, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?”

Jesus himself, on the cross, asking, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

These aren’t failures of faith. They’re echoes of it. They’re reminders that silence isn’t absence. That God’s hearing isn’t always felt — but it’s always real.

So next time the mic dies, smile. It’s a holy metaphor. And maybe — just maybe — the sermon gets louder when it’s spoken from the heart, not the speakers.

On a warm October day at an air show in St. Louis, Missouri, pilot Archie Hoxsey learned that the colonel would be among the spectators.  Archie asked the colonel if he would like to take a flight.  The colonel quickly responded, “No, thank you.  There are enough high-fliers up there already.”  The colonel was apprehensive because he had never flown in an airplane before, but more importantly, he had heard about Archie’s most recent flight in an airshow in Lincoln, Nebraska.  During that flight, one of the wings on Archie’s airplane collapsed.  The airplane flipped upside down and Archie fell out of the airplane.  Luck was on Archie’s side during this flight.  He was flying slowly enough, low enough, and the airplane threw him out just as he was passing over a tall barn.  He fell only a few feet and received only minor cuts and bruises as the barn’s roof broke his fall.  The airplane was destroyed, but Archie explained that he had just received a brand-new airplane.      

At the St. Louis airfield, Archie and the colonel continued their conversation as the colonel carefully examined the airplane.  Finally, the colonel accepted Archie invitation.  Archie responded, “You don’t need to fear anything, colonel.  You’ll come down without a scratch.” The crowd of 10,000 spectators watched as the colonel clambered aboard the small two-seat airplane.  Once Archie made sure the colonel was safe and secure in the co-pilot’s seat, he took the seat beside him.  It took Archie and the ground crew ten minutes to get both engines running, which only worried the colonel for a moment or two.  “Anything wrong?” the colonel asked.  “I’ll get ‘em going,” he replied.  “Good,” the colonel said without the slightest sign of nervousness.  The anxious crowd cheered as the plane finally took off and climbed to a low altitude.  The airplane circled the airfield and headed back over the crowd.  People began to gasp as the airplane suddenly nose-dived toward the ground.  Just above the treetop level, Archie pulled back on the yoke and the airplane darted back to its previous level.  Just as the crowd was breathing a collective sigh of relief, the airplane took another nosedive.  Archie let the airplane get within a few feet of the tops of trees before bringing it back to altitude, then immediately dipped the plane again.  The third time, the airplane got within just a few feet of the ground before Archie pulled up.  The relieved crowd roared with excitement.  As the airplane flew over the crowd, they could see the colonel’s grand smile which his large mustache failed to conceal.  Moments later, Archie and the colonel returned to the ground in a textbook landing.  Their flight lasted just three minutes and twenty seconds.  The crowd ran to greet Archie and the colonel.  His large smile was only interrupted by his attempts to explain his experience to those nearest him.  “There was nothing uncomfortable about it,” the colonel explained.  “I don’t know when I have ever enjoyed myself so much.  I wish I could have stayed up longer.”  During that air show on October 11, 1910, Archie was piloting one of the Wright Brothers’ brand new Model B airplanes on the colonel’s first airplane flight.  It was the first airplane flight of a President or former President of the United States.  The colonel, as he preferred to be called, was former president Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt.             

Sources:

1.     St. Joseph News-Press, September 6, 1910, p.1.

2.     The Kansas City Post, October 12, 1910, p.6.

3.     “Colonel Roosevelt is invited to fly in Arch Hoxsey’s plane at St. Louis, Mo., 1910,” Library of Congress, January 4, 2010, accessed October 13, 2025, https://youtu.be/yIlpDwMKzJo?si=nhRiZqxyPHqajluI.  

On October 22, 1942, a tragedy unfolded at sea that still sends shivers through maritime history. The British light cruiser HMS Curacoa was escorting the RMS Queen Mary, which was transporting nearly 20,000 American troops to Britain during World War II. In a catastrophic miscalculation, the Queen Mary accidentally rammed the Curacoa, slicing it in half.

The Queen Mary, nicknamed the “Grey Ghost” for her speed and stealth, was under orders never to stop, not even in emergencies. After the collision, the massive liner plowed forward, leaving behind the shattered cruiser and hundreds of men struggling in the cold Atlantic. Of the Curacoa’s crew, 338 perished. Survivors recalled the horror of watching their shipmates vanish as the Queen Mary steamed on.

The event was hushed during the war. News reports were minimal, and families often received vague notices of “lost at sea.” But among sailors, the story became a whispered legend of bad luck and restless spirits.

Today, the Queen Mary is docked in Long Beach, California, serving as a hotel and museum. It is also considered one of the most haunted places in America. Visitors and paranormal investigators frequently report hearing footsteps echoing in empty corridors, ghostly figures in naval uniforms, and even cries for help. Some believe the spirits of the Curacoa’s sailors followed the ship, bound forever to the vessel that could not stop for them.

Tour guides often point to “Door 13” in the engine room, where a crewman was crushed decades later, as one of the ship’s most active paranormal hotspots. But many say the true haunting stems from October 22, 1942, when hundreds of men were lost in the Atlantic’s icy embrace.

For those who walk the Queen Mary today, the line between history and haunting is thin. The ship’s grandeur hides its dark past, but echoes of the Curacoa disaster continue to reverberate—an eternal reminder of duty, sacrifice, and ghosts that never let go.

At dawn on October 15, 1917, in Vincennes, France, a woman faced a firing squad. She was accused of being one of the most dangerous spies of World War I. Her name was Mata Hari.

Born Margaretha Zelle in the Netherlands, Mata Hari reinvented herself as an exotic dancer in Paris in the early 1900s. She claimed to be a Javanese priestess, performing ritualistic dances that captivated audiences. Her sensuality and mystique earned her fame—and suspicion. As Europe plunged into war, her relationships with powerful military and political figures drew scrutiny.

In 1917, French authorities arrested her, accusing her of spying for Germany. The evidence was circumstantial, much of it based on intercepted messages that may have been misinterpreted or even fabricated. Historians later argued that Mata Hari was more scapegoat than secret agent. France, reeling from battlefield losses, needed a villain.

Her trial played out like a witch hunt. The prosecutors painted her not just as a spy, but as a sorceress of seduction, using her body as a weapon. With her exotic costumes, mysterious persona, and reputation for independence, she became an easy target for moral outrage.

On the morning of her execution, witnesses reported she refused a blindfold. She stood tall, staring down her executioners. Some accounts even claim she blew them a kiss before the shots rang out. Like accused witches centuries earlier, she died for breaking the rules of her time more than for any proven crime.

After her death, her legend only grew. Novels, films, and plays transformed Mata Hari into a symbol of both dangerous femininity and tragic injustice. Today, many historians consider her a victim of circumstance, condemned not for what she did but for who she dared to be.

Her story is a reminder that October 15 is not just about the fall of a dancer-turned-spy. It’s about how suspicion, fear, and myth can destroy a person, just as surely as accusations of witchcraft once did.

“Use it or lose it.”

That phrase haunted me in the weight room like a sweaty ghost. Coaches would shout it while we bench-pressed our body weight and tried not to pass out. Language professors muttered it like a curse as we butchered ancient Greek. My piano teacher said it with a smile that somehow felt like a threat. And you know what? They were all right. Use it… or wave it goodbye as it packs its bags and heads for the hills.

I haven’t used it. And friends, I’ve nearly lost it.

These days, I write notes to folks in the congregation. Some are invitations to church events. Others are little “thinking of you” cards. And then there’s my favorite category: “I know where you sit, and I haven’t seen you sitting there lately.” I wrote a whole stack of those this week. If you want to dodge your preacher’s attendance radar, just switch pews every Sunday like a liturgical ninja. I’ll be baffled for weeks.

But here’s the kicker—my handwriting has gone full toddler. For every note I finished, I tossed two in the trash because they looked like ransom letters written by a raccoon. My cursive has officially filed for retirement.

Back in the day, learning cursive in third grade was a rite of passage. It was like joining a secret society. Suddenly, you could decode the mysterious adult scribbles on birthday cards and grocery lists. We spent hours crafting those elegant loops and swirls like we were training to be 18th-century poets.

Now? Third graders are learning to type before they can tie their shoes. Cursive is going the way of the floppy disk and dial-up internet. Kids today might never know the thrill of writing a capital “Q” that looks like a fancy number 2. Tragic.

I’m guilty of abandoning pen and paper. My cursive is now somewhere between “ancient ruins” and “doctor’s prescription.” I tried writing “blessings” and ended up with something that looked like “blessingshzz.” I don’t even know what language that is.

So where in your life has “use it or lose it” come back to bite you?

There are skills that need daily reps. And there are disciplines that need daily practice. Love, for example, isn’t just a feeling—it’s a full-contact sport. If you think you’ve “fallen out of love,” good news: you can fall back in. Just wear a helmet.

Patience? Practice it. Compassion? Flex it. Forgiveness? Stretch it out like you’re warming up for emotional yoga. These things don’t just happen—they’re spiritual muscle groups, and if you don’t work them out, they get flabby.

Even your faith needs practice. So find a church on Sunday. We’ll all be there, spiritually bench-pressing our doubts and doing cardio with our convictions. And if your handwriting’s as bad as mine, don’t worry—we’ve got printed bulletins and grace in abundance.