I spent Thanksgiving with my sister and her beautiful family. My sister mentioned that, Caitlin, her granddaughter, recently asked why she never talked about our father, George Brady.
In the moment, we shared a few stories about this neat, quick, handsome and steady soul we called Dad. He adored our mother and made no secret of it. We talked a little about how he was hard to talk to about our worries. He was famous for responding to any whining with, "Keep it up and I'll give you something to cry about."
Does that sound cruel?
But the thing about my Dad was that though he loved poetry and would recite his favorite, "The Rabbi Ben Ezra," by Robert Browning, at the drop of a hat, he really wasn't a man of words.
He expressed himself in a thousand other ways. He was a great dancer and athlete. He won a roller skating award as a young man. Into his 60s, he could still do a handstand and back flip.
He was 40 when I was born, but one of my favorite memories is holding hands and skipping with him all the way to the "French Church" in Everett on a snowy morning when I nine or ten. I estimate it at about a half mile away from our house. I can still feel the joy and amazement of us leaping through the crisp air with whiteness all around and the diamond brilliance of ice on the trees flooding all my senses. Heart pounding, lungs screaming and an animal spirit that experienced boundless, wordless joy in the motion of our flight; I don't think I ever loved or connected with my Dad more than I did that morning.
https://www.churchfinder.com/churches/ma/everett/st-joseph-parish#church-profile-map-it
I learned to be with someone and simply enjoy being alive together without words.
Dad put us to bed almost every night when we were little. My older brother and sister had their own rooms, but my brothers and I shared a room until I was five or six. Paul still slept in a crib. My dad would lie down with us and tell us stories until we dropped off to sleep.
I associate my Dad with the faint smell of sweat and a hint of cigarettes. Honest smells. I know he had Old Spice in the bathroom, but I never knew him to splash it on or to use deodorant back in the 50s. This may come as a shock, but most people (especially men) didn't start using deodorants until the late 50s. It took Madison Avenue to make us aware of how "bad" we all smelled.
When I was in high school, Dad would often get up at 3 or 4 AM on a Saturday morning to take me, my brothers and their friends to play hockey in Charlestown. I was included even though I hung around the end of the rink annoying them by doing tricks in my figure skates more often than I tried to play hockey.
He taught us all how to swim and ice skate.
I never went riding with him until he was in his 70s, but he rode when he was young and had a cool pair of tweed jodhpurs that I appropriated when I was in my teens.
He grew up poor and that seemed to make him very self-sufficient and resourceful. My Dad once made chowder out of the eel my brother caught when he took us all fishing off a bridge in Lynn. He made crab apple jelly from the tree in our yard. He could fix anything (at least it seemed to me) from stitching shoes back together to ironing clothes.
There was a somewhat sad side to the poverty he knew as a child. Every year at Christmas when we kids would start agitating about getting our Christmas tree, my father would exclaim, "No Christmas tree this year. It's ridiculous and a waste of money. It makes a huge mess." My mom would just smile which made us all think he was kidding and we laughed it off.
Our Christmas tree didn't go up until a week before Christmas. We could decorate the rest of the house, but the tree came late. My Dad dutifully sawed off the end of the tree and sunk it in a metal bucket filled with rocks and water.
In my memory, our Christmas trees were always glorious and mesmerizing with those bubbling candles and lighted angel high atop.
Actually, as I found out later, my Dad really didn't ever have a Christmas tree when he was a kid and considered it a frivolous waste of money.
Dad was a Certified Public Accountant for the federal government and a graduate of Bentley College. He went to school while he worked in the office at Touraine Paints, Inc. in Everett, MA.
https://www.corporationwiki.com/Massachusetts/Everett/touraine-paints-inc-2988707.aspxhttps://www.corporationwiki.com/Massachusetts/Everett/touraine-paints-inc-2988707.aspx
My Mom would often recount how impressed she was with his ambition and energy when she met him. She'd tell us how he would hop on the streetcar to go to his classes at Bentley and then back on the streetcar to take him to the "Spanish Gables" in Revere to dance the rest of the night away.
http://www.reverebeach.com/history/
Mom and Dad met through her brother, William Finnegan, who was friends with my Dad.
When I was growing up, he was out the door each morning by 7 AM and walked over a mile to Everett Station to take the train into Boston. He was home every night by 6 PM and pitching in to get dinner on the table.
I wanted to get a few memories down and shared with Caitlin, Michelle and all the other grandchildren who never met or got to know George Brady and might wonder who he was. There's much more to tell, but I hope this gives you some idea of the man who embodied both a wildness and a discipline that made him unique and delightful beyond words to describe.
Next time, I'll tell you about the shoes.
Friday, November 24, 2017
Monday, November 6, 2017
Autumn reflections and Mothers Out Front
My daily walk takes me past tumbling streams, ponds, cows, horses, wetlands and woods. There's this one spot where the water rushes from a dam behind a screen of trees with leaves of deep pink and yellow. Sun or cloud, that spot always seems to have its own light.
I never tire of this path. It feeds my senses and reminds me why staying alive matters so much.
I'm not contemplating suicide if that last sentence sounds ominous. No. I'm seriously worried that the human race is going to either blow itself up or die a slow and ugly death as a result of runaway climate change.
Of course, having such dark thoughts concerns me. What separates me from the people who simply continue going about their daily routines? If I were young and still employed would I even notice the issues that seem to consume my every thought? Have I become a "dotard?" Am I the liberal version of a typical FOX News viewer?
I don't think so. I think there really is a reason to be concerned and that this worry is cross-generational. For me, the evidence lies in organizations like Mothers Out Front. I've been to their marches and rallies in West Roxbury and was very impressed with their unapologetic demand that politicians act to save the future for their children.
I was delighted that MOF opened a NH Chapter and immediately joined.
Next Tuesday, Nov 14th, Mothers Out Front's, Emily Manns, is on a panel about creating "Green" hubs to support innovation. It's at the Center for History and Culture in Peterborough at 7 PM.
I'm really looking forward to it.
That's it.
I never tire of this path. It feeds my senses and reminds me why staying alive matters so much.
I'm not contemplating suicide if that last sentence sounds ominous. No. I'm seriously worried that the human race is going to either blow itself up or die a slow and ugly death as a result of runaway climate change.
Of course, having such dark thoughts concerns me. What separates me from the people who simply continue going about their daily routines? If I were young and still employed would I even notice the issues that seem to consume my every thought? Have I become a "dotard?" Am I the liberal version of a typical FOX News viewer?
I don't think so. I think there really is a reason to be concerned and that this worry is cross-generational. For me, the evidence lies in organizations like Mothers Out Front. I've been to their marches and rallies in West Roxbury and was very impressed with their unapologetic demand that politicians act to save the future for their children.
I was delighted that MOF opened a NH Chapter and immediately joined.
Next Tuesday, Nov 14th, Mothers Out Front's, Emily Manns, is on a panel about creating "Green" hubs to support innovation. It's at the Center for History and Culture in Peterborough at 7 PM.
I'm really looking forward to it.
That's it.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Basic expectations
9/19/17
Dear Commissioners,
Thank you for granting my request to speak with you about my concerns regarding "Constitutional Carry" (2017 SB 12) and the prosecution of gun crimes.
I have never taken much interest in gun law. My public policy interests lie in advocacy for people with disabilities and for a clean energy economy. I have never testified against any gun legislation and don't belong to any advocacy organizations for or against guns. That may change in the future.
Frankly, if people are going to carry guns in public, I would rather that they are concealed. I'll admit that "open carry" intimidates me and sends a chill down my spine. I expect to see weapons in the hands of the military or law enforcement; not my neighbors. The sight of a person openly carrying a gun triggers alarms for me. I suspect that people carrying guns in full sight (especially long guns) know the reaction of fear and anxiety they cause in others.
Despite not liking guns, I'm a veteran of the USAF and the NH Air National Guard. The most lethal weapon I ever handled in the defense of my country was a soldering iron as an electronic technician on KC-135 tankers. Does the fact that I wasn't trained to shoot make me less of a veteran or patriot?
I don't like guns, but as long as I don't have to see them and the gun owners are responsible, I agree that it's a basic right to own and carry them. I never thought much about people carrying concealed weapons prior to the passage of "Constitutional Carry." I knew that before Constitutional Carry, people who carried concealed weapons were screened by local police chiefs or select boards and that gave me some sense of security. Now that this protection has been undone, I feel more must be done on the side of deterrence when a gun owner does not act responsibly. It is my hope that the same people who advocated so strongly for Constitutional Carry will also advocate for stronger penalties for irresponsible gun use.
And, in the formal record of a hearing on 1/10/17, one of the major points in favor of SB 12,
"Those who are likely to carry out a crime are not likely to be dissuaded by a
misdemeanor punishment" ~Senator Bradley
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/HearingReport.aspx?id=62&sy=2017
Recently there was an instance of alleged criminal threatening with a handgun in Rindge, NH. The Cheshire County Attorney was unwilling to prosecute the case as criminal threatening. The reason given was that the case was "weak." Wouldn't you think that if the Town Prosecutor thought it should be a criminal threatening charge, the County Prosecutor would trust his judgement?
Since the accused denied the charge and was represented by a high powered NRA attorney, our County Prosecutor wanted to "just let it go." Ultimately, the Town Prosecutor was allowed to proceed with a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge.
I think the fact that the person accused of criminal threatening admitted to being engaged in a road rage incident and, while denying that he pointed a loaded weapon at 3 young people in a vehicle, claimed he'd pointed a black gloved hand at them, provides strong evidence of guilt. (Police recovered a loaded gun from his vehicle.)
Isn't it true that even if a person is only using a fake gun in a robbery, it's still considered felony armed robbery? Why are there greater penalties for threatening to take money from a bank than for intimidating people? If the person being robbed thinks it's a gun, the criminal is prosecuted for that crime.
"Stand your ground" law in New Hampshire would also indicate that if the young people in the other car were armed, they would be legally justified if they shot the person who they thought was pointing a gun at them while they were stuck at a light. What if they had panicked and pulled out into oncoming traffic endangering other lives? The person accused of brandishing the weapon is also a member of a citizen's militia group and I'm certain is well acquainted with gun law.
In the end, the accused plead no contest to misdemeanor disorderly conduct and paid a fine. He still gets to carry a gun. He wasn't assigned to any anger management or gun safety training.
I can understand why the parents of the young victims may not have been enthusiastic about hiring their own attorney or filing a lawsuit. Who wants to spend time and money in court and possibly become the target of NRA activists or the local militia?
Most of the statements in favor of SB 12 argued that the existing system of issuing permits caused some people to feel that they were unlawfully denied a permit by local authorities and that challenging such denials was expensive. Penny Dean, an attorney practicing in ME, NH, and DC stated,
"Senator Gannon asked how much it costs on average to challenge a denial.
In general between $10,000 and $50,000 to do it correctly, but it is not just the money, as some people are concerned about losing their jobs."
It seems to me that SB 12 has shifted the burden of disarming irresponsible gun owners from fellow gun owners and local law enforcement to the unsuspecting general public.
What are we to do?
I contend that if the State chooses to take away local control and the discretion of local authorities, it must find a remedy for situations in which guns wind up in the hands of the wrong people. As Senator Bradley noted, "Those who are likely to carry out a crime are not likely to be dissuaded by a
misdemeanor punishment." Perhaps criminal threatening with a gun should be an automatic felony charge?
I am not satisfied that justice was done nor that the rights of the people of Cheshire County were adequately represented.
I'm here today to ask you to engage and to act on behalf of the unarmed citizens of Cheshire County. Failing that, I'm asking for your advice on how to proceed so that NH doesn't become the "Wild West," where everyone must arm themselves for protection because law enforcement fails to take gun crime seriously.
Thank you.
Dear Commissioners,
Thank you for granting my request to speak with you about my concerns regarding "Constitutional Carry" (2017 SB 12) and the prosecution of gun crimes.
I have never taken much interest in gun law. My public policy interests lie in advocacy for people with disabilities and for a clean energy economy. I have never testified against any gun legislation and don't belong to any advocacy organizations for or against guns. That may change in the future.
Frankly, if people are going to carry guns in public, I would rather that they are concealed. I'll admit that "open carry" intimidates me and sends a chill down my spine. I expect to see weapons in the hands of the military or law enforcement; not my neighbors. The sight of a person openly carrying a gun triggers alarms for me. I suspect that people carrying guns in full sight (especially long guns) know the reaction of fear and anxiety they cause in others.
Despite not liking guns, I'm a veteran of the USAF and the NH Air National Guard. The most lethal weapon I ever handled in the defense of my country was a soldering iron as an electronic technician on KC-135 tankers. Does the fact that I wasn't trained to shoot make me less of a veteran or patriot?
I don't like guns, but as long as I don't have to see them and the gun owners are responsible, I agree that it's a basic right to own and carry them. I never thought much about people carrying concealed weapons prior to the passage of "Constitutional Carry." I knew that before Constitutional Carry, people who carried concealed weapons were screened by local police chiefs or select boards and that gave me some sense of security. Now that this protection has been undone, I feel more must be done on the side of deterrence when a gun owner does not act responsibly. It is my hope that the same people who advocated so strongly for Constitutional Carry will also advocate for stronger penalties for irresponsible gun use.
"Gun owners, of course, must always act responsibly -- but then lawful gun owners tend to act lawfully in the first place." ~Michael Walsh
And, in the formal record of a hearing on 1/10/17, one of the major points in favor of SB 12,
"Those who are likely to carry out a crime are not likely to be dissuaded by a
misdemeanor punishment" ~Senator Bradley
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/HearingReport.aspx?id=62&sy=2017
Recently there was an instance of alleged criminal threatening with a handgun in Rindge, NH. The Cheshire County Attorney was unwilling to prosecute the case as criminal threatening. The reason given was that the case was "weak." Wouldn't you think that if the Town Prosecutor thought it should be a criminal threatening charge, the County Prosecutor would trust his judgement?
Since the accused denied the charge and was represented by a high powered NRA attorney, our County Prosecutor wanted to "just let it go." Ultimately, the Town Prosecutor was allowed to proceed with a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge.
I think the fact that the person accused of criminal threatening admitted to being engaged in a road rage incident and, while denying that he pointed a loaded weapon at 3 young people in a vehicle, claimed he'd pointed a black gloved hand at them, provides strong evidence of guilt. (Police recovered a loaded gun from his vehicle.)
Isn't it true that even if a person is only using a fake gun in a robbery, it's still considered felony armed robbery? Why are there greater penalties for threatening to take money from a bank than for intimidating people? If the person being robbed thinks it's a gun, the criminal is prosecuted for that crime.
"Stand your ground" law in New Hampshire would also indicate that if the young people in the other car were armed, they would be legally justified if they shot the person who they thought was pointing a gun at them while they were stuck at a light. What if they had panicked and pulled out into oncoming traffic endangering other lives? The person accused of brandishing the weapon is also a member of a citizen's militia group and I'm certain is well acquainted with gun law.
In the end, the accused plead no contest to misdemeanor disorderly conduct and paid a fine. He still gets to carry a gun. He wasn't assigned to any anger management or gun safety training.
I can understand why the parents of the young victims may not have been enthusiastic about hiring their own attorney or filing a lawsuit. Who wants to spend time and money in court and possibly become the target of NRA activists or the local militia?
Most of the statements in favor of SB 12 argued that the existing system of issuing permits caused some people to feel that they were unlawfully denied a permit by local authorities and that challenging such denials was expensive. Penny Dean, an attorney practicing in ME, NH, and DC stated,
"Senator Gannon asked how much it costs on average to challenge a denial.
In general between $10,000 and $50,000 to do it correctly, but it is not just the money, as some people are concerned about losing their jobs."
It seems to me that SB 12 has shifted the burden of disarming irresponsible gun owners from fellow gun owners and local law enforcement to the unsuspecting general public.
What are we to do?
I contend that if the State chooses to take away local control and the discretion of local authorities, it must find a remedy for situations in which guns wind up in the hands of the wrong people. As Senator Bradley noted, "Those who are likely to carry out a crime are not likely to be dissuaded by a
misdemeanor punishment." Perhaps criminal threatening with a gun should be an automatic felony charge?
I am not satisfied that justice was done nor that the rights of the people of Cheshire County were adequately represented.
I'm here today to ask you to engage and to act on behalf of the unarmed citizens of Cheshire County. Failing that, I'm asking for your advice on how to proceed so that NH doesn't become the "Wild West," where everyone must arm themselves for protection because law enforcement fails to take gun crime seriously.
Thank you.
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