Baker's heartbeat

       Daughter Kirstin, at left, used to wear a WWJD bracelet.  These days she is mother to Myla, age 3, pictured,  and twin daughters.      A 1990s movement that started in Michigan came to mind recently: WWJD?     That's "What Would Jesus Do?" and it was a phrase taught to religious teens as they considered what could be life-changing decisions.     It occurs to me that the phrase also works for any number of people.     Consider the Golden Rule ("Treat Others as You Would Like to Be Treated Yourself,"). It pays to carefully consider how one interacts with other people.      That seems especially important in these charged times.     The WWJD message originally spread among Christian youths but it is surely applicable to people of all faiths.       W e embraced the phrase several years ago. As an example, it was popular with those of us who taught at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Long Grove, Iowa. The WWJD bracelets were purchased and distributed. It was a

The entrance to an Election Day voting site in McCausland, Iowa.      November 8 is Election Day in the United States and, one might argue, one of the most important days of the year.     Midterm elections -- such as in 2022 -- cause a yawn in some quarters. But democracy operates according to the results.     Civic duty? You bet!     The right to vote has expanded over the centuries. The National Geographic Society notes the process of voting is included in Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution. The society's report is a civics lesson published online.     The first voters in the new United States were essentially land-owning white men. They were the "popular vote"  which elected men to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.       The president is actually chosen by the Electoral College.     The House races are every two years while a Senate term is six years. Presidents are chosen every four years.     According to the National Geographic Society, those who were o