Bacon Delayed is not Bacon Denied: Date Change for Dinner - May 16

[Rick Witten]

Hi all,

More details and a registration form will be coming soon, but please update your reserved date for the Men's Dinner featuring John U. Bacon to May 16th. John had a conflict we had to accommodate.

Regards,

Rick & Men's Council

[Brian Chambers]

I am not a fan of his.  He’s taken a political stance against more housing in Ann Arbor.  

We don’t need to debate it here, but I hope UUAA Men are not necessarily fan-boys of his.

His characterization is easily refuted. Also, I don’t believe he has any point of view or policy recommendations to offer on how Ann Arbor’s housing price spiral can be mitigated without adding significant more housing. 

Without significant structural change in Ann Arbor’s land use regulations, people will continue to be displaced. Only upper income households can afford to buy Ann Arbor housing, as it is now.

What are the values he promotes that led to his invitation ?

Just curious . . . 

Brian 

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[Brian Chambers]

So, I did my online research and received the following response:

~*~*~*~*~*~*

1) Truth-telling about power, even when it’s uncomfortable

He repeatedly argues for facing hard facts and rejecting institutional myth-making—especially when reputations are at stake. A clear example is his writing on U-M’s reckoning with Fielding Yost’s racism and the university’s obligation to “own” the full record (including racism, antisemitism, and eugenics history) rather than sanitize it. 

UU value fit: commitment to truth, accountability, and repair over nostalgia.

2) Anti-racism and confronting white supremacy as a moral obligation

In that same Yost legacy piece, he is explicit about racism as a central moral failing, and he supports actions like removing honors from people tied to racist/white-supremacist legacies.  

UU value fit: justice and equity; dismantling racism in institutions.

3) LGBTQ dignity and equal respect

In his column on Michael Sam (the first openly gay NFL draftee), he treats Sam’s visibility as part of social progress, calls out homophobia bluntly, and frames equality as a civil-rights-through-culture shift (sports as a public arena where norms change). 

UU value fit: inherent worth and dignity; full inclusion.

4) Compassionate, youth-centered ethics (especially in systems of punishment)

In criticizing NCAA discipline, he argues for proportionality and compassion—explicitly quoting a mentor’s maxim: “When in doubt, err on the side of the kid.” 

UU value fit: compassion, rehabilitation over retribution, care for young people navigating systems.

5) Economic fairness: skepticism of “profit-first” systems that exploit labor

A major throughline in his college-sports work is that the system is awash in hypocrisy and “greed,” with decision-makers capturing outsized rewards while athletes carry risk and generate value. His own writing highlights how revenue distribution skews dramatically toward coaches/administrators while players are treated as “the help” working for free. 

UU value fit: fairness, anti-exploitation, questioning concentrated power and money.

6) Institutional accountability and democratic transparency

Across his commentary, he tends to defend the public’s right to scrutinize powerful institutions (universities, athletic departments, governing bodies like the NCAA) and pushes back on closed-door norms and self-serving governance. You see this in the way he frames reform as necessary because insiders won’t police themselves. 

UU value fit: democratic accountability; ethics in governance.

Maybe it can work if he sticks with these themes.

 

I am not a sports person . . . 

Brian 

[Pippi Barbieri]

Brian- thanks for your thoughtful comments and research. I have many friends and community leaders who also do not agree with many of his political point of views. The relevant issue is as you researched: how do you views align with UUAA values ?

I think that the dominant Ann Arbor religion of sports and sports idolatry oftentimes dominates center stage.

"Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold." ~Joseph Chilton Pearce

 

We will all be old enough some day to start reading fairy tales again as we grow wise when we grow young and open to the infinite imagination of the divine unfolding. charlespippi barbieri inspired by CS Lewis..

On Thu, Jan 29, 2026 at 7:52 PM Brian Chambers <brcham...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Pat Herbst]

I, for one, know John Bacon, and he is an honorable man, entitled to his opinions. I am a fanboy of nobody and don't need to be a fanboy to actually be interested in hearing John talk. I praise the choice of having him as a speaker.

Furthermore, I think we have rarely engaged in any ideological vetting of our speakers and we shouldn't do this now or in the future. We don't need our speakers to align with our values for us to be interested in hearing them. It would actually be good for us to hear someone who holds alternative values--to challenge our bubbles, to help us sharpen our discourse.  

[Brian Chambers]

NP, Pat.  This was my response to someone who reached out to me on this separately:

"My personal preference is that you and others should attend and ask him appropriate questions."

Brian 

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[Larry Cooper]

I know nothing about the speaker in question nor the relevance of what he might speak about but because there seems be some controversy about inviting him to speak means he should be invited to speak and attendees should listen to what he says and doesn’t say. Having ones' thoughts and preconceptions challenged can lead to greater understanding.

Enjoy engaging in thoughtful conversations.

Larry

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[Ken Clein]

I agree with Larry. In these troubled times let's look for what we have in common rather than what separates us. Our causes are important, but if we don't stop the slide into authoritarianism, local victories will seem meaningless. I'm not saying give up on those issues, but In the words of UU minister Nancy McDonald-Ladd, folks we need to stop arguing about what color to paint the bathroom walls.

No Justice, No Peace!

In Love,

Ken

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[Tim Richards]

I agree 100% with Pat. I too am no "fanboy" of John Bacon (o anybody else) but I think Bacon has something of interest to say, especially what he might have learned about the Edmund Fitzgerald in the course of writing his latest book

Tim Richardd

On Fri, Jan 30, 2026 at 9:05 AM Pat Herbst <pghe...@umich.edu> wrote:

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[Kenji Yano]

FYI -- regarding political perspective, this is what we say in our Governing Policies under the Community section:

"We create and foster community by providing an intentionally welcoming and safe environment where all feel valued and cared for, and where all are given opportunity to form meaningful connections with one another. We foster a climate of purposeful inclusion of all. We cherish the diversity of gender, age, race, ethnicity, national origin, range of abilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, financial means, education, and political perspective. We live together in peace, search for truth in love, and help one another."

Kenji

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[John Erdevig]

Thanks for raising the Ann Arbor housing issue, Brian. I come down on the side of "Neighbors for More Neighbors." Perhaps we can formulate some questions or persuasive points, with a focus on moving forward, now that Neighbors for More Neighbors and Pause the Plan have had time to make their points? I haven't dived deep enough or reviewed the record so far.
I mainly attend Men's Dinner for the comradery. Several political allies have come down on the Pause the Plan side, and I can't reject a platform if that's not what they are set to talk about. That said, are the topics overall compelling enough, as I attend based on what else is going on. Right now, the community is fighting on so many fronts -- the "citizen voting"/state voter suppression petitions people have just sent out a mailer we ought to respond to -- and I find myself quite busy, with sometimes two meetings to be at. 

[John Ch]

Kenji, I appreciate your reference to the governing policy, especially the section regarding political perspective. In the years since I started attending UUAA in 2017 I have been surprised and disappointed by the evolving indifference and sometimes less than subtle hostility towards different perspectives especially political ones. As I read this email thread and its “values” reaction towards the speaker invited to the spring dinner I started reevaluating my desire to attend. A desire fueled by interest in his book regarding the Edmund Fitzgerald not his politics. In these days of rigid ideological camps where differences are discouraged and open minds are considered an act of betrayal I find this question of only hearing only from people who already agree with us myopic at best. Since I don’t share “all” UUAA’s values should I disinvite myself as well? 

Respectfully 

John Chastain 

On Jan 30, 2026, at 10:39 AM, Kenji Yano <onay...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Pippi Barbieri]

I respect everyone’s opinion. I think what we need to explore are these issues:

1.  Is there a process in how we choose specific speakers for our dinner event? 

2. I am excited because I want to be challenged by ideas that I do not fully understand. Yet is the purpose for the dinner to bring us together as a community of men at UUAA to share our common visions in creating a more living world our hearts know is possible? 

3. Maybe an important part of the event will be small group discussions after the main speaker and eating delicious food together? 

Whatever happens, I will go because I want to be around UUAA men regardless of politics. 

Maybe we can explore what is a political perspective and is it possible as a human to be apolitical? Or how do we mask our political views?

Are our values apolitical? How one interprets them is inherently politicial. 

Great discussion, 

chuck barbieri

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[Rick Witten]

Hey Gents,

Much has followed from my "Save The Date" messages, which did not include any details other than the speaker. While it's great to see so much engagement about the dinner, I'd like to get things back on track. So here are more of those deets.

John was invited to speak with the following request: “Please talk with us about what we as men can learn from the people and events you've covered in your books about how to be better men?”

John U Bacon is best known around these parts as a Sports Writer, due to his career with the Detroit News. A Huron High graduate, John has a Bachelors in History and a Masters in Education from U of M. I addition to his newspaper career, he's written books on a broad range of topics, from Jackie Robinson to Cirque du Soleil, to The Great Hallifax Explosion (who knew? https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6oo3Zi69kK4). He's also a dynamic and engaging speaker.

Some have asked how speakers are selected. Decisions like this are made by the Men's Council members and the Spring Dinner sub-committee, which includes non-Council members as well. John U. Bacon is friends with multiple UUAA men, including Dave Schwab, whose work is prominently referenced in The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald. His name was floated to the Council and the response was enthusiastic and unanimously approved.

The hyper-local issue of AA Zoning is not within the scope of our request to John, so need not factor into the evening's discussion or people's decision to attend. The topic of being better men is something we all can find value in personally and in our relationships with other men and boys. John's unique life experience, education, knowledge and passion should result in a meaningful evening for all.

I appreciate the references to our UU values and policies, as well as the encouragement to be more broad in our acceptance of difference. Our local, national, and even global community is being intensionally and violently divided today. Individuals in Mr. Bacon's line of work, including Don Lemon, were arrested on bogus charges just this morning for the purpose of division, intimidation and silencing of dissent. The more we look at ourselves to find reason to shun, isolate or dismiss, the more rapidly and irreversibly we will fall prey to authoritarians.

If differing opinions on the AA Zoning issue is reason for exclusion from the embrace of our community, well, that's not going to lead us anywhere pleasant. I, for one, have cited each of John's 3 points as my reasons for opposing the zoning changes. I'm willing to have that conversation, whether we find common ground or agree to disagree. Conversation around difference is, quite possibly, the most important skill our community needs to develop and improve.

I hope this context moves us toward the energy and excitement our choice of John U. Bacon was intended to arouse. Our community has every reason to feel gratitude and pride at securing such a prominent and dynamic "home town boy" to break bread with on May 16th (start time TBD).

Please look for a sign-up form and more details soon, and email "menscouncil at uuaa dot org"* if you'd like to be part of the planning and/or execution of this (or any other Men's Fellowship) event.

Regards,

Rick & the Men's Council

*email obscured to avoid spam

For a further sense of our speaker, see this 12 yr old TEDx:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cti4mF9yYB8

[Tim Richards]

Excellent!  Thanks, Rick

“The only wisdom we can hope to acquire
Is the wisdom of humility; humility is endless."
TS Eliot, "Four Quartets," East Coker, Sec 2


Tim Richards
1014 Rose Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734.662.9379

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[Kenji Yano]

John, to supplement my message below, around 2006, there was a denominational-wide effort to adapt the core principles of the Welcoming Congregation program (which originally focused on LGBTQ+ inclusion) to embrace a broader range of perspectives. The goal was to create space for theological and political diversity, ensuring our congregations didn't become ideological monoliths. To the best of my knowledge, our then-Interim Minister, Rev. Barbara Child, was deeply involved in this work at the denominational level. Our current UUAA Governing Policies still carry that legacy, explicitly committing us to 'purposeful inclusion' and 'cherishing' diverse political perspectives.

Kenji

On Fri, Jan 30, 2026 at 11:43 AM John Ch <johnc...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Brian Chambers]

I do hope people understood that I encouraged others to attend and ask appropriate questions.

Interesting that this created controversy. 

 

Hopefully, cherishing diverse political perspectives is all inclusive. 

BTW - I’ve been asked to speak to the American Association of University Women, March 18th, on the Comprehensive Land Use Plan.  

I’ve also was appointed last summer to the Board of the Ann Arbor Economic Developent Corporation, and I’ll include that role, as well as mine with the Ann Arbor Community Land Trust (A2CLT), for shared-equity housing.  A2CLT just got City funding for 26 below market rate homes for purchase.  

If others are interested in the CLUP and these housing initiatives, either way (+/-), please reach out, and I’ll provide the particulars.  

   

Brian 

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[Pippi Barbieri]

Thanks for sharing this information Brian- I know that you have been working on this issue for decades and you gave a wonderful presentation about these issues at UUAA one afternoon a few months ago. 

chuck barbieri

"You are not a drop in the ocean, you are the ocean in a drop."
RUMI

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