Dear President Trump, I don’t have the day off today since I’m considered an “essential” federal employee. Basically, the message at the VA has been that if employees are scheduled to see veterans today or are in direct clinical support roles they are expected to show up and do their jobs. No arbitrary cancellations will … Continue reading A very pricey impromptu federal holiday
Critical Thinking
You are beholden to the Bushes
Dear President Trump, Timing can be such a funny thing. Last night on the way home from the grocery my brother texted to let me know that George HW Bush had died (Laura was driving so it was cool for me to read my texts). We speculated and hoped that you wouldn’t be invited to … Continue reading You are beholden to the Bushes
Tarana Burke is bending the moral arc towards justice
Dear President Trump, I just watched Tarana Burke’s TED talk. Ms. Burke started the Me Too movement 10 years ago and she offered a sobering analysis of where the movement is now and how incredibly far it is from its original intent, which was to foster empathy between survivors. She described being numb and exhausted, … Continue reading Tarana Burke is bending the moral arc towards justice
Further thoughts on standing in gaps
Dear President Trump, I’ve been using the phrase “standing in the gap” as a bit of shorthand in my recent letters to you focusing on efforts to foster belonging and healthy attachment both because it’s familiar and because it conjures the image of someone standing in the in-between, reaching out to either side to form … Continue reading Further thoughts on standing in gaps
“The past and the future rest heavily on our shoulders.”
Dear President Trump, One of the very worst things about having fallen and being injured is how much more vulnerable I feel when I’m out by myself in the early mornings. As I told you yesterday, I’m on the mend, but I’m still moving slowly and my entire right side hurts enough that I doubt … Continue reading “The past and the future rest heavily on our shoulders.”
Covering for others’ cruelty is often a survival tactic
Dear President Trump, Not that you would ever ask or care at all, but I’m feeling some better this morning. Still sore and stiff and breathing deeply is not a possibility just yet, but overall on the mend. I went for a short, slow walk this morning and found new little Buddha statue in an … Continue reading Covering for others’ cruelty is often a survival tactic
Let’s shine light in those dark crooked corners of yours
Dear President Trump, Are you on your way back to D.C. all snug and dry in your warm, cozy Air Force 1 recliner? You’ve made it clear that you love your creature comforts, but it’s incredible that they are more important than showing up to honor the US and Allied Forces’ war dead. Can you … Continue reading Let’s shine light in those dark crooked corners of yours
More reckoning needed all around
Dear President Trump, There was a sobering analysis in the WP today by Musa al-Gharbi, a Fellow in the Sociology Department at Columbia. He argues persuasively that the Democrats’ gains in the House on Tuesday are not really anything special – the number of seats that flipped from Republican to Democrat is what one would … Continue reading More reckoning needed all around
Putting off a necessary reckoning
Dear President Trump, It’s only been three days since the election, but you’ve busted out of the gates in true Trump-style. You’ve sacked Sessions, illegally installed a right-wingnut ass-licker in his place, pulled Acosta’s hard press pass and threatened to pull more, attempted to meddle in Florida’s elections, and acted like a total bratty bully. … Continue reading Putting off a necessary reckoning
Nice work, Mr. President
Dear President Trump, We don’t hear from Robert Samuelson all that often, but he has an excellent opinion piece in the WP claiming that we’ve all lost the midterm elections. He correctly points out that the real looming issues we need to attend to, including the budget deficit, immigration, and global warming, were all pushed … Continue reading Nice work, Mr. President
Daily Trump Letters 