Dear President Trump, Even though I don’t believe in a God figure that’s out there orchestrating things, it does seem like messages come in on cue pretty often. Of course humans like to glean meaning from pretty much anything so we are apt to interpret things as though they are messages meant for us when … Continue reading Are you leading with love, or not?
Love and Compassion
Self-appointed arbiters of personhood
Dear President Trump, This is not an original thought, but it hit me yesterday in a clearer way than ever before that religion is frequently used as a cudgel to deny certain people full personhood. The core messages of the central religious tracts we say are foundational to our country focus on treating others as … Continue reading Self-appointed arbiters of personhood
Please watch Fred Rogers’ 1969 congressional testimony
Dear President Trump, There are a lot of beautiful scenes in “Won’t you Be My Neighbor,” the movie about Fred Rogers, but my favorite covers his 1969 congressional testimony in support of continued funding for PBS. I was all of six years old at the time so I wasn’t aware that President Nixon wanted to … Continue reading Please watch Fred Rogers’ 1969 congressional testimony
Peacemaker
Dear President Trump, The other day Laura was late getting home from an outing that seemed unlikely to stretch long so I was pretty sure there would be a story, and there was. On a main arterial that crosses over a deep ravine she saw a young woman standing in the middle of the bridge … Continue reading Peacemaker
COAL → diamond → CURE
Dear President Trump, When we teach veterans mindfulness skills so they can better cope with stress, pain, depression, and PTSD we address both specific strategies (e.g., mindfully attending to one’s in-breath and out-breath and corralling one’s attention back to the breath over and over) and the cultivation of certain attitudes towards oneself and one’s experience. … Continue reading COAL → diamond → CURE
We voted not to spit in your food
Dear President Trump, Laura’s dad was an old guy in the early 1990’s, but he had a pin that said “I’m surrounded by idiots.” I wish we still had that pin. Even more, I wish we still had Laura’s dad. He and I got along really well. We’d sit quietly for hours in his screened-in … Continue reading We voted not to spit in your food
The pieces
Dear President Trump, I need to address three (related) topics today so I am going to allow myself way more than my usual 2500 characters for this letter, which of course doesn’t matter to you because you never read them. First, there is the issue of whether punishments fit crimes or don’t fit crimes. Regardless … Continue reading The pieces
Monstrous
Dear President Trump, You are getting it from all sides. Even Melania has a carefully crafted statement calling out the reprehensible nature of your cynical family separation policy. You will no doubt want to close your eyes and plug your ears in a “see no evil, hear no evil” kind of defensive defiance, but Mrs. … Continue reading Monstrous
When protection circles are trashed
Dear President Trump, I learned about protection circles today at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. On the ride around the park the guide pointed out several groups of animals laying down or standing in loose circles, all looking out in different directions. The park is set up so the predators aren’t able to get … Continue reading When protection circles are trashed
My most difficult person
Dear President Trump, Along with brushing my teeth twice a day and writing to you once a day, saying a morning LKM prayer for you is another noncontingent activity I’ve faithfully hewed to all these long months since the election. I have no idea whether wishing you, my most difficult person, safety, happiness, health, and … Continue reading My most difficult person
Daily Trump Letters 