Dear President Trump, We have family visiting from Atlanta and decided to take a drive to check out an island in the Salish Sea. On the freeway I saw a pick-up truck that had a brown sock monkey on a rope tied to the trailer hitch flying out behind like it was being dragged. No … Continue reading Real people with names and lives
Racism
Mother’s Day — it’s complicated
Dear President Trump, How was Mother’s Day for your family? I hope you and Barron showed Melania a nice time today. It’s been kind of a mixed Mother’s Day weekend for us. Honestly, no matter what’s happening, it’s always a little hard because our son’s death hovers in the background every year. There was an … Continue reading Mother’s Day — it’s complicated
“This is America”
Dear President Trump, Have you seen Donald Glover’s “This is America” music video? If you haven’t, you should. In an interview about it for the Huffington Post Julia Craven talked with the founder and curator of the Jim Crow museum, David Pilgrim. He notes that throughout the video dancing is juxtaposed with brutal violence. He … Continue reading “This is America”
A petty racist contrarian
Dear President Trump, I’m curious – to what extent did you withdraw from the nuclear agreement with Iran because you want to undo everything you possibly can that President Obama accomplished? Does all this really boil down to you being a petty racist contrarian who can’t stand to let a black man’s legacy remain intact … Continue reading A petty racist contrarian
Kids get what matters
Dear President Trump, Maybe it’s been going on for years and I just missed it, but lately it’s been feeling like a lot of kids are acting more like adults than a lot of adults are acting like adults. Take, for example, Ruddy G’s spectacularly immature performances on national television. What adult in his right … Continue reading Kids get what matters
“Professional liar” iz u
Dear President Trump, Cameron Kasky has your number, doesn’t he? I wouldn’t be surprised if you are actually flattered by his assessment that you are a professional liar, seeing as this elevates you above the hoi polloi of ordinary liars. He pretty much nailed it when he pointed out that you say whatever you think … Continue reading “Professional liar” iz u
Progress is not the same as finished
Dear President Trump, I’m going back to the dead, rootless tree that fell over a few blocks from my house to elaborate on the analogy I’ve drawn between it and the death of white patriarchy. Now that bushes, trees, and flowers are fully leafed out and in bloom it’s hard to see the dead tree … Continue reading Progress is not the same as finished
Unsafe spaces
Dear President Trump, Have you noticed that nearly every day there is a prominent story about police having been summoned to deal with black people? Have you noticed that most of the stories not involving the black person dying do involve the black person being led off in handcuffs, under arrest for having stood their … Continue reading Unsafe spaces
I’ve got work to do
Dear President Trump, I’ve got work to do. This morning when I saw the title of the “Poem-a-day” in my inbox (“If All My Relationships Fail and I Have No Children Do I Even Know What Love Is”) I assumed the author was a woman writing about a romantic relationship having ended and her biological … Continue reading I’ve got work to do
Mandela’s (real) 1994 inauguration address
Dear President Trump, Yesterday in doing some research on Marianne Williamson’s “Our deepest fear….” quote, I looked up Nelson Mandela’s 1994 inauguration address. I already knew he hadn’t used the quote, but I was wondering why the misattribution occurred. I think the closest line to the MW quote is probably “Let each know that for … Continue reading Mandela’s (real) 1994 inauguration address
Daily Trump Letters 