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
Grappling with bias yet again
Dear President Trump, The other day I was stuck behind a midnight blue Nissan I thought was really beautiful and thought, ‘I know, along with green cars, I’ll send blessings to ones I think are pretty.’ I immediately recoiled from my own mental process. Sending nice thoughts to green cars still seems ok as I … Continue reading Grappling with bias yet again
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
Woke choice
Dear President Trump, The day after the summer solstice always feels bittersweet to me. It means the official start of summer, but it also means we are no longer gaining a couple of minutes more light each day and instead we start losing minutes of light until we get to down to only seven and … Continue reading Woke choice
“Why are you lying about it, sir?”
Dear President Trump, What happens now? Are you going to start detaining entire families in cages? Although that would be marginally better than sending parents and children to separate cages hundreds of miles away from each other, it is still a sick, cowardly approach to the humanitarian crises asylum seekers and immigrants from Mexico and … Continue reading “Why are you lying about it, sir?”
Nothing better happen to Feinberg
Dear President Trump, You have some messed up ideas about strength. Your statement that strength necessarily means one doesn’t have a heart is absolutely nuts. It’s like you’re living inside a primitive comic book where strength is expressed only within a “might is right” framework. I realize you have to keep saying how strong you … Continue reading Nothing better happen to Feinberg
We need more voices
Dear President Trump, I don’t know what you did today or where things stand with your shameful insistence that families be separated at the border. I bet, though, that you are still flailing between blaming the Democrats and taking credit for inflicting misery on asylum seekers. Even though the specifics of your cruelties are a … Continue reading We need more voices
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
Unforgivable
Dear President Trump, I hesitate to tell you about what’s been happening for my little family today because even in the medium scheme of things, it’s not really a big deal; certainly not life and death like things are for so many other families. I’m still in San Diego attending my annual work conference. Our … Continue reading Unforgivable
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