Donald, One of the things I’ve learned to do since Laura and I’ve both been working from home is to listen to music using my ear buds when she’s either teaching her class or in zoom meetings. Previously I wasn’t one to listen to music while working, but it turns out that it’s really helpful … Continue reading May we stop accepting half-measures
Homophobia
If need be, there are plenty more ways to play hardball
President* Trump, Are you all engaging in some sort of twisted pissing contest to see who can be the most audacious asshole, who can wrack up the most accusations of “hypocritical,” “specious,” “corrupt,” “contemptible,” “despicable,” “detestable,” and the like? Ok, I’ve not actually seen most of these words used multiple times to describe you, Mitch, … Continue reading If need be, there are plenty more ways to play hardball
Righteous eventualities
“President” Trump, It’s been just over 1.2k days of writing to you and I’m finally done with the polite “Dear President Trump” salutation – you never deserved it, but for the longest time (a seriously very long time) I couldn’t bring myself to address these letters to you in any other way. I’m over it … Continue reading Righteous eventualities
Righteous prohibitions
Dear President Trump, Following on from yesterday’s letter about history and privilege and how we are finally getting some traction with new, corrective history, today was pretty much a banner day. First, earlier today the US House passed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act 410-4, making lynching a federal hate crime (for the record these four … Continue reading Righteous prohibitions
Part of the way there, but leagues (and leagues) to go
Dear President Trump, I was confused when I saw Michael Gerson’s byline attached to the WP editorial entitled “By Any Measure, Buttigieg is Trump’s Proven Superior” since I was pretty sure that Gerson is one of the WP’s little posse of conservative editorialists. Well, he is in that camp – his party affiliation is still … Continue reading Part of the way there, but leagues (and leagues) to go
Such a redundantly tangled mess
Dear President Trump, Oh, where to start? Who the hell knows? I don’t. The original question implies there’s a single right answer and it also implies that it’s important to choose the starting point correctly. And yes, sometimes it is critical to start somewhere specific, like the beginning or maybe another strategic juncture that helps … Continue reading Such a redundantly tangled mess
The political is personal
Dear President Trump, Rumor grapevines almost always need to be taken with more than a few grains of salt and the one that’s been bugging me lately is no exception. Knowing this, I’ve tried not to get into too much of a twist over it, but honestly I’ve not been very successful – it’s definitely … Continue reading The political is personal
HHS evils weren’t enough to prevent GOP losses
Dear President Trump, I feel like I should go to Target and buy up a bunch of lipsticks to send you so you can try to pretty up the pig that, to you, is the lost Kentucky Governor’s seat. There’s no amount of spin that’s going to convince any sentient being that you all are … Continue reading HHS evils weren’t enough to prevent GOP losses
Doing the work with eyes wide open
Dear President Trump, A couple of weeks ago the WP ran a long piece about Ibram X. Kendi and his latest book “How to Be an Antiracist.” I’ve kept the tab to the article open on my computer this whole time, returning to the final paragraph every other day or so as something of a … Continue reading Doing the work with eyes wide open
As long as the right people suffer and die, POTUS is good with it
Dear President Trump, This morning the emotions, including tears, were full on from the start – the very first headline of the very first WP article I saw got me going and I’ve been tremulous since. Here’s the headline (WP’s punctuation included): “An activist faced 20 years in prison for helping migrants. But jurors wouldn’t … Continue reading As long as the right people suffer and die, POTUS is good with it
Daily Trump Letters 