Dear President Trump, I’m guessing you and yours aren’t exactly looking forward to the big day tomorrow with all its focus on what one is thankful for. I bet most people at the table will drink too much and will laugh too loudly in their efforts to offset grumpy you (or really, freaked out you). … Continue reading Tough table topics
Human Rights
It is our duty to overthrow despotism
Dear President Trump, While we wait to see what those tapes and other detritus that Lev Parnas has handed over to the House Intelligence Committee reveal about you and Rudy, I’m going to finish out the first section of the Declaration of Independence, which is basically the poetic portion most relevant today. The last two … Continue reading It is our duty to overthrow despotism
Revolt until we get it right
Dear President Trump, Remember how the other day I offered a modest re-write of the first sentence of the Declaration of Independence, swapping in ‘people’ for ‘men’ and ‘we are endowed by Creation’ for ‘ they are endowed by their Creator’? Well, I’d like to move us on to the next major sentence fragment. It … Continue reading Revolt until we get it right
Early voting rights and lack thereof
Dear President Trump, Yesterday I told you that I want to refocus my attention on the work we’ll need to do after you’ve finally high-tailed it out of office. We have such a tremendous amount of very, very hard work to do together to close all the loopholes you’ve managed to exploit and to do … Continue reading Early voting rights and lack thereof
Women’s anger is still being weaponized
Dear President Trump, All afternoon I’ve been thinking about anger and how it continues to be weaponized against women who express it. As I was trying to come up with a way into this vast, touchy topic, it occurred to me that it might be instructive to list reasons why men get angry. So what … Continue reading Women’s anger is still being weaponized
Fresh eyes and fresh beliefs
Dear President Trump, Sometimes the Twitter-verse does weird stuff with time like it did yesterday when Laura excitedly read me a Tweet about 19 African American women having been elected into judgeships in Harris County, Texas (Houston area) and how this means that now 25 of the 75 judges in that county are African American … Continue reading Fresh eyes and fresh beliefs
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
The homeless encampment was swept last week
Dear President Trump, Last Thursday the homeless encampment just outside the fence of the public golf course by the VA was swept. By the time I’d parked to walk in to work, nearly half of the 20 or so tents had been removed and none of the people who’d been living there for months were … Continue reading The homeless encampment was swept last week
Language that erases us
Dear President Trump, There was one fly in the ointment for me with Elijah Cummings’ funeral yesterday. It didn’t have to do with Cummings at all so I didn’t bring it up in yesterday’s letter; I didn’t want to detract from him or his sending. But this bit is still bugging me today so I’m … Continue reading Language that erases us