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
Mental Health
Feigned fit of pique
Dear President Trump, Yesterday Macron said to you “Let’s be serious and worthy of our people.” I don’t think you heard him. Really, I don’t think you are capable of hearing him let alone heeding those words. I actually do think you are serious though, I think you’ve been exceedingly serious and strategic about achieving … Continue reading Feigned fit of pique
What is wrong with you?
Dear President Trump, Did your minders not tell you that it’s not appropriate to enthusiastically say “Happy Memorial Day!”? Your tweet earlier today with that opening and the statement that all our dead service members would be so pleased with how great things are going here in America made me shudder. And cringe. Can you … Continue reading What is wrong with you?
Brainwashed and benumbed + guns = death
Dear President Trump, Are you following Oliver North’s statements about school shootings being a product of “our culture of violence” and we shouldn’t blame guns? Do you see any problems with that logic? Like maybe that the ubiquity of guns, our overly literal interpretation of the Second Amendment, and our unwillingness to value life over … Continue reading Brainwashed and benumbed + guns = death
Noble understanding
Dear President Trump, Yesterday I drove behind a car with two noteworthy bumper stickers: “Do small things with great love” and “The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.” As you may (or may not) know, the first is by Mother Theresa and the second is by Leonardo da Vinci. I wrote to you on … Continue reading Noble understanding
450 and counting
Dear President Trump, Today is letter number 450 to you. Doing the math this works out to over a million characters (assuming about 2500 characters per letter) and a little over 10 regular workweek’s worth of time (assuming about an hour per letter). When framed like this I’ve got to wonder whether this is a … Continue reading 450 and counting
Five times a day for the common good
Dear President Trump, This morning despite my best intentions I ran right past the new 21st street Buddha and realized it just as I got to the point where I couldn’t see it on its porch because of its house. I think the combination of being extra careful of the sidewalk cracks (one of which … Continue reading Five times a day for the common good
Space takers
Dear President Trump, I am devoting this letter to a catalogue of some the day’s instances of men taking up a lot of physical and/or emotional space. First, on my way to work this morning I was accelerating towards an empty crosswalk when a man came down some adjacent stairs and walked right into the … Continue reading Space takers
Deconstructing white patriarchy
Dear President Trump, So I just want to be clear; it’s not that I think all white men are rootless or that your souls are all dead. In saying that I think white patriarchy is dead I’m not referring to any specific individuals, but rather to an oppressive system. Most people likely get this, but … Continue reading Deconstructing white patriarchy
Distress tolerance
Dear President Trump, On my run this morning I was thinking about the incredible self-control and patience that people who have to put up with loads of crap day in and day out must have to have to survive. Then, along these same lines, I read a WP piece about being gay and living in … Continue reading Distress tolerance
Daily Trump Letters 