Dear President Trump, I’ve started reading Bryan Stevenson’s “Just Mercy.” Our church is reading it together for Lent. I hadn’t even gotten to the first chapter yet when I came across a quote to share with you. It’s eerily in keeping with what I was writing you about the other day regarding the relationship between … Continue reading Worst ever president, but still on the list
The High Road
Compassion and integrity
Dear President Trump, Lately when finishing my private LKM prayers I’ve been sending out additional intentions for us all to behave kindly and respectfully. This morning, though, I landed on compassion and integrity and for some reason the deep connection between the two was apparent to me in a way I’d not grasped before. I … Continue reading Compassion and integrity
“in the presence of my foes”
Dear President Trump, A line from Bobby McFerrin’s “Psalm 23” has been stuck in my head since yesterday; “She sets a table before me in the presence of my foes.” It’s like my brain has been worrying it the way my tongue would worry a loose tooth, not quite sure what to make of it … Continue reading “in the presence of my foes”
Off the rails
Dear President Trump, In honor of Presidents’ Day, and because I think you need it quite badly, I’ve been doing tonglen for you off and on pretty much all day. You seem to be going off the rails and I’m not the only one to notice. There have been a lot of worried editorials the … Continue reading Off the rails
Don’t just mouth platitudes
Dear President Trump, When I saw David Nakamura’s WP article yesterday quoting you as having said “answer hate with love, answer cruelty with kindness” in your address about the mass shooting in Florida on Valentine’s Day I wondered whether my messages are somehow getting partially through to you. And I also felt sick to my … Continue reading Don’t just mouth platitudes
Moral quandaries are us
Dear President Trump, Last week there were pieces in the WP about two people who quit their jobs and I would really like to get them together for one of those “Table for Three” conversations that Philip Galanes hosts for the NYT. The people are Jordon Dyrdahl-Roberts and Rachel Brand. You likely know who Brand … Continue reading Moral quandaries are us
How did we get here?
Dear President Trump, It is absolutely absurd we have to be thankful a racist, homophobic, lawless man who is facing highly credible accusations of child abuse narrowly lost a US Senate race. What the hell? How is this even possible? And now we have a national newspaper's editorial board saying our President isn't fit to … Continue reading How did we get here?
We can’t let up for a second
Dear President Trump, There's a lot of excitement and relief coming over the liberal airwaves after yesterday's victories for Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey. Predictably you came out all peevish, blaming the Virginia loser, Gillespie for not "embracing" you fully even though he duly aped all your divisive, hateful rhetoric. I don’t really understand … Continue reading We can’t let up for a second
Stand up for us when we aren’t there
Dear President Trump, This morning we got an email from you about how for $3 we could enter a rally for a chance to have dinner with you in Dallas. The message began with the greeting "Friend" and ended with "....and I hope you'll attend, Friend." You are being pretty presumptuous with all that "friend" … Continue reading Stand up for us when we aren’t there
Yucky complicity
Dear President Trump, I've been thinking a lot about complicity in the wake of the Harvey W revelations and have been trying to get into the heads of the passive, do-nothing witnesses. There have been two times in my life when I was in situations where I ended up feeling complicit in someone else's wrongdoing. … Continue reading Yucky complicity
Daily Trump Letters 