Dear President Trump, We got to watch Governor Inslee’s press conference this afternoon and Representative Jayapal’s virtual Town Hall this evening (we also tried to get into the one she is doing with Senator Warren right now, but all the lines were at capacity). As dire and awful as things are right now, and look … Continue reading Local stars light the way
Vulnerability
We are truly all in this together
Dear President Trump, It’s really pretty mind-boggling how many of us are affected by the ongoing covid-19 crisis. Whether we are heeding public health guidance and curtailing our activities or we are bucking it and defiantly going about our business, we are cognizant of being on one or the other side of decision-making about it. … Continue reading We are truly all in this together
Voluntary and involuntary social distancing
Dear President Trump, I’m hanging out upstairs semi out of earshot of Laura as she conducts her review session via Zoom with her class ahead of their online final tomorrow. I don’t know how many of her 83 students have joined, but when I was still downstairs I heard quite a few of them exclaiming … Continue reading Voluntary and involuntary social distancing
Questions and more questions
Dear President Trump, I know we aren’t supposed to panic – check, got it. Well, I’ve got it in theory, anyway. How about you? I’m thinking you’re probably feeling waves of panic too as this thing barrels ahead, no holds barred (I know viruses aren’t sentient, but this is how it feels). I would venture, … Continue reading Questions and more questions
Getting really real
Dear President Trump, Friday the 13th came a day early for Robert Redfield, didn’t it? Seriously, did you watch the tape of Katie Porter relentlessly aiming her logical questioning super powers at him yesterday, finally extracting a begrudging “yes” from him that all Americans, regardless of their ability to pay, can be tested and treated … Continue reading Getting really real
Women hold up more than half the sky
Dear President Trump, It’s entirely possible that I’m missing relevant counter examples due to my own biases, but it sure seems to me that most of the non-politician people speaking out about your administration’s bungling of the covid-19 situation are women. For example, the women who lead the national nurses and flight attendants’ unions have … Continue reading Women hold up more than half the sky
Highly consequential lies
Dear President Trump, Last night Laura and I got to talking about the Civil War and her father’s family, who were from Cloverport, Tennessee, a tiny, tiny bulge in the road, which is sort of near Toone, which is sort of near Boliver. I think I told you in another letter that we drove through … Continue reading Highly consequential lies
Apologies and amends
Dear President Trump, As you know, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about historical corrections and it occurs to me that I should clarify that there are at least two different types of historical corrections: 1) corrections to the historical record itself (e.g., telling the story more completely and accurately by bringing in points of … Continue reading Apologies and amends
A long, complicated, sordid tale
Dear President Trump, Because there are so many steps involved in making a man, of sorts, into a President/King, here’s another installment of President is King and King is President….. Once upon a longish span of time there lived a small handful of people in our land whose lives revolved around the making of men, … Continue reading A long, complicated, sordid tale
She ripped him four new ones ~ for us
Dear President Trump, One of the most important lessons I learned from my political essay teacher last year is that it’s perfectly legitimate to create work that supports one’s own constituency rather than always trying to speak to everyone or attempting to sway those who don’t agree with us. Along these lines, I’ve been thinking … Continue reading She ripped him four new ones ~ for us