President* Trump, Thinking about the young queer person my friend described yesterday, my brother, my Black women friends, Laura, myself, the people sleeping in tents down the street from us in the context of this colossal mess we’ve made has me trying to piece together the puzzle of identity politics. This is also driven by … Continue reading Identity politics revisited
White Privilege
They’ve shown their hand, and it’s trembling
President* Trump, The two recent Executive Orders pertaining to the federal workforce are certainly doozies. I’m referring to the one you issued on September 22nd entitled “Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping” and the one you issued on October 21st entitled “Executive Order on Creating Schedule F In The Excepted Service.” Seems to … Continue reading They’ve shown their hand, and it’s trembling
Sending ballots on their way and an old phrase with ignoble origins
President* Trump, Our ballots came this afternoon! We’re going to sit down and do the research on the less obvious contests and issues this evening and will make the ceremonial ballot drop off trip tomorrow some time. Yee-hah! I have two rather poetic, if totally unrealistic, mental images of all the millions of mail-in ballots … Continue reading Sending ballots on their way and an old phrase with ignoble origins
Women who betray other women
President* Trump, Now, I don’t for a minute think the real Amy Coney Barrett was abducted by her husband in cahoots with a band of wife-killer husbands and replaced with the butter-won’t-melt-in-my-mouth, perfectly poised non-committal woman who participated in the SCOTUS confirmation hearings this week. Nope, we can’t chalk her perfectly scripted responses up to … Continue reading Women who betray other women
America’s deep, deep shame is upon us yet again (or really, is still upon us)
President* Trump, My heart is so heavy for Breonna Taylor’s family and her loved ones, and really, for all of us. It is beyond disgusting and sad that we are a country that ever visits such things on our people and that when such things do happen, we can’t step up and take responsibility other … Continue reading America’s deep, deep shame is upon us yet again (or really, is still upon us)
The Double V Campaign and déjà vu all over again
President* Trump, I’m reading Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi’s book Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning. I got through about 45% of Kendi’s How to Be An Antiracist before the library loan expired so I thought it would be a good idea to go … Continue reading The Double V Campaign and déjà vu all over again
We don’t have to accept leaders who hate us
President* Trump, Yesterday I told you how surreal it feels to have the specter of armed civilians going after other civilians should you win (or lose) be a valid concern and not just overheated, fantastical catastrophizing. It really does seem totally out there most of the time, but then your Caputos say what they say, … Continue reading We don’t have to accept leaders who hate us
A Labor Day reimagining of America
President* Trump, Happy Labor Day, you exploitative oligarch. I read an HP article this morning about your pipe dream of withholding federal funding from school districts that reform their US history offerings to more thoroughly address slavery and introduce systemic racism to students. The article included a Twitter exchange involving you and someone who goes … Continue reading A Labor Day reimagining of America
Trumpian twisted nihilism and some antidotes
President* Trump, Isn’t it interesting that news about the huge, life-affirming ‘Get Off Our Necks’ Commitment March is now nowhere to be seen but articles about the death of an apparent Trump supporter in Portland whose last act was to spray bear mace at protestors are everywhere? And isn’t it interesting that news of the … Continue reading Trumpian twisted nihilism and some antidotes
Some of us need to cultivate the strength to yield
President* Trump, This morning we took the dogs to Magnuson Park for the first time in probably five months, basically since COVID-19 really hit and it was clear that navigating the narrow trails with others wasn’t safe. Today we hiked a trail that’s at the far Southwest corner of the park, one that’s far less … Continue reading Some of us need to cultivate the strength to yield