African American movie director, Spike Lee provocatively named his production company 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. Sadly, as a result of attempts to erase all references to race and injustice from American history at all levels, I suspect that there are many people who do not know what this name is actually referring to. … Continue reading
Tagged with Politics …
It’s Time to Trust the People: How AI Could Make Direct Democracy Work in America
I always find it interesting how, when MAGA supporters are pressed on whether they think that Donald Trump’s actions represent a threat to democracy, they often retort, “The United States is a republic, not a democracy.” Not only are they missing the point and focusing on unimportant semantics while the larger threats to our freedoms … Continue reading
Remember When There Were Too Many People?
When I was a kid in the 1970s, I recall there being somewhat of a panic surrounding the idea that the world was becoming dangerously overcrowded. We were told that population growth threatened food supplies, natural resources, pollution, wildlife, and even world peace. “Zero Population Growth” wasn’t a fringe slogan—it was considered responsible citizenship. Fast-forward … Continue reading
Can (or Should?) a Christian Believe in America First?
One of my favorite online programs is a call-in show called The Line. Various hosts, most of whom identify themselves as atheists, take calls and engage in debates with believers from various faith traditions. The discussions are always interesting, although I often find myself amazed at the seemingly nonsensical things that some callers believe and … Continue reading
When the Red Hats Come Off: Should MAGA Be Shunned?
Ever since the day that Donald Trump rode the golden escalator in Trump Tower to announce his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States of America, the country has been more divided than I can ever remember despite the fact that I have lived through the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, protests over … Continue reading
Why Do Conservatives Think This Way? Reflections on Piers Morgan’s Surrounded Debate
It seems that I’ve exchanged my television viewing habits for online programming. About six months ago I caught an episode of an online debate program called Surrounded. If you have never seen this program, it consists of one person with a particular point of view facing off against twenty or so other people with an … Continue reading
Whatever Happened to Progress? A Gen-X Woman Reflects on the Return of Misogyny
The boys always threw harder when a girl was on the other side of the gym. Everyone knew it. The girls knew it. The boys knew it. Even the teachers knew it. Yet no one said a word. As a woman born in the early years of Generation X, I grew up expecting sexism. What … Continue reading
Before the Safety Net: The Reality We Seem to Forget
Why do people from the United States have such short memories? Many Americans, especially those who self-identify as “fiscal conservatives” will rail against social welfare programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, and the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance subsidies. They complain that the programs are too expensive and that many of the people receiving the benefits … Continue reading
Who Are We Really Protecting?
I remember standing outside the men’s restroom, trying to look calm. My son was small—too young for me to feel comfortable sending him in alone, but too old to bring into the women’s room without hesitation. I stood there, pretending not to worry, listening for any sign that he might need me. Every second stretched … Continue reading
What the Cold War Taught Me – And What It Got Wrong
What the Cold War Taught Me—and What It Got Wrong 1972 was an interesting year to be a third grader in the United States. Although it didn’t occur to me at the time, it now seems as if our class spent an awful lot of time watching television. It started with the 1972 Winter Olympic … Continue reading
