Strengthen Democracy
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The Weight Of A President’s Words
Not for the first time, I strongly criticize the coarse language coming from Donald Trump, who sits in the Oval Office. Over the years, I have repeatedly stated there is an entire dictionary of words to use rather than the F word and other foul choices. In a deranged social media post on Easter Sunday… Continue reading
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Diversity Champions Hate Speech This Holiday Weekend
This holiday weekend, with Easter and Passover being celebrated and observed, I suspect most people are in an uplifting mood. In line with that thinking, a Chicago Tribune story caught my attention. After Assyrian families in Skokie, Niles, Morton Grove and Lincolnwood spent nearly a decade advocating for an Assyrian language program at Niles Township High School… Continue reading
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Donald Trump At Supreme Court vs. America
It was perhaps the ugliest scene yet from the second term of the Donald Trump administration. As the Supreme Court prepared to hear oral arguments in one of the most unconstitutional cases in many terms, the originator of the undermining of the 14th Amendment left the White House and sat in a front row seat,… Continue reading
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Republicans Are In A Pickle, A Very Sour One
One fact struck me this weekend as the No Kings rallies garnered huge turnouts nationwide. Not only were the rallies aimed at underscoring the need to strengthen democratic institutions, rejecting authoritarianism, and denouncing the Iran War, but they happened everywhere. They were held in all 50 states. They were held in every congressional district, including… Continue reading
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Chaos In The Republic: What President McKinley’s Assassination Revealed About A Fractured America
Eric Rauchway’s Murdering McKinley situates the assassination of President William McKinley within a nation deeply divided by the forces of industrial capitalism. I probably did not need to pull another book from the shelves this weekend, but I was in the mood for something different, so the slim volume of just over 200 pages fell… Continue reading
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When Critical Thinking Breaks Down, Democracy Feels the Strain
I overheard a conversation that made me aware (again) that we should not make an effort to overhear what others are saying. One person was trying to make the argument that the war Donald Trump started in Iran had to take place as it was brewing for 47 years. It was expressed that Trump had… Continue reading
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Islamophobia Embraced By Republican Party
When it comes to racism, bigotry, and prejudice in modern-day politics, the Republican Party holds the disdainful distinction of being the prime user of such slurs and actions. The 2024 GOP presidential campaign was riddled with derogatory remarks about Brown people, and the stoking of hatred for transgender Americans. It was stunning to witness. What… Continue reading
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The Curious Cultish Case Of The Great Big Marco Rubio Shoes
I could be a willful child when growing up. Probably even difficult for stretches of time. As an adult, when talking with a therapist, my willfulness at home was presented back to me as a coping mechanism I employed. The problem was that I used it on the wrong people; after all, the school bullies… Continue reading
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Violent Rhetoric, Like Dan O’Donnell On WISN, Undermines Democracy
The political climate in the United States is reaching a level of volatility that should alarm every citizen who values democratic stability. This past week, Milwaukee radio host Dan O’Donnell of WISN‑AM demonstrated just how dangerous reckless rhetoric can be. In a now‑deleted post reacting to U.S. military action abroad, O’Donnell wrote: “Now take out… Continue reading
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The First Amendment Doesn’t Need Donald Trump As A Babysitter
This is what I read today, and then noticed a couple of friends on my email list were as irritated as I was over this latest example of fascist actions taking hold in Washington, D.C. Why Stephen Colbert needed to tape an opener for last night’s “Late Show” is simply galling. The FCC ordered CBS… Continue reading
