Month: October 2017

A relatively new colleague commented to me after a meeting that she found me to be upbeat and positive all the time.  She said that I always seem so happy.  I responded by saying that I was happy.  What I should have said was that I am resilient. Continue reading “Being a Bit Resilient”

I wake up at about 4am each morning and the first thing I do is turn on  MSNBC, CNN, or CSPAN Washington Journal.  The moment I arrive home from work each evening, the first thing I do is turn on MSNBC or CNN.  I can’t seem to help myself.  I think I’m addicted to the daily drama and trauma caused by this president. Continue reading “This Addictive Chaos”

The Civil War was largely fought among White people who wanted to preserve their way of life that included slavery and White people who viewed slavery as wrong and wanted to end it.  I posit that today White people are heating up and taking sides for another battle for the soul of this nation.  Continue reading “Whites Are Fighting Again”

I’m a gun owner because California is a community property state.  I’ve never held a gun in my hand and I have no desire to feel the supposed rush of shooting one.  But it is our 2nd Amendment right to own guns and according to CNN, 3% of Americans own 95% of them.  I wonder if the rest of the world thinks we’re a bit crazy, given all the mass shootings by Americans exercising their right to purchase firearms and our unwillingness to do anything about it beyond offering thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families.  I have a few solutions, but I’m doubtful this Congress will do anything to address the root of the problem. Continue reading “America’s Gun Obsession”

I’m beginning to doubt that we Americans are as divided as many would have us believe.  It took the comment of a student the other day to get me thinking about our shared values.  We were talking about the NFL and the national anthem when the student said that he is in love with our Constitution.  I thought, don’t we all value our Constitution?  And isn’t it that Constitution that guarantees us the right to protest?  We grew up saluting the flag with our hand across our hearts as we utter the final words, “with liberty and justice for all”.  But I think too many of us have forgotten the actual values expressed in our defining documents.   Continue reading “Finding Unity in the U.S.”