democracy – Page 5 – reader. writer.

Silence is not golden

As a string of egregious actions make the news, including personal behavior that reveals the blindness of those in power and far too many policies that will secure that same blind power for decades to come, I am thinking today about the silence people use to avoid reckoning with their complicity. I am remembering momentsContinue reading “Silence is not golden”

Your Tweets Are Not Enough

I made a resolution this year to be more active on Twitter, and so far I have managed to lose a lot of time on Twitter without gathering my courage to post anything. More often than not, a terrible event occurs (As-Seen-On-Twitter), and I get caught in a vortex of outrage and helplessness, peering atContinue reading “Your Tweets Are Not Enough”

Mississippi

So I woke to the news this morning that a miracle did not occur in Mississippi last night. I am sending out (silent) condolences to those on the losing side, as I did for Florida, Georgia, and Texas. As a Southerner, I feel the need to say to those who lost: I see you. IContinue reading “Mississippi”

How to articulate democracy

I am trying to gather my courage to call my Senators tomorrow to urge them to demonstrate their commitment to voting rights, which, alas, they won’t (which is why it takes courage because it feels futile, but necessary). I thought it might help for me to write about why democracy matters, and, this will surpriseContinue reading “How to articulate democracy”

Reading notes: The Fifth Risk

What is most remarkable about Michael Lewis’s The Fifth Risk is not that he makes us aware of more ways that the installation of a U.S. administration indifferent to the responsibilities of government is a threat to our safety and long term security but that he provides such a readable explanation of the workings ofContinue reading “Reading notes: The Fifth Risk”

Off to the movies

I rarely like to go to a movie in the theaters since the cost is so high, and I prefer to watch at home anyway. In fact, I don’t watch movies or shows very often because it takes up time that I’d rather spend in other ways (usually reading or writing, as you may haveContinue reading “Off to the movies”