Like many of you, I am reeling after the overturning of Roe v Wade. It is an attack on our democracy and we will not stand for it. Some thoughts.

Background

By overturning Roe v Wade, SCOTUS removed any federal protections for abortion access. This means all access to abortion will be determined by each individual state. Immediately after the decision, many states had “trigger laws” which became effective and banned all abortion. There are no exceptions for rape, incest, health of the mother or health of the fetus. There is just no abortion allowed. In many other states, including Ohio, “heartbeat bills” went into effect. This means abortion is only legal until a “fetal heartbeat” is detected, which is usually around 6 weeks. “Fetal heartbeat” is a misnomer because it’s not actually a heartbeat, but as soon as this is detected, abortion is not permitted. I believe Ohio allows exceptions for if the mother’s life is in danger, but I cannot get confirmation on that. Ohio does not allow exceptions for rape or incest. 

Additionally, in a concurring opinion filed by Justice Clarence Thomas, he indicated the rights originally established by Roe were not protected under the 14th Amendment Due Process Clause and that the idea of “substantive due process” was an oxymoron. As such, he believes SCOTUS should re-examine all cases where individual liberties were granted under the idea of substantive due process. He specifically named three cases – Griswold (right to contraception), Obergefell (same-sex marriage), and Lawrence (right to same-sex sexual relations). Though Justice Alito seemed to indicate these rights were safe, there is growing concern that several of the conservative justices, including Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett (all Trump appointees) “purposely misled” the public during their confirmation hearings. All of these justices indicated the need to consider precedent in deciding new cases, including a commitment to stare decisis. The overturning of Roe, which has previously been re-affirmed in subsequent cases, shows the justices are not committed to stare decisis.

Having said all of that, we are now living in a time where safe abortion is basically illegal. There is a growing fear that other individual liberties not enumerated in the Bill of Rights will also be under attack in the near future. The time to act is now. I have been scrolling through Facebook a lot lately. While my friends list is pretty cultivated to exclude those with conservative views, it is also full of people who don’t post much about politics. While I can probably assume they voted for Hillary and Biden, I can’t know for sure. I assume they support same-sex marriage, but they don’t post rainbow flags, so I can’t be sure. However, my feed is FULL of previously non-political people posting and they are PISSED. There are men and women, there are people with 5 kids and people with 0 kids, there are people I’ve known since elementary school and people I’ve known less than a year… and they are all PISSED. They are furious that women no longer have a choice in their reproductive health. They are posting things like “abort the court”, checking in to protests, sharing “I’m with her” graphics and lamenting how their daughters have less rights than their grandmothers did in the 70s. This act has taken our anger to a whole new level. This is beyond the women’s march at Trump’s inauguration, this is beyond pussy hats and clever chants. This is righteous anger and indignation and fury. So what can we do?

State Representatives 

I have drafted a short letter and sent it to every Ohio Republican representative at the state level, House and Senate.

Dear Rep,

I am writing to express my anger at the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v Wade. This rolls back over 50 years of progress in women’s rights. Women are no longer able to make their own decisions on reproductive healthcare. Worse, there are no longer any protections for victims of rape or incest, or situations where the mother’s life is in danger. This is not about saving babies, this is about control over women. If it were about saving babies, we would have expanded Medicaid, child care subsidies, free diapers, free formula, universal pre-k, and better foster care systems with easier access to adoption.

America is no longer the greatest country in the world. We are a third world country with iPhones. It is time to listen to the will of the people. I urge you to overturn the “Heartbeat Bill” in Ohio, which prohibits abortions after 6 weeks and does not allow for any exceptions. Studies show over 65% of the country supports the protections in Roe. If we cannot trust our representatives to listen to the people, we will vote you out. 

I signed each letter “Kristen Angelo, constituent from Walbridge, Ohio”

I sent this note to the following people:

Rep1@OhioHouse.gov – Scott Wiggam

Rep2@OhioHouse.gov – Marilyn John

Rep3@OhioHouse.gov – Haraz Ghanbari

Rep4@OhioHouse.gov – Robert Cupp

Rep5@OhioHouse.gov – Timothy Ginter

Rep7@OhioHouse.gov – Thomas Patton

Rep23@OhioHouse.gov – Laura Lanese

Rep27@OhioHouse.gov – Thomas Brinkman Jr

Rep29@OhioHouse.gov – Cindy Abrams

Rep30@OhioHouse.gov – Bill Seitz

Rep36@OhioHouse.gov – Bob Young

Rep38@OhioHouse.gov – Bill Roemer

Rep40@OhioHouse.gov – Phil Plummer

Rep41@OhioHouse.gov – Andrea White

Rep42@OhioHouse.gov – Tom Young

Rep43@OhioHouse.gov – Rodney Creech

Rep47@OhioHouse.gov – Derek Merrin

Rep48@OhioHouse.gov – Scott Oelslager

Rep50@OhioHouse.gov – Reggie Stoltzfus

Rep51@OhioHouse.gov – Sara Carruthers

Rep52@OhioHouse.gov – Jennifer Gross

Rep53@OhioHouse.gov – Thomas Hall

Rep54@OhioHouse.gov – Paul Zeltwanger

Rep55@OhioHouse.gov – Gayle Manning

Rep57@OhioHouse.gov – Dick Stein

Rep59@OhioHouse.gov – Al Cutrona

Rep61@OhioHouse.gov – Jamie Callender

Rep62@OhioHouse.gov – P Scott Lipps

Rep63@OhioHouse.gov – Mike Loychik

Rep65@OhioHouse.gov – Jean Schmidt

Rep66@OhioHouse.gov – Adam Bird

Rep67@OhioHouse.gov – Kris Jordan

Rep68@OhioHouse.gov – Shawn Stevens

Rep69@OhioHouse.gov – Sharon Ray

Rep70@OhioHouse.gov – Darrell Kick

Rep71@OhioHouse.gov – Mark Fraizer

Rep72@OhioHouse.gov – Kevin Miller

Rep73@OhioHouse.gov – Brian Lampton

Rep74@OhioHouse.gov – Bill Dean

Rep75@OhioHouse.gov – Gail Pavliga

Rep76@OhioHouse.gov – Diane Grendell

Rep77@OhioHouse.gov – Jeff LaRe

Rep78@OhioHouse.gov – Brian Stewart

Rep79@OhioHouse.gov – J Kyle Koehler

Rep80@OhioHouse.gov – Jena Powell

Rep81@OhioHouse.gov – James Hoops

Rep82@OhioHouse.gov – Craig Riedel

Rep83@OhioHouse.gov – Jon Cross

Rep84@OhioHouse.gov – Susan Manchester

Rep85@OhioHouse.gov – A Nino Vitale

Rep86@OhioHouse.gov – Tracy Richardson

Rep87@OhioHouse.gov – Riordan McClain

Rep88@OhioHouse.gov – Gary Click

Rep89@OhioHouse.gov – DJ Swearingen

Rep90@OhioHouse.gov – Brian Baldridge

Rep91@OhioHouse.gov – Shane Wilkin

Rep92@OhioHouse.gov – Mark Johnson

Rep93@OhioHouse.gov – Jason Stephens

Rep94@OhioHouse.gov – Jay Edwards

Rep95@OhioHouse.gov – Don Jones

Rep96@OhioHouse.gov – Ron Ferguson

Rep97@OhioHouse.gov – Adam Holmes

Rep98@OhioHouse.gov – Brett Hudson Hillyer

Rep99@OhioHouse.gov – Sarah Fowler Arthur

McColley@OhioSenate.gov – Rob McColley

Gavarone@OhioSenate.gov – Theresa Gavarone

Lang@OhioSenate.gov – George Lang

Antani@OhioSenate.gov – Niraj Antani

Wilson@OhioSenate.gov – Steve Wilson

Blessing@OhioSenate.gov – Louis Blessing

Hackett@OhioSenate.gov – Bob Hackett

Manning@OhioSenate.gov – Nathan Manning

Johnson@OhioSenate.gov – Terry Johnson

Kunze@OhioSenate.gov – Stephanie Kunze

Peterson@OhioSenate.gov – Bob Peterson

Cirino@OhioSenate.gov – Jerry Cirino

Brenner@OhioSenate.gov – Andrew Brenner

Schaffer@OhioSenate.gov – TIm Schaffer

Romanchuk@OhioSenate.gov – Mark Romanchuk

Dolan@OhioSenate.gov – Matt Dolan

Reineke@OhioSenate.gov – Bill Reineke

Roegner@OhioSenate.gov – Kristina Roegner

Schuring@OhioSenate.gov – Kirk Schuring

Hoagland@OhioSenate.gov – Frank Hoagland

Hottinger@OhioSenate.gov – Jay Hottinger

OBrien@OhioSenate.gov – Sandra O’Brien

Rulli@OhioSenate.gov – Michael Rulli

HuffmanM@OhioSenate.gov – Matt Huffman

HuffmanS@OhioSenate.gov – Stephen Huffman

**Important note** All 99 Ohio House seats are up for election this year. In the Ohio Senate, 17 of the 33 seats will be up for election. The primaries are to be held on August 2, with the general election on November 8. 

Federal Representatives

I drafted the following letter and sent it to my reps from Ohio at the federal level: 

Dear Rep,

I am writing to urge you to codify the protections from Roe v Wade. All birthing people should have the right to choose whether or not they want to be pregnant. These protections need to last longer than a few weeks. Some people don’t even learn about their pregnancies until several weeks after their missed period. Some states don’t even grant a short window. It’s ridiculous.

The Civil War was fought over states rights and the South lost. We are the United States of America. Federal law should be there to protect the rights of its citizens, in all states, including those who forget who won the Civil War. It is beyond time to amend the archaic constitution so it reflects the times we live in. Over 65% of the country supports a woman’s right to choose. It’s time to make it an unalienable right. 

Kristen Angelo, constituent from Walbridge, Ohio

This note was sent to the following people. Unfortunately I couldn’t find email addresses so I could only contact via the website using my own zip code:

Sherrod Brown (statewide)

Rob Portman (statewide)

Bob Latta (43465)

Providing Abortion Assistance

Many people have been making posts offering to host people who need to go “camping” in their state as code for assisting with abortions. While this is most noble and thoughtful, please don’t do this. There are already established networks who provide these services through vetted, trusted partners. It’s ok if your best friend from high school needs your help, but I would advise against helping strangers. It is entirely possible this could be a sting operation and you could find yourself in a courtroom charged with something. You would have no protection available beyond what you yourself could afford. If you are serious about offering rides, housing, or financial assistance, please donate to or contact a trusted organization. If you are seeking assistance obtaining an abortion, please contact a local organization or trusted friend for assistance.

I highly recommend the Agnes Reynolds Jackson Fund. Over 90% of funds raised go directly to assisting people obtain safe abortions. You can donate money or you can assist with fundraisers and other events. They have plans to create a network of drivers and homes, but that is still some time off. https://www.aggiefund.org/ 

The Midwest Access Coalition provides abortion access support across the Midwest. They are not currently accepting volunteers, but are still raising much needed funding to support their mission.  https://midwestaccesscoalition.org/ 

The Chicago Abortion Fund provides abortion support and access in Illinois and the greater Midwest. They attempt to assist 100% of callers, no matter their financial situation, location, or age. Their website includes a lot of great resources regarding pre and post abortion care, FAQs, and other items of interest. https://www.chicagoabortionfund.org/ 

Voting Information

The single most important thing you can do is VOTE. Verify your voter registration at this link: https://voterlookup.ohiosos.gov/voterlookup.aspx. Ensure your name is spelled correctly and your address is correct. Check this before EVERY election. I don’t care if you just voted in May. Check again before the August 2 primary. And after you vote in August, check again before the deadline for the general election on November 8. If anything is incorrect, contact your county board of elections immediately to get it corrected. If you are not registered to vote, visit this link https://olvr.ohiosos.gov/ to get registered. 

Other Ways to Help

There are a million ways to get involved so I’m just going to list some of my favorites here.

If you are in the Toledo area, I encourage you to connect with Toledo Persists (https://www.facebook.com/groups/toledoforwarren). They are a fabulous organization committed to resistance and persistence in saving our democracy. They plan marches, they campaign, they make calls, they hang out. It’s an amazing group. I was lucky to work with them last year on a fun project to put up anti-Trump billboards in Toledo. I remain involved as time permits.

I frequently write for Vote Forward (https://votefwd.org/) , which is an organization who sends letters to encourage people to get out and vote. This is a non-partisan group so you cannot tell people who to vote for or what issues to care about, but you can tell them why you vote. I usually keep it simple and say something like “Our voices deserve to be heard. Our elected officials should accurately represent the people.” These letters can be prepared throughout the year and are mailed at the end of October to arrive about a week before Election Day. You have to print your own letters and pay for the postage to send them out.

I also write with Postcards to Voters (https://postcardstovoters.org/) . They are a Democrat supporting organization who helps campaign for blue candidates. They focus on close races at the local level across the nation. I’ve written for city council races in Florida and supervisor elections in California. It all just depends on what candidates are asking for help. They offer postcards for purchase or you can purchase your own. You do have to cover the postage, but postcard stamps are about half the cost of mailing an envelope. 

I also encourage you to get involved with your local Democrat groups. They do a lot of great work at the local levels, including campaigning, voter registration, poll working opportunities, and fundraising. Especially if you live in a predominantly red area, it can create a sense of belonging to know there are others in the community who feel the way you do.

If you’ve read this far, I appreciate you. Remember to take time for yourself. This is a marathon, not a sprint. We are going to be fighting this fight for years. Pace yourself.

In the aftermath of the Uvalde school shooting (and the dozen other cities who have experienced a mass shooting since), I present: Disconnected Thoughts on Mass Shootings.

It seems impossible to discuss the aftermath of mass shootings because it’s a multifaceted issue. Some say it’s a gun control issue, some say it’s a mental health issue, others will say it’s a morals and values issue, or a school safety issue. Conversations on change stall because the debate focuses too much on what the cause is, rather than how to prevent it from happening again. Honestly, it doesn’t matter what the cause is, but we as a nation HAVE to do something to fix it. When dealing with a complex problem, it’s better to break it up into smaller, more manageable parts and attack it from multiple sides. Why can’t we do that here?

For those who say it’s a gun issue, then let’s get stricter requirements on purchasing guns. Let’s put the Assault Weapon Ban back into place. Let’s close the gun show loophole. Let’s implement a waiting period to purchase. Let’s make universal background checks a requirement. Let’s license and register all guns like cars. Let’s require better training, both written and practical. Let’s teach more about safe gun storage. 

For those who say it’s a mental health issue, let’s make some changes. Hire more social workers and counselors for schools. Expand access to Medicaid so people can get mental health services. Subsidize student loans for people pursuing social work/counseling degrees so we can address the severe shortage of people in those jobs. 

For those who say it’s a morals and values issue, what is your proposed solution? Many reminisce about the “good old days” when Mom stayed home and Dad worked 9-5 Monday through Friday as a produce clerk and made enough money to buy a house in the suburbs, take a yearly family vacation to Disney, and provide plenty of food and clothing for their 2.5 kids. So now we have to address minimum wage, affordable housing, inflation, student loan debt, and corporate greed. Phew, that sounds tough, but I’m willing to do it. If we want a world where kids are raised by their actual parents, in a situation where one parent can stay home and one can work, then we also need to address things like mass incarceration and drug addiction, while increasing access to abortion so people who are not mentally or financially prepared to be parents don’t have to become parents. 

For those who say we need to bring God back into the schools, shut up and send your kid to a private religious school. In a public school, which God should we bring?

For those who say it’s a school safety issue, what do you propose? I’ve heard a lot about locking doors and creating one entrance point for all students, staff, and visitors. I’ve also heard about adding armed security/police officers, installing metal detectors, and increasing the frequency of lockdown/active shooter drills. Now there’s a bill in Ohio (about to be signed by the governor) to allow districts the option of arming teachers or other staff. So we’re going to turn our schools into prisons where students are intimidated every day by the security and the presence of officers in the halls. Given the ongoing issues between police and black/brown people, is this really the best solution? Studies have shown that resource officers serve more as a facilitator in the school to prison pipeline, rather than to deter school shootings. They spend more time making school discipline a police matter over spending their time ensuring schools are safe for students. 

Expanding upon the idea of arming teachers, the current law in Ohio for teachers to carry guns requires approval of the Board and over 700 hours of training. The new bill, supported by almost all Ohio Republicans and none of the Democrats, will reduce those hours of training down to 24 hours, unless the specific Board requires more. The training includes “critical incident response,” “tactical live firearms training,” and “realistic urban training.” Schools would be required to notify parents that “one or more persons” have been approved to carry a gun, but would not be required to disclose who. Republicans refused to answer questions regarding liability, such as whether a gun was accidentally discharged or a student was injured. A 2019 survey among teachers indicated more than 95% believe teachers should not have guns. This is an increase from a different 2018 student where 73% of teachers believe they should not have guns. The samples from these studies included teachers who were private gun owners. 

By the end of June, Ohio will be a very lax state for gun control laws. In 2020, DeWine signed a “Stand Your Ground” law, which removed the duty to retreat from a perceived attack before using deadly force. A law set to go into effect in mere days has significantly weakened the Concealed Carry laws. In addition to removing the training and background check requirements, the law no longer requires a person to immediately disclose to a police officer that they have a weapon. They are only required to disclose if the police officer asks. I wonder what will come next.

In the year after a record-breaking year for gun deaths, is this really the smartest course of action? Many groups are calling for stricter gun laws and many groups, including those related to police officers, are being very vocal in their opposition of these changes, yet Ohio forges ahead. Republicans have long been proud to say they “back the blue,” but they are removing such a simple protection of officers. Requiring someone to inform an officer they have a gun is a very sensible thing. It protects both the person and the officer. 

I also have several questions about mass shootings that no one seems to answer. Forgive my repeating of racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, etc here, but stick with me.

We hear all of this discussion about young black males and how they’re all in gangs. All these gang members have guns and that’s why we have violence in the streets. Ok, so why does this violence not spill into our inner city schools? Almost every school shooting I can think of has been perpetrated in a mostly white, middle class school by a young white male. So if all our young black males are gang members with guns, why don’t they ever commit school shootings? Maybe it’s not about guns or school safety then. 

The topic of bullying gets brought up a lot after a school shooting. This is definitely a big factor in motive. So why do fat or gay people not commit school shootings? I was bullied relentlessly as a student for both things. But I never grabbed a gun and shot up a school. Disabled people don’t commit school shootings either, and I’m sure they’re bullied for their wheelchairs or their leg braces. I’m sure kids who are developmentally delayed are bullied and excluded from activities, but they don’t commit school shootings either. Kids who are “different” are bullied, whether it’s because they like the “wrong” things for their age/gender/location or for some attribute they cannot control (being gay, wearing glasses, overweight, bad athlete), but they don’t commit school shootings. Why is that?

So if it is a mental health issue, shouldn’t there be even more shootings? According to a quick Google search, nearly 8% of the adult population is diagnosed with depression. Another search tells me 3% of kids and 8% of adolescents are diagnosed with depression, with boys under 10 being the highest group. However, by age 16, girls have greater incidences of depression. So why are (almost) all mass shootings committed by males? Veterans suffer from incredibly high rates of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Why are more shootings not committed by veterans? Various other professions also suffer from high rates of mental health issues, including lawyers and doctors, so why are more shootings not occurring from those people?

So maybe it’s not any of those things. Maybe it’s really about toxic white masculinity. Maybe it’s about young men who have been raised to “be tough” and not deal with their complex emotions, while also being groomed to value the wrong things, so it all becomes too much and they snap and commit a mass slaughter of elementary schoolchildren? 

So far, I’ve mostly covered thoughts about school shootings, but many apply to community shootings as well. These shootings occur at movie theaters, malls, grocery stores, medical offices, concerts, driving down the highway, churches, parks, and other public spaces. Some of these are specifically targeted due to personal vendettas, such as the recent Tulsa shooting where a patient was targeting a doctor and killed a few others on his rampage. Some of these are ideologically targeted, such as the Buffalo grocery store and the church in Charleston, because the shooters were white nationalists out to kill black people. But most of them are random. A crime of opportunity and victims who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

An argument for placing more officers and metal detectors in schools stems from the protection certain public places have. For example, courthouses require you to pass through security before entering. Airports have strict security, with additional steps added constantly. Though there are differing opinions on the effectiveness, security includes metal detectors, armed security, prohibition on certain weapons, and random searches. But where do we draw the line? We want to be safe when we’re in public, but do we want to pass through a metal detector and submit to a body scan every time we need a gallon of milk or to deposit a check? Do we want armed security guards roaming around while the Pastor sings the Sunday hymn? When we do see someone with a gun, how do we know if they’re a good guy or a bad guy? Do all of these white conservative Christians want to put more guns into the hands of black men or men wearing turbans? I’m guessing not.

LOUD. SIGH. If you’ve stuck with me this long, I appreciate you. I don’t have any answers, but my head is full of thoughts. I’m tired of inaction or wrong action by our elected representatives. I’m tired of being afraid to send my kid to school. I’m tired of being afraid for my sister who is a teacher. I’m tired of living in a country where people worship guns rather than the safety of others. Part of me wants to hit the pavement and flood USPS with “vote blue” messages, but the other part of me feels exhausted by the mere thought. I feel people are not going to change their minds. I feel people care more about the economy or some single small issue and won’t vote blue for that reason. Not that even voting blue is a guarantee anymore (looking at you, Kyrsten Sinema), but I guess it helps. We get so caught up in who is the President that we forget who really holds the power. Our state legislation. Our Congresspeople. Our school boards. Our city councils. 

I also want to acknowledge that nothing I said is meant to be exhaustive. I know there was probably a mass shooting by a bullied fat kid or a gang member or a gay Hispanic kid. I know that. But I’m generalizing, so don’t come for me.

I was never really a fan of Halloween until a few years ago. I’m not sure what changed, but now I love decorating and growing my Halloween village. I still hate scary movies and I still don’t like dressing in costumes, but I do enjoy Trick or Treat and seeing all the kids in their cute/scary/weird/wtf costumes. With Halloween only a few days away, I have some thoughts.

I don’t remember much about trick or treating as a kid. I know I went most years and I usually went with a friend and my sisters. My mom always took us because our hometown’s trick or treat was always the Saturday before Halloween from 2pm to 4pm and my dad was always at work. We always went in the same neighborhood – our street and then a cul de sac neighborhood behind us. Then of course we would swing by and visit Papa for a large treat bag. We’d also visit Grandma for a special treat bag and sometimes run up and down her street if there was still time. 

Because of this setup, there was never anyone to stay at our house and pass out candy. My mom usually left out a bowl with a note to please take one or two. Some years we came home to a bowl nearly full. Some years we came home to a bowl completely empty, likely dumped by a greedy kid. (Remember, these were the years before Ring cameras). Luckily, in my family, my wife and I get to stay home and pass out candy while our son heads out with his grandfather. This means we get to control the flow of candy.

We live in a small town. A no gas station, no grocery store, no red lights, kind of small town. Our local high school is situated between two towns. Between those two towns, two other feeder areas, plus open enrollment, each grade averages about 100 kids. Small. Town. Additionally, we are a safe town. Crime is low. We can leave cars unlocked. Kids can roam around unsupervised and untracked. Yes, we have our occasional issue, but overall, we are a safe place to raise a family. Because of this, every year for trick or treat we are inundated with kids from other parts of the area. Some kids come because they live in rural areas with a mile between each other. Many kids come because their neighborhoods are not safe. They can’t play outside without adult supervision. They’ve grown up with double locks on the front doors, fences around the entire yard, and bars on windows. They can identify guns based on the shot. Would you want to trick or treat in a neighborhood like that? I sure wouldn’t.

So when kids come to our door on Halloween and say “trick or treat,” I don’t ask them where they live. I don’t ask them where they go to school. I don’t ask them why they’re on my doorstep, do they “belong” here? I say, “here ya go” and chuck a few milky ways in their bag. Do I question their costume? Nope. If they show up in regular clothes and hold out a pillowcase, they get some candy. If they show up totally decked out in makeup and masks and props, they get some candy. If they look a little too old to be out trick or treating, they get some candy. If they’re still a baby with no teeth and the parent holds out the bag, they get some candy. The last few years, we’ve participated in the Teal Pumpkin Project and offered non-candy, allergy friendly treats to kids. This year, we even added a box of milkbones so the pups can get a little treat too. 

I’ve seen too many people trying to “police” trick or treat. People complaining about the number of kids they get or the age of kids or the lack of costumes. There’s always a few complainers every year, but it seems particularly bad this year. Even the time of trick or treat is being hotly debated. “Back in my day” people are demanding our village change the hours back to evening. They say trick or treating in the daylight defeats the purpose. I grew up trick or treating in the daylight and I enjoyed it. I’ve experienced a few years of nighttime trick or treat and… it’s fine, I guess? But once it’s dark, it’s hard to see the costumes. It’s dangerous for drivers and it’s hard to navigate around yards that have a lot of decorations.

Participating in the tradition of trick or treat is 100% voluntary for everyone. For people to go door to door, for people to hand out candy, for everyone, it is voluntary. If you don’t want to participate, don’t answer your door. Put out a sign that says “no candy.” Go out of town for the few hours of trick or treat. It’s not that difficult. But stop trying to dictate who can and can’t participate and under what circumstances. I always say “more inclusivity can never hurt” and I mean it. Stop trying to exclude people from activities they enjoy. Life is too short for that nonsense.

I’ll be honest, I have not been following the billionaire space race with Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Elon Musk or whoever else has been trying to get to space on their own dime. What I do know is that I don’t want to live in a country where people prioritize cosplaying as a space cowboy instead of solving real problems. I’m borrowing from many internet memes here, but if I were a billionaire, I would recklessly fix things and make our country a better place. I wouldn’t waste my time and money to fly myself to space. 

My interest in space and all things related is minimal at best, so perhaps I’m not the best source for this analysis. I support NASA and I think it’s important to learn about the universe around us. But I think that is best left for professional scientists and engineers. If people need to go to space, then it should be professionally trained astronauts under specific guidelines from NASA. I think we need to be aware of things in our atmosphere (and beyond) including satellites, meteors, comets, stars, planets, and maybe extraterrestrial life. I have never given much thought to the existence of aliens or UFOs or life on Mars, but it’s cool for the people who are interested in exploring those possibilities. However, I think those tasks should be given only to professionals who have spent years studying, researching, and analyzing.

If I had as much money as Jeff Bezos, I would fix things without a second thought. Flint still doesn’t have clean water? Fixed. Homelessness? Looks like I’m building tiny house villages across the country. Kids are going hungry? Grocery gift cards to every low income house. I would certainly pay my fair share of taxes. I would pay my workers a fair, living wage, based on the cost of living in the area of my warehouses. None of my workers would be homeless, hungry, or without healthcare. 

I know next to nothing about business, but I do know a little about non-profit work. When people feel their money is supporting an ethical business, they will spend more. If Amazon’s profits have made Jeff Bezos the richest man in the world being this unethical, imagine how much more people would spend if the company was ethical? I spend a lot of money on Amazon every year. I admit it, but I wish I didn’t. I wish prices were comparable at other stores, I wish other stores could compete with the shipping speeds, and I wish it was easier to find some of these items at other companies. The facts are simple: Amazon is cheap and convenient. In our society, this trumps all else, including ethics. 

Sometimes my wife and I like to play a game called, “What Would You Do with $1 Million?” This is a fun little break from reality where we get to dream about how we would spend this sum of money. We start off by allocating about $400,000 to debt. This would pay off all of our student loans and any credit cards or medical bills, as well as our cars. We set about $200,000 aside to buy a house. A nice house, but functional and affordable, to be purchased with cash. We would create a college fund for Julian. Since he’s currently planning to be a veterinarian, we know this is an expensive endeavor, so we’d start with $100,000. We plan to encourage him to pursue studies at community college, then a state school for both his undergraduate degree and his veterinarian degree. There’s no need to further line the pockets of private college presidents (been there, done that). That leaves us with $300,000. We would pay off both of our parents’ homes, give a large gift to a few certain relatives, and take an over the top vacation to Europe. Any money remaining would likely be invested or put away for retirement, likely less than $100,000.

Obviously people like Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson have more than $1 million to play with. According to a quick Google search, Jeff Bezos is worth just under $200 billion. Elon Musk, another favorite, is worth around $160 billion. Richard Branson comes in at a measly $5 billion. Let’s examine some spending options:

-Ending homelessness in the United States: $20 billion (HUD)

-Ending hunger in the United States: $25 billion (Hunger Free America)

-Fixing the Flint water crisis: $1.5 billion (Reuters)*

-Providing a tiny house for every homeless veteran in America: $370 million

I also think of less structured things, such as offering college scholarships, paying bail bonds for people charged with ridiculous crimes, building playgrounds, sponsoring underprivileged sports teams, granting wishes for sick people, or even tipping underpaid workers their rent money. I would sponsor adoption fees at animal shelters and donate food. I would pay off layaways at Christmas. I would buy beds for kids sleeping on the floor, buy bags for kids in foster care, or cover school fees. I would pay off lunch debt, support senior housing, and cover other things that are stupidly expensive.

As the wealthiest person in the world, is it Jeff Bezos’s responsibility to fix America’s problems? Absolutely not. But there are other very wealthy people who have worked to make a difference in the world. I think of all the things LeBron James has done for the Akron area. I think of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. I think of the celebrities and athletes who have started foundations, scholarship programs, or other philanthropic endeavors to improve society. I think of the people, ranging from Average Joe to well-known celebrities, who engage in acts of kindness and pay off layaways or pick up restaurant tabs. I think everyone has a responsibility to make the world around them a better place. People who hoard money have a greater responsibility. 

*An interesting note about the Flint water crisis is that Elon Musk pledged to fix it in July 2018. In October 2018, he donated approximately $480,000 to Flint schools for upgraded filtration systems. As of December 2020, there were still over 100 homes that still needed upgraded pipes and testing. None of these costs include ongoing healthcare for people who developed health issues from drinking this contaminated water.

I love to read. I always have. Some of my fondest memories were of my mom dropping me at the local library, saying “you have 15 minutes,” while I ran into the children’s department and started grabbing books as fast as I could. In 15 (ish) minutes later, I would slowly walk back out the car, books lining my arm, held in place by my 10 year old chin. 

In 6th grade, we were encouraged to participate in the Pizza Hut “Book It!” program. Most of my peers squeaked by, reading just enough books to earn those free pizzas. I took it as a personal challenge and read 642 books during that school year. When I participated in summer reading programs at the library, I would complete all of the summer’s prompts within a week or so. The librarians would have to add additional pages to record my completed books and eventually would ask that I just pick “a few” to record each week. 

In 2020, I finished over 150 Boxcar Children books in a month. This year, I have finished about 95 books since January 1 and have set a goal of 200 by year’s end. My TBR list tops well over 600 at this point, and those are just books I’ve taken screenshots of in my photo album. My biggest fear is whether I will die before I read all of the books I want to read. 

Naturally, I try to push my love of reading onto everyone I know (think Jehovah’s Witness, but WAY worse), including my son. My 11 year old, technology addicted, doesn’t-really-like-to-read son. At first, I was begging him to read age-appropriate chapter books (Magic Treehouse, Goosebumps), but he refused. I relented and said I would accept anything – audiobooks, comic books, graphic novels – just read something. Every once in a while, I can get him to pick up a graphic novel and he does love Garfield comic books. But most days, it’s a struggle to even get 20 minutes from him.

I enrolled him in our local library summer reading program. He started off strong, but he has quickly faltered. I believe it’s been 2 weeks since our last documented activity or reading log entry. Pizza Hut has renewed their Book It! Program this year, but it has done little to spark the interest of my sullen pre-teen. He did devour the “Wings of Fire” series at first, but he has stalled out on Book 6. I have tried everything. Bribery, threats, begging, guilt. I’ve even tried to pay him. Nothing works.

This is the part of the movie where it would cut to my character sitting on a tree swing in the pouring rain, crying her eyes out. Or the part where I would be ranting to a loved one, screaming “Where did I go wrong?!” as I shake my fists at the sky. Honestly, it wouldn’t be wholly inaccurate. I do wonder why he doesn’t love to read. He has a voracious appetite for knowledge, full of questions that cannot be answered by his parents, and the desire to learn about random topics. But as soon as his question is answered with the suggestion of a book, he suddenly loses interest. I’ve tried to offer books full of fun facts and pictures in response to questions like “how big is the biggest whale?” or “how do black holes form?” He loves the music and story of Hamilton, but rejects any provided books on the subject. He is an avid soccer player, with no apparent desire to learn about famous soccer players or soccer facts. He is a talented pianist, who could not care less about famous musicians, pianists, or composers. He is planning a career as a veterinarian, but won’t crack a book sharing “a day in the life of a veterinarian.” We have a trip planned in the fall and I’ve asked him to read a few books to prepare. Nada. 

The other night, we were sitting in the McDonald’s drive thru and he asked me how the sun can warm us on Earth even though it’s so far away. I thought it was a reasonable question, but I had no idea. Science is not my forte. I said as much and then added, “You know where you can find the answer to that question? A book.” He paused and considered for a moment, before launching into some rambling explanation that started with “I think it’s because of sunbursts” and ending with “but I guess we’ll never know.” I don’t know much about the sun, but I don’t think the heat has anything to do with sunbursts, and I think scientists DO know how the sun heats the Earth. 

So what is a book lover to do? Keep providing reading material and encourage reading every day. Continue reading frequently in the evenings or on weekends as an example. Hope he finds something to interest him, like a special series to fall in love with. Surround myself with my emotional support books. And cry whenever the mood strikes me. When nothing else works, no electronics until you read for 20 minutes.

I got my vaccine early through a stroke of luck. I was signed up in numerous places in case of extra or unclaimed doses, so I was able to get in through a technicality. I was only vaccinated a few weeks earlier than I “should” have been, so I don’t feel guilty or feel like I “stole” that vaccine from someone else. I got my first dose in March and my second dose on April 5. My wife was vaccinated at the same time (such a romantic date) and my family has been vaccinated as well. It has been nice to be (mostly) surrounded by vaccinated people. We’ve relaxed our mask usage, enlarged our bubble of people, and felt the stress reduce while we know we are (mostly) protected by the vaccine.

Our son, who is 11, is not eligible to be vaccinated. Currently, the FDA has only approved vaccinations for those 12 and up. I called his pediatrician hoping for some sort of permission slip to allow me to vaccinate him just six months before his 12th birthday, but that does not appear to be an option at this time. Most, if not all, cities, counties, and states have dropped mask mandates or social distancing requirements. A few businesses still require these protocols, but they are few and far between. We have already received paperwork from the school stating they have eliminated all social distancing protocols and masks will not be mandated in the fall. 

In the meantime, there is a new pandemic surging among unvaccinated people. Since January, 98% of hospitalized COVID patients have been unvaccinated. According to NPR, the seven-day national average of new cases is approaching 30,000 per day. Hospitalizations and deaths are also up. Some counties, especially in southern states, are reporting higher daily cases, hospitalizations, and deaths than they were several months ago. Many rural areas of the United States are reporting less than 20% of their adult population as fully vaccinated, even as the national average approaches 56%. Nationwide, the United States reported 18,000 COVID deaths in May 2021. Only 150 of those people were fully vaccinated. 

So what does all this mean? It means get your COVID vaccine. Get the Johnson and Johnson if you only want one shot, or get both doses of Moderna or Pfizer. Yes, the vaccine protects yourself, but it also protects people who cannot be vaccinated yet, like my son. You can get a COVID vaccine almost anywhere – pharmacies, grocery stores, pop-up sites, health departments, school or fairground clinics, employer clinics, etc. Some places even offer a dispatch service where someone will literally drive to your home to give you a vaccine. Vaccines are free and widely available. At this point, there are no excuses for not getting vaccinated.

Which brings us to the side effects. I only know a few people who are unvaccinated and most of them cite side effects as the motivating factor. They are not very concerned with the immediate side effects – the sore arm, the aches, the fever – because all of those subside in about 24 hours. But they are concerned about long-term side effects or the more serious side-effects, such as blood clots. The argument is very sensible: how can we trust a vaccine that has only been around for a year? I’m not criticizing their concerns, but I am criticizing the research they’ve done and the interpretation of that research. Buckle up.

In early April, Johnson and Johnson paused the administration of their one-shot vaccine due to blood clot concerns. At the time, they stated six women had developed these rare blood clots and one died. At the time of this pause, which only lasted a few days, almost 7 million people had received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. That means approximately 0.00008% of people who received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine developed blood clots. Conversely, approximately 20% of people who tested positive for COVID-19 developed blood clots, which is twice as high as the estimated 3%-10% of general ICU patients. Additionally, the FDA estimates approximately 1% of women who take birth control pills will develop blood clots. (Circling back to edit that as of mid-May, approximately 28 people had developed blood clots out of the 8.7 million who received the vaccine, or approximately 0.0003%)

I’m not dismissing the real concern of developing a blood clot from a vaccine, a medication, or a disease. But I am dismissing how those numbers are interpreted. We cannot compare these percentages identically, but we do need to keep perspective. The CDC estimated that 14.1% of US women aged 15-49 are using a birth control pill. The most recent statistics I found estimate approximately 74.6 million women in this age range. That means approximately 11 million women are using a birth control pill. If 1% of those women develop blood clots, you’re looking at 110,000 women who develop blood clots from birth control every year. I don’t have the sex breakdown for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, so I’m going to do some guess-timating. If 7 million people receive the vaccine, let’s assume half are women, which means 3.5 million. Using the recalculated number from May of 0.0003%, that gives you approximately 11 people. To me, 110,000 people for birth control versus 11 people for a vaccine is worth the risk.

I absolutely believe in transparency related to these vaccines and I think the public should know about these adverse effects, no matter how few and far between they are. However, the increased transparency makes this subject ripe for misinformation, which is spreading at an alarming rate. Even as companies and medical professionals continue to debunk rumors and myths, such as dispelling concerns about the vaccine implementing a chip or causing infertility, no one can keep up with the misinformation. People who are making the choice to not get vaccinated are not taking the necessary steps to educate themselves. Don’t take your information from Facebook. Talk to your doctor, talk to health professionals, read up on things from legitimate, trusted sources such as the FDA or the CDC. Don’t rely on what Susan who barely graduated high school is sharing from some no name internet publication. Don’t rely on your tinfoil hat wearing cousin to share accurate information about the vaccine. Reach out to verified, reliable, trustworthy sources.

What was the point of this long, rambling, math-filled blog post? To ask you to please get your vaccine. Please protect yourself and the people who cannot be vaccinated yet, like my son. Please stay home when you’re sick, please wear your mask in crowded areas, please wash your hands. Stay off the FaceGram and the Ticky-Tocky and the InstaTwitter for your medical advice. Please believe in the research. Please believe in science and medicine. We can stop this pandemic, we can stop the unnecessary deaths, we can get back to normal. But we have to work together. We have to get this vaccine.

Trigger warning – discussion of sexual assault/rape

I grew up a baseball kid. I was a ride or die Cleveland Indians baseball fan. Jim Thome was my boy. I could name every man on the Tribe’s roster for several years in a row (mid-90s). I could name half the guys on every other team in the MLB. In the same time period, I could probably name, in total, a dozen basketball players, and that’s being generous. Kobe Bryant was on that list – as well as Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing (thanks Space Jam), and a few others. I had zero personal attachment to any of them. They were just basketball players to me. A lot of my classmates were basketball fans and idolized Kobe Bryant. I was attending school when it was cool to shout “Kobe!” and toss something into the trash can, basketball style.

Seeing all the coverage emerge regarding Kobe Bryant’s death is sad, but it doesn’t really affect me personally. I have no strong memories of watching him play or attending his games or anything like that. I am deeply saddened for his family, especially his wife and surviving children. I cannot even imagine what a devastating time this is for them. I also am deeply saddened for the other lives lost in this tragedy. Each of them left behind their own important legacy and I’m sad they are mentioned as afterthoughts in many of the articles.

When the news originally broke, I scrolled through Facebook seeing post after post on the subject. Some were simply sharing the breaking news article. Others shared poignant memories of watching Kobe play or how his basketball success influenced their lives. Then I saw a few who cheered the loss, stating there was one less rapist walking among us.

*record screech*

That certainly stopped me in my tracks. I had no memory of hearing about this so I quickly did some internet research. The basic gist is Kobe was accused of sexual assault and rape back in 2003 by a female working at a hotel where he was staying. She states it was rape and she did not consent. Kobe admitted there was a sexual encounter, but stated he believed it to be consensual and further believed she was capable of saying no during the act (I assume because she was not intoxicated or anything else). He was formally charged and the case moved forward, but was dropped right before trial because the victim refused to testify. She later filed a civil suit against him, seeking a significant amount of damages. The case was settled out of court and Kobe issued a formal apology to the victim for any pain he caused her.

Here’s where I’m struggling: I am a firm believer in believing women. If a woman says she was assaulted or raped or harassed, we should believe her. However, I also believe in the legal concept “innocent until proven guilty.” Kobe’s defense team was accused of dragging the victim’s name through the mud, which may have contributed to her decision not to testify. It’s also widely known that the victim came from a wealthy family, so money was not (should not) have been a motivator in her accusations (according to Kobe’s legal team).

How does one reconcile all of this? I believe women, so I believe she was assaulted. I also believe in innocent until proven guilty and Kobe was never found guilty. I also don’t think we should blindly take anyone’s word in this sort of situation. Kobe is not denying the two had sex, but he believed the encounter was consensual. He also believed she was capable of withdrawing consent since she was able to say no when he asked about performing a specific act. She sought medical attention shortly after the encounter and she was found to have bruises on her neck, indicative of choking/strangling. Kobe freely admitted he enjoyed this type of sexual act and, again, believed the victim consented to it. So this is really the most classic “he said/she said” situation. Granted, there could be a lot more to this case than what I’m reporting here. I believe there was also discussion about the extremely large, extremely expensive ring he gifted to his wife shortly after the encounter. I don’t think this makes it more or less likely he raped the victim, I think it just indicates his admission there was an adulterous sexual encounter (perhaps more than one, who knows).   

So what do we do? Kobe Bryant was an amazing basketball player who set and broke records, won championships, and inspired millions of children to pursue basketball as a sport. He was also a huge supporter of the WNBA and brought a lot of attention to the league. Many accounts show he was a wonderful father to his four daughters, especially Gianna, who was said to be a phenomenal basketball player and most likely to follow in her father’s footsteps. After retiring from the NBA, his business ventures really took off and he invested in numerous media, data, gaming, and technology brands, as well as sports brands. He also possessed talents in music and film, winning an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2018.

Does one accusation of sexual assault undermine all of that? How do we respect the victim and her experience while still respecting the life of Kobe Bryant? Do we erase all positive aspects of his life for one lapse in judgement? Was he perfect? No, absolutely not, but no one is.

Maybe we can find a happy medium in how we mourn complicated people like Kobe Bryant. We can acknowledge the shadow cast over his life and career in 2003, but we can also acknowledge Kobe for the amazing player and father he was.

I think of my grandfather every morning on my way to work. This isn’t a rant about how much I dislike my job (even though I do), but it’s important to note I’m always rushing to get to work on time. It doesn’t matter if I wake up 2 hours before I must leave, I’m still always rushing to get there. This involves a lot of speeding, some clever maneuvering, and frequently driving through yellow lights. It also involves a lot of luck and the occasional willingness of my boss to look the other way when I stroll in at 802.

So what does this have to do with Papa? One of his many Papa-isms (his wise words of wisdom pretty enough for a coffee mug) was: A failure to plan on your part does not constitute a crisis on my part. And boy was he right about that.

This morning in particular, I was in the left hand lane behind two cars who insisted on going the speed limit. I was going to pass on the right, but I couldn’t because there was another car also going the speed limit. I started to get upset and then I reconsidered. My failure to plan to leave on time was not a crisis for the cars in front of me. They had probably left on time. Or they were heading to a destination that didn’t have a strict start time.

I can’t say I didn’t utter a swear word or 20 as I finally got an opening to get around the slow-pokes, but it really got me thinking. How often do we blame others for things that are entirely (or mostly) our fault? I know I do it all the time. Pretty much every morning on my commute to work, but also several times during the day. I find myself unwilling to take responsibility for things that go awry. I think this is typical of most people, especially when you have a plan and life intervenes.

Papa had another saying, “A failure to plan is a plan to fail.” In my first blog post, I laid out numerous plans I had for this new year. Only 20 days in, I can say I’m doing ok. Not great, but ok. I’ve made some great improvements, but I’ve still fallen short of where I want to be. I’ve done well with my writing. I started off strong with taking my medication, but I’ve gone several days without now. I’ve improved my eating habits, but I’m still missing the mark. I’ve been reading a ton, but I’m so focused on finishing the Boxcar Children series that I haven’t read anything else. I’ve also improved with political activity. I’ve sent out 15 postcards to voters in Florida and I’ve been texting with both the Pete for America campaign and the Warren for President campaign, sending out over 500 texts so far. I plan to set more goals, but I need to focus on these first.

So what does all this mean? I have no idea. Papa was always big on plans. Maybe that’s why I’m so focused on it this year. He was a fan of plans and lists (a genetic trait, based on my mom and sisters behaviors). Maybe I just don’t want to look back some day and regret not doing all the things I wanted to do. I’ve made my plans. I’m working on my plans. Maybe I’ll fail, maybe I won’t. But I’ve made these plans to make myself better and to accomplish the things I always said I’d do “one day.” Maybe I should have included a plan to leave earlier for work….

Today is a dark day in Toledo history. Today, Trump is coming to town. His rally is scheduled for 7pm at the Huntington Center, with doors opening at 3pm. Of course, people have been camped out since yesterday afternoon. It’s funny how any time a “liberal” does any sort of camping out, they’re a “crazy Dem who needs a job,” but when a Republican does it, it’s totally fine.

I work in a building across the street from the backside of the Huntington Center. Normally, this causes no issues. But because of the impending visit, streets are closed all around the center and for a block or two in each direction. Because of the closures, many businesses and schools close to remain closed today or are planning to close by about 2pm. My office petitioned our upper management for early release today and we were denied. We were told “business as usual.” Just one of the many strikes against our management team lately, but that’s another discussion.

I cannot even put into words how against Trump I am, but I would like to detail why. I made a comment earlier about Trump supporters that drew some ire from my coworkers, so I want to take some time to really double down on why I dislike him so much.

1. This is the biggest and most important one – he’s a liar. Don’t tell me all politicians lie, because this is different. Most politicians stretch the truth, embellish their successes, or overpromise in what they may be able to deliver from office. Trump lies. Trump tells straight-up falsehoods. Since he took office, he himself has lied over 15,000 times (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/16/president-trump-has-made-false-or-misleading-claims-over-days/) Many of these can easily be disproven, yet he repeats them time and time again.
2. He’s racist, bigoted, sexist, xenophobic, homophobic, and transphobic. He has actively failed to sign or support legislation that protects women, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, and others. He has actively repealed legislation passed by Obama to protect certain groups. He speaks of people in overbroad general terms (ie: Mexicans are rapists) that actively harm members of the group. He does not take the time to get to know any person or group outside of his own very white, very straight inner circle. He does not view women as people, but as property or pawns for his own gain.
3. He has purposely divided this nation further since his election. Our president is supposed to unite our country, even after a contentious election year. A president does this by avoiding rhetoric that creates the “us vs them” ideology. Trump has done the opposite. He has fueled his support base with taunting (“lock her up”) and the inability to move past issues from the election (“but her emails”). He has never said anything genuinely nice about anyone who has ever displeased – using phrases like “nasty woman” to describe several strong female leaders. He also uses nicknames, such as “Crooked Hillary”, “Little Marco”, “Crazy Maxine”, or “Lyin Ted,” to describe his political colleagues. He has no interest in reaching across party lines or attempting to unify the nation, even after 3 years in office.

I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Toledo House Representative Marcy Kaptur released a long letter welcoming Trump to Toledo, but cautioning him against his usual speech. She discussed how Toledo has long been a working class town, who has created its own wealth, instead of relying on those born with a silver spoon. She ends the letter by encouraging bipartisan work to improve the lives of the middle class, especially in Ohio.

But will he listen? I sincerely doubt it. As the clock ticks nearer on his arrival, Trump spoke about how he was heading to Ohio soon and that some people have been camped out for “two and a half to three days” in “temperatures near zero.” The first people in line arrived at 12:30pm yesterday, so they’ve recently hit the 24 hour mark, a far cry from “two and a half to three days.” While temperatures have been low the last few days, it is currently 46 degrees. Yesterday, a high temperature of 36 degrees was recorded, while a low temperature of 18 degrees was recorded. Cold, yes, but hardly near zero.

Everything with Trump always has to be the biggest and boldest and record breaking. Nothing can ever just be average. And rarely is anything ever as it truly is. Everything must be exaggerated in a grandiose manner. It’s infuriating to see our “leader” act like a child. Children exaggerate things in their lives. If you don’t believe me, ask Julian how many Pokemon cards his friend Jackson has, because he’ll tell you it’s in the millions. But Julian is 10. Trump is 70 and the leader of the free world. This is problematic.

I’ll close with one final thought. My comment earlier was probably not the most appropriate, but I was told that I should “speak kindly” and it was insinuated that my comment was no better than Trump’s rhetoric since I made a blanket statement against Trump supporters. I’ve been accused of this before – how my views of Trump supporters are no different than Trump supporters who talk about all Mexicans as rapists or other generalizations. Perhaps there’s some truth to that. My argument, for whatever it’s worth, is that Trump supporters have chosen to believe proven lies, to distrust reliable news sources, and to perpetuate half-truths or falsehoods about political figures or events. I, on the other hand, have chosen justice, equality, fairness, opportunity, and hope.

To those who are attending the protests tonight – please stay safe, stay vigilant, and stay aware. I will not be participating in the protests, but I will be spending my evening writing postcards on behalf of voter registration and writing to my representatives.