Reflections on the Capitol insurrection, what it means for us, and where we go from here

“Under siege!?” I said aloud.

It was January 6th, and I was working from home typing away on my computer. My attention began to wander and I picked up my phone and popped open one of my news apps. The first headline said the Capitol was “under siege.” I immediately flipped on the TV and began watching as the scenes unfolded. I was dumbfounded by what I saw…Right there on the Senate floor, where I had only seen images of stately affairs going on since I was a kid, were guys in battle fatigues and Trump flags draped over their…

Part 3 — Where do we go from here?

This article is part 3 of a three-part series

If white America is going to be part of the solution to these systemic issues, we will have to make a number of changes in our laws, policies, and thinking. If we do not make these changes quickly, the current protests across the country will only be the beginning. This Coronavirus Pandemic has only exacerbated the inequalities that exist in our system. We cannot hold our proverbial “knee on the neck” of black America without a backlash; it is human nature. People…

Part 2 — How did we get here?

This article is part two of a three-part series

By the 1970’s, African-Americans had achieved legal equality with whites on paper. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) had made segregated schools unconstitutional and the Civil Rights Act signed by Lyndon Johnson in 1964 guaranteed equal employment for all and ensured public facilities were integrated. President Johnson also signed the Voter Rights Act in 1964 that banned all literacy tests as a qualification for voting and provided federal examiners in places that had a sorrowful history of racial discrimination. The Fair Housing Act…

Because of the length of this article, I will release it in three parts, one at a time, over the course of a week. My primary audience is any white American, but it is intended to be read by anyone interested in the topic.

Part 1— Why now?

I have written articles and editorials on political and societal issues for years. As a white male living in America, race has never been an issue I would touch with a ten-foot pole. For far too long, I have been outraged by the images on film of young black men being gunned…

Thomas Jefferson once wrote the following, “An enlightened citizenry is indispensable for the proper functioning of a republic. Self-government is not possible unless the citizens are educated sufficiently to enable them to exercise oversight”

As a citizen of this country, I feel like it is my civic duty to be somewhat educated on our history, government, and current events. Even if I am not going to be some great policymaker, I at least need to care enough about our country to cast an educated vote. …

President George W. Bush is receiving a lot of praise this week for his video address to the nation, encouraging us to pull together in the face of our current challenges. It appears, after the clown show that is a Trump press conference, people are starving for someone that sounds presidential. I have seen a number of my friends, who very much opposed President Bush and his policies during his tenure in office, share his address on social media. I, like many others, think of myself as a forgiving person that does not hold grudges. But, the crimes (and they…

For years, my liberal friends have explained why I should hold my nose, suck it up, and vote for the lesser of two evils in presidential elections. In the past, it made some sense, because Progressives had few to no choices. We had Dennis Kuccinich or had to consider jumping ship and voting for Ralph Nader. This election cycle, we had two to three candidates (depending on your perspective) that represented everything Democrats say they stand for in non-election years. But, all it took for mainstream liberals to get scared of their shadows was for a few talking heads on…

This article was originally written in July of 2019. The current pandemic has exposed the flaws in our system. I believe the views expressed are still extremely relevant.

Framing the Debate

I am excited that candidates like Bernie Sanders (a self-proclaimed democratic socialist) and Elizabeth Warren have a valid opportunity to be our next President. I can only imagine how disappointing this fact is to many of my friends and family. Because of their current belief system, this fact makes me a dreaded socialist. Or, according to much of the perverse logic that has been shoveled on us through social…