Christmas, Star Wars, and Greg Abbott

December 26, 2022.Reading time 12 minutes.

This week, as I reread the first verses of Luke’s Christmas story, I thought about Rey (from Star Wars), and about my own governor, Greg Abbott. Director JJ Abrams masterfully introduces the character of Rey to us in “The Force Awakens” in a sequence that is worthy of a careful look. As John Williams’ brilliant […]

Once Upon A Time

September 25, 2021.Reading time 1 minute.

Today, all over America, fans will pour into stadiums to watch their favorite college teams.In many locales —urban and rural, in Red and Blue states— fans will submit to a “clear bag” rule, and possibly even a scan or search of their person, as they enter the stadium. At no time today, anywhere across our […]

An Acceptable Ending in Afghanistan

September 9, 2021.Reading time 5 minutes.

Earlier, I suggested that we reevaluate Hurricane Ida through the long term lens that “the levees held,” and see that fact as a deeply hopeful moment. As America readies itself for the 20th Anniversary of 911, we can do the same thing with the Afghanistan withdrawal. — America’s longest war, costing trillions of dollars, and […]

Connecting the Dots of Yesterday

January 21, 2021.Reading time 13 minutes.

Don’t ever again tell me “the parties are the same.”Don’t ever again tell me “non-violent action doesn’t work.”Don’t ever again tell me “elections don’t matter.” These are the three biggest lies — the three greatest disincentives to voting and activism — that I have heard during the past four years. Time and time again, I’ve heard them repeated online, […]

When “Public Service” Gets Crushed

January 9, 2021.Reading time 9 minutes.

Everybody is haunted by the images of this week.The Nazi shirts…the Confederate flag…the man with zip ties in military gear…the wild-eyed looks of these insurrectionists. But I’ve been deeply stirred by two images.One, of this Capitol police officer being crushed.The other, of Representative Andy Kim cleaning up the trash. I know that this is a […]

White Privilege Illustrated: The HOLC Maps

June 26, 2020.Reading time 27 minutes.

Far too many times, I hear White people say White Privilege is a myth or a creation of the Left. But there are ways to VISUALIZE it…to illustrate it…show show its pernicious effects beyond shadow of dout. Exhibit A: The HOLC Maps. This is a long blog. I can’t apologize for that, because you need […]

Juneteenth and the “Power of Power”

June 19, 2020.Reading time 15 minutes.

Two thousand Federal troops. I keep coming back to that number. That’s the number of Union soldiers that accompanied General Gordon Granger into Galveston on the day Juneteenth was proclaimed in 1865. We White people barely understand Juneteenth to begin with, and what we do understand is often whitewashed. Yes, General Granger read that proclamation […]

What We Value

June 6, 2020.Reading time 8 minutes.

One thing is certain about the year 2020; it’s a year where all of us are being asked: “What do we truly value?” The picture of the left is a graphic that ran on Fox News this week, and I’m going to ask you not to move straight to your outrage. Even though I’m confident […]

Don’t Look Away

June 3, 2020.Reading time 4 minutes.

White Siblings, Don’t look away. Don’t avert your eyes. Yes, there is a danger even in reposting these because of the moral license they may give other racists who see them. But you….dear White sibling… You who are still more concerned about property damage and protesting “the right way”… You who every time there is […]

White Privilege

May 28, 2020.Reading time 13 minutes.

My struggle to adequately describe the murder of George Floyd ended when I saw this picture late last night. Take a hard look at this picture, because if you let it sink in deeply it will help you see much of what is wrong with America today. One frame: Armed protestors, effectively taking over the […]