STOP HATING ON 2016!

Throwing this entire year into the garbage bin of history misses the majestic silver lining that the ascendence of Trump has produced: a bigger resurgence of citizenry, activism, connection, dialogue, soul searching, and rededication to passionately held core values I have witnesses in my life time. Yes, the assholes are--very temporarily--in charge. Yet, the outpouring of passion, dedication, determination, and love on these forums has been incredible. We are facing multiple potential catastrophes, as the worst among us are allowed to plunder the nation's riches, but we have affirmed to each other the reservoirs of patience and resistance we have inside ourselves. Our nation was founded on too great an ideal to let the forces of darkness prevail. Together, we will cling fast to what is still left of legal precedent, due process, the free press, and political convention and decorum against those who would smash all of these idols in service of returning to a mythical, yet still oppressive past where white male hegemony reigned supreme. Sing on, my sisters and brothers!

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Winston-Salem, NC, Crushed by Trump, Sessions, and the State Legislature. By Peter Wilbur

On Monday night in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a resolution pronouncing my community a " welcoming city " was withdrawn from consideration by its author, Councilman Dan Besse . This document, which is a watered-down compromise of a previously proposed "sanctuary city" resolution promoted by a group of persistent activists, is for now the latest casualty of a far-right, all-out assault on immigrants led by the Trump administration and state legislatures across the country, including the gerrymandered state house in Raleigh. Before drilling into the details of what happened on Main Street last night in a medium-sized city in the middle of North Carolina, let us take an overview of where immigrant rights stand now. We know that Trump has twice signed executive orders banning travelers from "certain" Muslim majority nations, countries chosen apparently for their ability to rouse fear in the hearts of heartland America than out of any sober analysis of...

Trump Unpacked, Episode 2: the Guam Edition (Call to Guam's Governor)

Good morning, good morning, (Trump has no concept of time zones) it's great to speak to you, (He has no idea this island even existed, let alone that it has a governor) and I just wanted to pay my respect. (Did somebody die? Not yet...) And we are with you 1000%. (Nice hyperbole. And who are "we"? Guam is a territory of the U.S. It is a part of the country.) You are safe. (Keep saying it Donald. Is that what your legal team tells you when they tuck you in at night?) We are with you 1000%. (With friends like these, who needs enemies?) And I wanted to call you and say hello. How are you? ("Hey, I'm great, Donald, an unpredictable despot just threatened my island with nuclear armageddon, but the sun is shining in Guam!") Well, we're going to do a great job, (Good to know, Donald. I'm sure that clinches it.) don't worry about a thing. (What me, worry? Don't worry; be happy now!) They should have had me eight years ago. (Let me pivot t...

Fake News Only Works on the Ignorant

On May 16, a sea of red-clad teachers descended upon our legislative building to give voice to the frustration many across the state share about the drastic cuts to public education since the Republican super-majority all but hijacked democracy. These cuts are so deep and at times punitive that they seem part of an ideological assault on the very idea of public education rather than some sort of economic prudence claimed by GOP leadership. In the person of Betsy DeVos we see this ideology nakedly espoused on the national stage. Gutting public schools in favor of for-profit charters, Christian private schools, and homeschooling has been her life's work, aided and abetted by her family's billions. She and the NCGA GOP are following a playbook much in the manner of how the Koch brothers systematically attack attempts to address climate change. Meanwhile, the Cambridge Analytica scandal has revealed how compromised our personal data is, and to what lengths political operatives...

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