There is no reason in the world for a white person (and particularly a white man) to be anything less than ebullient about the state of affairs in today's America. Donald Trump, a man who has garnered the favor of a leader of the Ku Klux Klan, is President of the United States. The Congress is controlled by Republicans, and its leaders seem hell-bent on rolling back the polices of the last Democratic administration. Republicans also control 32 state legislatures, 33 governors.
As a young kid intrigued by spies, guns, and kissing pretty girls, I'd have been happy enough with all of this. But at about two minutes and fourteen seconds in, something dramatic happens.
Today, you've got avowed, unapologetic racists posing with the president, denigrating previous occupants of the White House.
Donald Trump has been in office a couple of weeks, and he is already redefining the words "failure" and "disaster" as they relate to presidential leadership. Honestly, I've never seen anything like it. But I am also a little bit hopeful.
I do believe that the arc of the moral universe bends towards justice, but change does take time, and it's often a fight.
A big part of having the kids around is feeding them. Most nights I try to cook healthy meals for them, complete with vegetables and fresh fruit. Sometimes I hit a home run -- pasta is usually a winner, tacos always work, chicken and veggies. Sometimes it's a miss. I made a great black bean soup the other night, and the kids just weren't down with it.
The thing I am most grateful for is my children. They have provided a clarity and focus to my life I never thought possible. They make me want to be a better dad. They make me want to be a better man.
This has not been the easiest post-election week. I predicted a Hillary blow-out, for whatever that's worth now. And as the Democratic Party -- and the nation -- goes through a sort of reckoning, so too am I going through my... Continue Reading →
benjamin j kirby 