So, I haven’t really been excited about the “me too” thing going around social media, because I think that without any context on what happened, it’s easy for most people (especially men) who see those statuses to just shrug and say, “Yeah, yeah – everything’s considered sexual harassment these days.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that phrase in my life: “Everything’s considered sexual harassment these days.” It usually (but not always) comes from men who are... Read more

  Months after Colin Kaepernick first started kneeling for the Anthem, I think it’s safe to say that most Americans are sick and tired of this debate. Depending on what stance they take, Americans are perhaps sick and tired for different reasons, but the consensus is the same for most of us: we’re sick of rehashing the same points, only for everyone to walk away with the same opinion they had going in. At the center of this debate is... Read more

Author’s note: in my last post, I discussed similarities between Christianity and progressive social media, more specifically Mormon progressive social media. In this post I discuss what these similarities mean for Mormon progressives.   How religious strategies can undermine progressive efforts As a progressive and a person of faith, I don’t see the similarities between religion and progressivism as inherently bad or good. What I’d say is that many of these overlaps can strengthen progressive movements, while others should be approached... Read more

In the days following white nationalist violence in Charlottesville, many progressive activists in the US took to social media not only to express dismay, but also to suggest actions and strategies for peacefully dismantling white supremacy. In my own social media feed, a friend shared a post that had been making the rounds, a list of actions for white allies to take. Most items on the list seemed like smart moves, but one surprised me: “get your friends on their own... Read more

When I was younger, I developed a paradoxical fear of the Holy Ghost. You see, it wasn’t uncommon for me to feel a strong sense of peace just before receiving bad news. Unexpected bad news. The intellectual and academic in me of course looks back and interrogates those experiences. Did I subconsciously respond to some subtle stimuli that foretold bad news? Did I exaggerate the emotional feeling after the fact? And rationally, I can’t deny those possibilities. Memory isn’t sculpted... Read more

The demise of an alliance in Ancient Greece warns of the dangers of angering our partners in NATO. The headlines were withering. “Trump’s Trip Was a Catastrophe,” The Atlantic declared; “Trump’s behavior at NATO is a national embarrassment,” proclaimed the Washington Post; “President Trump Fails NATO,” the New York Times lamented. The behavior that spurred these headlines was painfully visible on May 25 as President Donald Trump attended a summit meeting of the NATO alliance in Brussels. NATO, a collective... Read more