Did I miss something in civics class? Was there a new amendment added to the Constitution of the United States and we just didn’t get the memo? Bernie Sanders announced yesterday, by the powers of Socialist Democracy, that “abortion is a constitutional right.” There we have it folks; if you needed any further proof to the fact that socialists are fucking crazy, Sanders gave it to you. And the amount of cheers and likes and retweets this tyrant received is... Read more
In the last year, I have become unknowingly familiar with “Progressive Christianity.” It wasn’t that my aim was to move further left on any spectrum of ideals. More so, it was that as I continued to shed layers of the constructed cloaks I was wearing— the more naked my views were—the more accepted they were by left-leaning thinkers. I was invited by more progressive thinkers to share my thoughts. The progressives, I thought, were more willing to handle me as... Read more
When I give charitably, I never think I am doing enough. Do you ever think that way? Do you ever think to yourself: “I know I could give more, but I would have to make personal sacrifices that I am not comfortable with.”? Maybe it’s just me? Realistically, I don’t think it’s just me. I imagine that is why so many people took to their Twitter and Facebook this past week to vent their frustrations. What was the frustrating outrage... Read more
For many, desire is viewed as a curse, a consequence of the Fall, woman’s burden for relationship with man and connection with man. For me and many others, desire is viewed as an extension of and a gift from, God. Inherent For eroticism, there are invisible and ever-active participants: imagination and desire. As Octavio Paz once noted, “eroticism is invention, constant variation” (The Double Flame) which relies on the unknown. Eroticism unites desire with discovery and uncovers the unlimited boundaries... Read more
Sometimes, it seems as if no one can hear you. It’s as if your voice is so small, that no matter how loud you shout, it only makes a very quiet peep. Other times, it seems as if your voice is so off beat, that every word you say sounds like a pitchy, pithy melody to everyone listening. Do you ever feel like that friends? Does it ever feel like your voice isn’t validated? Do you ever feel misunderstood? Does... Read more
You can find all sorts of reasons to hate someone. We are quick to label others as the “enemy.” When someone shows us something dark or unsavory about themselves, we are conditioned to criticize and cancel. When another changes before our eyes, says something we disagree with, or just acts out of character to what we have come to expect; we find as many reasons as we can to dismiss, disregard, and denigrate the other. But for those of us... Read more
Often, we come to terms with the notion that someone we once knew begins to look like a stranger to us. The pieces don’t add up. Seemingly, too many people contradict themselves and it makes it difficult to maintain a relationship with that person once we notice. Do people contradict themselves or is it us that contradicts the illusions we have about others with more, grandiose illusions? It was Immanuel Kant that posited that we can never know things in... Read more
The Twitter-sphere erupted in outrage last week, after images of Ellen DeGeneres sitting next to George W. Bush at a Dallas football game circulated the social media platform. Despite the numbers demonstrating that Twitter isn’t the premier social media platform and therefore, the collective outrage on Twitter shouldn’t be used as a reflection of societal views; Ellen was compelled to give a statement on the matter. After ruminating on the scandalous event over the weekend, she addressed the outrage on... Read more
Can we get to the point where we realize that we cannot pick our skin tones? And from there, can we then remember that my skin color doesn’t necessarily mean that I couldn’t possibly understand what life is like for another? Maybe we ought to stop equating “understanding” to “experience”. Let’s clarify that when I say I understand you, I don’t mean that everything you have just told me has been internalized in such a way that I am walking... Read more
Does Grace Have to Battle with Race? It’s the question I posed to not only myself, but to others. It was my reactionary remark to the statements that have been made about “the reflexive demand of forgiveness.” The context of this type of commentary stems from the Amber Guyger ruling and the extension of forgiveness—grace—by Brant Jean, Botham Jean’s brother. “Yet, the almost reflexive demand of forgiveness, especially for those dealing with death by racism, is about protecting whiteness, and... Read more
Danielle Kingstrom
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