This is not a post-mortem about the national election. Goodness knows I’ve read enough of those in the last week, even after I swore off news for a while, wiped several social media apps from my phone, and decided political podcasts only stoked my anxiety. The incessant catastrophizing kept me up at night, worried about our nation’s uncertain future. In my slow crawl back to the news this week, I read an excellent column in the New York Times, suggesting... Read more
As we move closer to the election, former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric about immigration has taken on even grimer tones, as have the words of his running mate, J.D. Vance. No longer content to simply critique federal border policies, as other candidates in other elections might do, Trump and Vance have used appalling nativist language to suggest that immigrants are responsible for our country’s every problem, from inflation to crime to recent disaster relief efforts. According to Trump and Vance,... Read more
It’s political sign season in my home community, as it is everywhere. In the county where I live, political signs proliferate almost every spring and fall, mostly for candidates in local races, less often for those at the national level, perhaps because Oregon is not a swing state, and because national races are pretty much decided before our polls close. There are several notable exceptions in my hometown, though, of signs supporting a national candidate and which show that we... Read more
God is Not Dead: In God We Trust opened in theaters Thursday. According to its synopsis, the fifth installment in the God is Not Dead franchise “explores the enduring relevance of faith in public life and the critical fight to keep religious values at the heart of governance.” The film’s protagonist, a man who puts his Christian belief at the center of a congressional campaign, offers proof that God is not dead, and that “standing firm in faith” is what’s... Read more
Last week, I was invited to share with a group of senior citizens my thoughts about Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, and about elections in our hometown. I didn’t know what I was stepping in to, but I went, as the person who asked me to come, a former colleague, was someone I admire deeply. Because I trusted her, I trusted these people, though just barely. Ninety minutes later, I left the group feeling more hopeful about the state of... Read more
Early in my career as a Christian university professor, I was bemoaning the dearth of women serving as leaders of our institutions, arguing specifically that it was time the United States elect a woman as president; and that the 200-year history of not electing women to office reflected our country’s persistent misogyny, a shared sense that women were somehow not capable of being leaders. A colleague insisted women shouldn’t seek government roles, at least not nationally. While I’m sure his... Read more
The national political landscape has shifted dramatically in the past four weeks, making it hard to stay grounded. When everything feels unsettled and constantly changing, taking practical steps at the local level can help. A few weeks ago, the elders in my Friends’ congregation gathered for an all-afternoon retreat, which really meant a long meeting, held on the church lawn. North Valley Friends has been my home for seven years now, and like many churches, our little community is at... Read more
On July 29, our local school board voted to fire its superintendent. Like others who follow our school district closely, including a good many educators and parents, I’d been hoping the board would take this action, especially after it was announced in May that our schools had a budget shortfall of nearly $11 million, thanks in some part to his leadership. Yet sitting in the school board room and hearing the announcement of his firing, I mostly felt sad. I... Read more
Almost three years ago now, members of the Proud Boys waved their flags at what amounts to my small town square, a triangle of land near the city center visible to traffic both coming and going. The white nationalist group felt invited there, heralding their hate in a seemingly once-peaceful community now divided by school board fights over Black Lives Matter and Pride signs, diversity and inclusion policies, parents’ rights, and whether transgender students can use their preferred pronouns in... Read more
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