"How's the campaign going?"
It's the question I get most often. It's also the question I'm never quite sure how to answer.
Good? ... Great! ... Your guess is as good as mine. ... We'll see May 17th!
The truth - I suppose - all depends on what you're measuring.
This weekend we hosted a Winter ONE-derland party in honor of Felix's first birthday. Considering this child was born during a snow, it seemed like an appropriate theme. Well, the weather had other plans and it was 70 and sunny! I could have hosted the dang party outside!
For my 30th birthday, I created a list of 30 things I wanted to do. One was to write a historical fiction short story. This is the story and as Ruby keeps calling to me here lately. I thought I'd share it here.
One of Nicholas's New Year's resolutions was to try freezer meals. He'd prepped meals for the week on and off through 2015 and wanted to see how it would work to prepare an entire month's worth. Then, we could just pull a meal from the deep freeze, throw it in the crockpot, and on a busy day dinner would be waiting for us.
Dolly Parton is a badass and today she turns 70 years old.
I've loved Dolly for a long, long time. It started with her completely charming and totally endearing portrayal of Truvy in Steel Magnolias - one of my top 5 favorite movies of all time. In fact, I really fell in love with Dolly the actress before I fell in love with Dolly the musician.
If my Facebook feed is any real reflection, I spent part of my holiday break like many, many of you - binge watching Making a Murderer.
For those of you who spent your break in slightly more productive ways, Making a Murderer is Netflix series that tells the true story of Steven Avery, who served 18 years for a rape he didn't commit and then was arrested for a murder two years after being released.
I’ve been arguing about guns on Facebook for basically 48 hours straight.
What I’ve noticed is that after all the statistics and info graphs - after all the stories and anecdotes and emotions - the two sides seem to represent two world views.
Pro gun control: I believe the government can do something that will improve the situation and I want to try. The world is scary and I want laws to help make it less so.
Anti gun control: I do not believe the government can do anything to help and will most likely make it worse. I feel unsafe as well but government interference makes me feel even less so and I’d rather just defend myself.
Look. Both sides are valid. Both sides are little bit right. After all, government is just a reflection of ourselves - both our best AND our worst. Government can’t fix everything, but it’s not going to ruin everything either.
What I’ve also heard a lot from those opposed to legislation is - the our country/world is getting worse and there’s nothing we can do about it.
Now, THAT I do not agree with.
I've written before about my what happened to me that day.
When I think back to that day, I feel an immense amount of sadness. When I think of every day since that day, I feel an immense amount of rage.
The first time I heard "I Can Love You Better". I was riding home with a friend when it came on the radio and I asked who it was.
The Dixie Chicks.
The name. The sound. The unapologetic fun.
On this week's episode of Pantsuit Politics, Beth and I ask if the recent uproar over an email regarding Halloween costumes at Yale is evidence of increasing intolerance among college students.
(Spoiler: Not really...)
I love Bernie. I’ve always loved Bernie. I loved Bernie before loving Bernie was cool.
He was always my favorite Senator to hear speak during my time in the Senate. After I moved home, every time he’d come on The Diane Rehm show I’d crank up the volume and agree loudly with everything he said. As he’d passionately defend the working poor and rail against the growing economic inequities, I’d testify like I was in church. “Amen!” “Let ‘em know, Bernie!”
But …
I’ve been here before.
People are talking about gun control. Over Facebook, over dinner, around town, I’ve found myself in multiple conversations about gun legislation and mental health and Constitutional rights. The tragic shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, - and President Obama’s impassioned speech afterwards - seemed to have sparked honest reflection on what we as a nation are doing wrong when it comes to guns.
I’ve noticed a reoccurring argument in many of the conversations I’ve had over the past few days. It’s an argument as old as guns themselves.
“Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.”
This theme is followed closely by a call for enforcing the gun control laws we already have and increased outreach care for the mentally ill.
No one - especially me - is going to argue against enforcement or attention to mental health. However, particularly with regards to mental heath - as my friend Kristin passionately argues here - there is no simple answer.
