Demonizing Joe Manchin

Take it from someone who worked on Capitol Hill: DC Statehood was always one of those causes every Democrat in congress would get behind knowing it had zero chance of passing. The question is if 2021 is any different. With the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement and increasing engagement of Black voters, along…

Police Brutality and the Art of De-Escalation

de•es•ca•late [de-es-kuh-leyt] verb (with or without object), to decrease in intensity, magnitude, etc. As a Social Work Officer at Fort Bragg, my primary mission was the Family Advocacy Program, the Army’s solution for addressing domestic violence. When recounting a domestic incident, I was struck by how Soldiers described what happened. They never said, “I was…

Trump Dissected, a Series: Mirroring

Donald Trump is what I call “a cup with a hole in it.” No matter how much positive feedback you give him, he will keep needing more. Without it, he is empty.

Dear America: an unusual plea for help

If I sound desperate, I am. I’ve tried everything I can think of to reach you: reason, confrontation, repetition, humor. It’s not in my nature to give up. In fact, just thinking about it, depresses me. So, this time, I’m writing to ask for help. But it’s not the usual kind of help such as…

Magnificent Obsession: a plea to Mike Bloomberg, Pete Buttigieg, Tulsi Gabbard, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer and Elizabeth Warren to support Joe Biden

Hear me out. Please. If there’s one thing Americans can agree on it’s how divided we are. Theories abound as to why, mostly in the form of finger-pointing. Solutions from government officials, media consultants and civic leaders are bantered about like intellectual sport. The anger is palpable.  I’m no politician but, as a former Army…

Impeachment: Right Idea, Wrong Remedy

I started writing this article back in July, 2019, right after Donald Trump “approved military strikes on Iran, then pulled back…”  According to “The New York Times” (and other media outlets), “planes were in the air and ships were in position but no missiles had been fired…”¹ At the time, I wrote, “This breaking news,…

Ditch Your Inner Bully

You’ve just left a meeting or an evening out with friends. As you’re walking away, you feel a rush of anxiety. Then it shows up: that voice in your head – rehashing what happened, anticipating what will happen, second-guessing your actions, trying to mind-read others’ thoughts, calling you names and comparing yourself to others –…