Social Commentary

Our magical Christmas expectations are a product of our privilege. Our notion that we have a right to big, bright, celebratory Christmases filled with cheer and holiday spirit and piles of presents is barely 80 years old. Christmas 2020 is more normal than you think.

Yes, I'm happy and hopeful. But we have a lot of work to do to ensure that four years from now is not another replay of 2016. Let's not get cocky, confident, or complacent. Our work is not done until we live in a truly just, inclusive, economically stable nation.

Are you disappointed in family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers who refuse to wear masks, avoid socializing, or who appear to be racists? In this time of overlapping existential challenges, we’re just witnessing people outing themselves as zero-sum-gamers.

The discussion among white people about systemic racial injustice is critical, because it's our job to end institutional racism. Let's get familiar with how our privilege gets in the way of progress. There's just so much unlearning to do.

This reflection on the themes of 2017 explores the mindsets that got us here, and ways to create change.

We are who we lead. If the Republican Party doesn't want to be considered the party of racism, anti-Semitism, misogyny, and bigotry, it must stop catering to those who embrace those values.

Rape culture is fueled by the passive acceptance of locker room talk. If you want the women in your life to be safe, reject this sad excuse for joking around.

A proposed entry into the English language dictionaries - a set of definitions for the word "trump."

Perhaps individual Americans have the luxury of engaging in low-quality thinking (and I just say perhaps – I don’t personally believe that to be true). But our leaders, particularly our President and the leadership at the highest level of this country do not have that luxury; we cannot grant them that luxury. Our future depends on electing leaders who are skilled in the act of thinking.

When will things finally begin to change? When we all remember to vote. Every two years.

There are many types of women, but society isn’t nice about many (most?) of them. The worst thing we do is divide them into two groups based on womb-output – moms and not-moms. Then we take the moms and divide them into stay-at-home moms and working mons. Then for fun we pit them against each other.

To understand the truth in the world, simply look at yourself and what you believe. Your belief system dictates how you see the world.

God is the shared soul of all humans, and that religion is a human construct that keeps so many from realizing the fullness of God. This is the religion trap.

Purse strings mean a lot in our society, and that simple truth plays out in the most basic of our interactions. How we treat one another should be based on something far more valuable than that.

Our parenting skills are judged by the conforming, performing children we churn out.

Leadership requires clear values and the ability to ask who do we serve and what do we stand for.

But at that exciting moment, with all the time and potential in the world before us, too many women look in the mirror and see only the wrinkles, the gray hair, the softened jaw line, the extra pounds.

The appalling lack of spelling and grammar on the internet points to a much larger issue of social and economic concern.

Ten questions we can ask ourselves to make better parenting decisions and produce stronger children.