This article is the second in a two-part sequence. Thefirst article provided an assessment of the Obama Presidency.The second addresses the rise of Trump. They are written in tandem, in an attempt to provide insight into the question of how a nation as great as the United States has produced a president as appalling as Donald Trump. This is a critical question, because in order to effectively oppose the administration, one must understand the “logic” behind it. In my view, “The Resistance” (which I fully support) is at times misguided due to an incomplete appreciation of the dynamics that have engendered Trump.Continue reading THE “LOGIC OF TRUMP”: IMPLICATIONS FOR “THE RESISTANCE” (Part Two of Two)→
When I think back, it was probably riding the bus home with my co-worker that did it. We barely knew each other’s names, but we worked in the same department, she was upset, and I let her know that I would listen. Her kid was sick, she already had nine points, her meth-head brother was at home, and if she missed even one more day, they would probably let her go…Continue reading International Workers of Natural Foods Grocery Stores, Unite!→
Author’s note: This essay was originally composed in the summer of 2016. The world has obviously changed since then. As such, I acknowledge my references to it getting better may not resonate as clearly as they once did with many readers. However, due to that fact I felt it was even more necessary for people to hear a positive story, which is why the piece is presented as first written.
My name is Rollie and I’m a bisexual man in my late twenties. It’s taken me a long time to say that with any confidence at all. If you’re wondering how long, I’ll give you a hint: It’s somewhere in the late twenties. In today’s world, living in Seattle, you might wonder what the hell took so long. Was he conservative? What was he afraid of? Did he experiment in college and adopt a new identity to match? The reality is frustratingly stereotypical and indicative of the power the patriarchy has over all of us. It has a happy ending though, I promise.Continue reading Prideful Reflections: Steers and Queers→
(The following is a transcript of the commencement speech given at Franklin High School’s graduation ceremony on June, 19 2017)
Good evening, Class of 2017! How wonderful it is to be here today to celebrate YOU, to celebrate all that you have accomplished leading up to this moment, and to take this moment to just breathe before you embark on this next leg of the wonderful journey we call Life.Continue reading To the Class of 2017→
Before you shoot and kill someone accidentally or intentionally, know that your life will be forever divided into Before the Shooting (BTS) and After the Shooting (ATS). Regardless of what ails you now and how bad you think life is, life will be worse ATS. If you think you were bored before, consider being confined to an 8ft by 6ft cell indefinitely. Although you may be released early, you may remain much longer than decreed. Continue reading An Open Letter to Persons with Guns, Especially Persons under 25→
In 5th grade, my moms started fighting. Eventually, one of them left to live somewhere else. There had been a lot of talk about moving to a place that one working mom could afford. That year was very stressful for my sister and me, and both my moms.Continue reading Prideful Reflections: The Authentic Me→
Seattle, celebrated for its progressive positions on many issues, still struggles to push past the façade of “liberalism” into the true realm of equity. Lack of rent control, the police force being under investigation, woefully underfunded education, and the proposal to build a new youth incarceration facility are just a few examples of how the city has fallen short on its promises of progressivism. Continue reading Searching for a Collective Movement in “Progressive” Seattle→
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