The Coup – The Consequences

I expected this and honestly surprised it didn't happen sooner, but white supremacists are attempting to overturn the election. They are terrorists, and what they are attempting is a coup. Terrorist - a person who uses unlawful violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims. Coup - a sudden, violent, and …

Shelter in Place: Day 6

Hello Friends, Fans, and Family Members. It is I, Laur, writing to you from Oakland, California on this the 23rd day of March in the year of 2020. Today the sky is slate gray and scudded with clouds. I did not sleep well. Was awake from 4:00AM to 6:00AM. This might explain the strange voice …

In Defense of Optimism

I entered into a conversation recently that began around Kafka and ended somewhere to the left of me defending the concept of hope in the face of what was purportedly a deterministic universe. I don't know that I believe the universe has been determined, and even if it were, I don't necessarily think that excludes …

Miss Marple and the Trump Regime

This was going to be a piece of fan-fiction, inspired by my mother, detailing the impeachment of the Flaming Cheeto due to the expert sleuthing of England's favorite old maid. But in thinking of writing that piece, I realized I wanted to write this piece instead. Sorry, Ma! I've read some Agatha Christie in my …

Charlottesville: The Continuation of White Terrorism

Driving a car through a crowd of people is an act of terrorism. But the United States as a nation is profoundly racist. Terrorism is only ever associated with brown people. Hence the white men who continually perpetrate the worst shootings in the United States are never labeled as "terrorists" but are instead labeled as …

Why the DAPL?

Yesterday, the Army Corps of Engineers decided to pass the final easement allowing for the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). I've been thinking about this as momentum builds behind the pipeline. The executive order, the banks that continue to fund it, and the large proportion of the country that view themselves as unaffected …

Poem from Women’s March

There's been a lot of discussion about the Women's March and its purpose and its controversy and I support that. I'm still thinking about exactly what and how I fit into this movement. I know I need to be a part of it, that I must be a part of it, but I also cannot …

Beginning Thoughts on the Prison-Industrial Complex (PIC) and Abolition

Given the promise of increased criminalization, the promise of increased funding for the police state, and the threat of a heavy-duty deportation machine, it is now more important than ever to defund the prison-industrial complex. If you haven't read "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander or watched the documentary 13th, add it to your …

Beginning Thoughts On Immigration

First, it's important how we frame this conversation. Unless you are a member of a native tribe, you or your ancestors are/were an immigrant to this country. If you are white, more than likely some of your ancestors were involved in the theft of native lands and the massive genocide that took place on this …

This is Not What “Change” Looks Like

This is what a kleptocracy looks like. So, if you happened to vote in this past election for the orange thing (I'm going to show it as much respect as it has shown me and my compatriots), and you don't believe yourself to be racist or homophobic (HA), you probably voted because you wanted to …