The United States has a problem that other nations don't have: people taking a gun or guns to a public place and killing as many people as they can. Almost always, it is white men who commit these terrible crimes. Their reasons are hard to discern: sometimes they seem aggrieved about some personal issue or break-up, other times there is a deep racial animus, and sometimes mental illness plays a role. For some of the killings, it is almost impossible to discern a motive. Often, though, it seems that the killers are lashing out against people they think are threatening them, or are seeking revenge on those who have hurt them (or at least are perceived to have done so). I'm at a loss to explain how people get to the point of such evil. We don't put much effort into figuring that out though-- and shouldn't it be important? Part of the problem is that we don't trust what killers say and don't want to validate them, and there is that danger if we pay too much attenti...
We all have fantasies of going someplace amazing this summer-- I know that I do. Whether it is something spectacular (Africa, Australia) or more mundane (camping in a quiet wood), let's haiku about that this week! Here, I will go first: At a cabin, on An island, with some good folks And Pink Unicorn. Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 syllable formula, and have some fun!
Today I rode my bike into work. I love the ride-- I go over a creek (twice), around a lake, through neighborhoods, and down into the heart of the city. I forgot my helmet, so I was feeling vulnerable, but I was also feeling fast so I went quick and careful (mostly). When I got in, my phone started ringing. All of the following called: a reporter from the Washington Post, a reporter from the Texas Tribune, a reporter from Vox, Weldon Angelos (a former client and current collaborator), someone who just wanted advice about how to help their kid who is in prison, a grouchy guy who didn't like something I wrote, my sister Kathy, a pro bono client calling from prison (interrupted periodically by a loud recording intoning "THIS CALL IS FROM A FEDERAL PRISON") and a student who had some questions about a job interview. By mid-afternoon, I realized that my to-do list was not going to get dented. But that doesn't mean nothing was accomplished. All of those people called about d...
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