race
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Civility
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4 min read
When a fresh outrage comes, we sharpen knives and loosen vocal cords for the usual conversation around civility, asking as always “why can’t we just get along?” as if this were the whole problem. It isn’t. There’s a lot of talk about civility right now. Whether it’s a conversation on Facebook or serving a public…
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Swindled By Authoritarianism
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11 min read
We mistake extremism in belief for political extremism. The rise of authoritarianism isn’t only tied to political division or partisanship. Authoritarianism is an extremism we can find anywhere in politics. Why our fear of division blinds us to the real threat to democracy We’ve taken it as gospel that we’re divided. It seems like we…
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Confederate Monuments aren’t people
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6 min read
We talk about confederate monuments as if they aren’t symbols of anxiety, racism, and a legacy of hate. I shouldn’t have to say it. It’s pretty evident. But we’re at a time in which truths are intentionally obscured. And this is one of those statements which is both literally and metaphorically true. Confederate monuments and…
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Nazis Prove the Problem with Bothsidesism
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9 min read
Bothsidesism undermines truth and civil discourse. We need to take a moment to acknowledge the strangest reality of our lifetimes. White supremacists somehow went through a successful rebranding effort like they’re Reebok or Wal-Mart. And we watched it happen in real time. White supremacists and honest to goodness Nazis cast themselves as a new kind…
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‘Moonlight’ is 2016
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3 min read
I have not been as affected by a movie in years as I was by Moonlight. How it performs at the Oscars won’t change the truth that it is not only a great film, it’s transcendent. Zach Hoag’s review is top shelf and far more thoughtful than the review I never wrote. Except this one simple…
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Faith is about making choices. But not all choices are made in the safety of opinion and the personal chrysalis of our own transformations. Sometimes choices come through the fires of adversity. And sometimes we have to make up our minds because the circumstances suck. Our world is full of false equivalencies and poor narratives.…