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New Zealand Friends? Are you out there?
I am dreaming and scheming about visiting New Zealand. The closest I’ve gotten is Australia. Maybe I’m obsessed with New Zealand because they banned assault weapons within one month of the Christchurch Mosque Massacre. Perhaps it’s that they banned nuclear weapons (the United States has 6,185). Maybe it’s the fact that they were the first country to give women the right to vote. Or perhaps it’s that they’ve been working on reparations for the Māori People for more than 35 years. Or maybe the coherent, concerted response to COVID-19? So do I have any New Zealand friends out there?
I realize it’s a very American thing to do to … Read More
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My Favorite Face Masks: Let’s Keep Each Other Safe
I would be remiss to write a post about my favorite face masks without taking a moment to name the deep sorrow I feel for my home country.
COVID-19 is raging across our country. In the city I live in, Austin, TX, hospitalization rates are higher than they have ever been. And yet people are actively protesting against wearing masks.
I fear that our country is too far gone to ever get back on track. We are too polarized. If wearing masks during a global pandemic is seen as a polarizing political issue instead of a public health issue, how can we recover? How can we get to a … Read More
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Happy LBGTQ+ Pride Month!
Photo from Benson Kua My mind has been in a lot of places this month, but I didn’t want June to end without acknowledging and celebrating LGBTQ+ month. Happy LBGTQ+ Pride Month!
It was such a relief to get good news from the Supreme Court recently. There has been too much bad news under the Trump administration these past four years.
At the school I work at, we try to be explicit about striving to be a welcoming and inclusive community for all people. Here’s our published commitment:
We welcome and affirm people from all: races, religions, ethnicities, nationalities, ability statuses, gender identities, family structures, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic statuses. … Read More