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Almost November: Police Funding and Local Elections
This is the first article in my Almost November series on elections. In the coming months we will be covering election-related topics at the local, state, and federal levels. I do not discuss the pros/cons of defunding police in this article, but rather the who/how of getting police defunding on the table. First of all,… Read more
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Misinformation and the Oregon 2020 Primary
I am not here to accuse the Secretary of State of lying. However, I do find it quietly ironic that I tried to fact check her statements about fact checking, and could not confirm that she was telling the truth. The more I researched the more it started to feel like a meta joke about misinformation.… Continue reading Misinformation and the Oregon 2020 Primary
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USCIS Seeks to Manipulate Public Opinion With Misleading Report
From start to finish USCIS does nothing but mislead the public about the alleged criminality of DACA recipients. By using arrest statistics without any data on conviction, the study gives us no meaningful information about the guilt or innocence of the arrested parties. By failing to mention the racial bias that affects the arrest rates of black and brown people, demographics that encompass many DACA requestors, the study casually allows systemic racism to bias their results. Finally, by failing to put the arrest rates of DACA requesters in context, they intentionally conceal the fact that DACA requestors are arrested less than half as often as the average American.… Continue reading USCIS Seeks to Manipulate Public Opinion With Misleading Report
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Refugee Hypocrisy at the UN
One of the hardest things about writing these articles is having too much information. Having to cut information because it doesn’t fit well in the flow of an article is an occupational hazard, and often leaves me feeling like I didn’t tell the whole story. As I was researching my last article, “Visions of Violence… Read more
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Visions of Violence in Venezuela
“To the Venezuelans trapped in this nightmare, please know that all of America is united behind you” – Donald J. Trump This statement, from Trump’s speech to the UN at the September summit, really got me thinking. And after thinking, I have come to the conclusion that it’s just not true. America is not united… Read more
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Water: More Precious Than Politics
This week marked the first big rain of the fall. Traditionally this means the beginning of the school year, and the first week of sweater weather. Rain also brings sighs of relief– the end of fire season, refilled reservoirs and water for thirsty plants. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for… Read more
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The Anti Sex Bills
Disclaimer: This piece argues against a set of anti-sex trafficking laws, known as FOSTA and SESTA. This is not meant to be read as pro sex-trafficking but rather as an examination of the ways that these laws have not helped combat sex trafficking, the ways in which they have eroded internet freedoms, and how they put… Read more
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World News Survey
Over the last few weeks I have started a few ambitious research projects, and finished none of them. To be honest the news of the last few weeks has kept me spinning in circles, too many things to think about, too many sad things to be able to pick just one. So, while I try… Read more
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“Send Bachelors”: The Story of the Oregon Republican Walkout
In June of 2019, a crazy thing happened in Oregon. The short story is that in order to prevent having to vote on a Climate Bill that they knew they would lose, twelve Republican senators ran away. The bill, “HB2020”, was introduced to the Oregon House of Representatives in January of 2019 with the goal… Read more
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Mystery Move by Department of Justice
The headline caught my attention — A Slate article entitled “The Trump Administration Quietly Changed the Definition of Domestic Violence and We Have No Idea What For” slid across my Facebook timeline, startling me into reading it. The article, from January 2019, flags the fact that the Department of Justice changed the definition of Domestic… Read more
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RENUNCIA: A Demand for Decency
Tear gas and rubber bullets, fireworks thrown into crowds of police, signs held aloft, and chants of “renuncia! renuncia! renuncia!” (“resign resign resign”). This was the scene NBC News filmed the night of July 17th in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In a continuation of protests that began on the 15th, citizens are calling on the… Read more
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Playing With Fire: Defunding Wildfire Management Efforts
When my parents moved to the Rogue Valley in 1992, it was raining ash. They drove into town under a dull orange sky while temperatures soared into the hundreds. My mom recounts that they wondered out loud if they were moving to Hell. By most accounts, Southern Oregon is beautiful. Opportunities for outdoor recreation abound:… Read more
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Prague, Protests and Politicians
Background: I’m currently on vacation in Prague with some of my family. Considering I’ve never been here, I came with the intention of doing very little writing. I had planned on maybe finishing an article I have been working on, or maybe writing a little on some Oregon politics that I have been following. What… Read more
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Glitter Doesn’t Make it Better: Classism and TSwift
Think what you want about Taylor Swift, she’s written some bops, changed her image time and time again, grown up navigating intense public scrutiny, and really embraced her cat-mom persona. Most recently, she’s come under fire for co-producing a music video to her newest song “You Need To Calm Down” that some say is problematic.… Read more
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06/10/19 – Notes on Ken Cuccinelli
This morning at work I received an email from US Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS), as I do every morning. Today’s email told me that Ken Cuccinelli had been appointed Acting Director of USCIS, effective June 10th. I looked at the date on my computer, June 10th. I, for one, had never heard of Ken… Read more
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Mark Morgan: Context and Opinion
This exploration of mine started, as it so often does these days, with a tweet. Mark Morgan, head of CBP for the end of Obama’s presidency is being rehired by Trump to head up Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In the wake of this announcement, while waiting to see if he will be confirmed by the… Read more
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The Trouble With Lawn Signs: Exclusion and County Politics
Before I can jump into the real argument of this piece, let me give you some necessary background information: During the 2018 midterms, one of the races happening here in Jackson County was for the position of County Sheriff. The incumbent Sheriff, Nathan Sickler was challenged by a retired law enforcement officer from Utah. The… Read more
Following up on the stories that get left behind.