A few days after the election, I wrote this on Facebook: By voting for Trump, you empowered racists. By voting for Trump, you empowered sexists. By voting for Trump, you empowered bigotry. At the time, many folks were unhappy with me. Snowflake conservatives, despite supporting someone who “tells it like it is,” recoiled at the…
This Is Not Normal
I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts lately. Most are political or pseudo-political (The West Wing Weekly is fantastic for reminiscing about the Bartlet Administration). Like the overwhelming majority of sentient beings on the planet, the Trump Administration feels like a waking nightmare, each moment more frighteningly depressing than the last. Through all the…
Not Ready To Make Nice with Trump’s America
Donald J. Trump is kind of an asshole. Rather than seeking to unite the country after a bitter, hate-filled campaign, he has instead mocked and belittled those Americans who voted for a different candidate. He embarked on a victory tour not to bring the country together, but to revel in the adoration of his base. His…
Blame Old Sitcoms For The Fact That Bigots Don’t Think They Are Bigots
If you’ve been paying attention to the Presidential race, you’ve probably noticed a couple of things: Trump’s tiny kitten paws with the delicate macaroni nubs he calls fingers. But after that, you’ve probably noticed a couple more things: The GOP rhetoric — particularly but by no means exclusively Trump’s — has gotten incredibly racist. Conservatives…
Dear Bitter Butch: How Do I Handle My Girlfriend’s Racist Bestie?
Dear Bitter Butch, I have an odd problem. My girlfriend has very few friends, and one of them is a racist. Her friend will say bullshit things about other ethnicities, especially African Americans, Asians, and Jews. This friend of hers is herself of mixed race (African American and white–although maybe that doesn’t matter.) I’ve often…
Black Kids Get Less Pain Medication Because Everything Is Terrible
Studies have been showing for years that black people are chronically undermedicated for pain. This ties in with a long list of stereotypes and screwy beliefs, including a study from last year that showed that survey participants consistently rate black people as more likely than white people to be capable of holding live coals in…
Dear Bitter Butch: What Do I Do When My White Privilege Is Showing?
Dear Bitter Butch, I have a fairly diverse friends group and it’s important to me that my son (who’s four) grow up accepting of all races and creeds. However, I’m having an issue with my neighbors that I’m afraid my son may interpret as racially motivated. Two nights ago there was an issue with my…