Took an unintentional week off from writing this post last week (hey, life happens); but some of the best pieces I've read in the last week (or so) ...
1. The Steve King Style of American Politics - a daily comment from The New Yorker, written by Jelani Cobb, with a great breakdown of the comments made by Congressman Steve King ["We can't rebuild our civilization with someone else's babies."]. Cobb shows our country's history with such comments, different now only in the ability to be stated so publicly by someone who could be considered mainstream (a U.S. Congressman after all). This type of thinking has been prevalent (unfortunately) at every point in our history when immigration has been a major policy issues. Now, how do we respond?
2. Is Trump Trolling the White House Press Corps - Longer read from this past week's The New Yorker magazine that I found, simply, interesting. Details the mechanics and logistics of the White House Press Room, the relationship between the Press Secretary (currently Sean Spicer) and the press, and the tension developing during the first two months of the Trump Administration. Also highlights the, I guess I would say cavalier, attitude some very alt-right and far-right web media have about the role of the press in democracy. Make of that what you will, but its a good, informative read.
3. Breaking Faith - Probably the article I found the most interesting, analyzing the impact (correlations at this point, not causation) of increased secularization on both the left and right of the political spectrum. Americans have lost a lot of faith in established institutions over the last few decades, and religious institutions appear to be no exception to that. Interesting to see how that lack of trust and lack of attachment to said religious institutions impact liberals and conservatives. Thought-provoking article.
4. The Busier You Are, the More You Need Quiet Time - As I have been much, much busier the last few weeks at work, and life in general seems to be more and more hectic, I found this to be a good reminder. Obviously, as its from the Harvard Business Review, it has a distinct perspective on what "quiet time" means. What I take away from it - you have to find, in the midst of life's busyness and hectic pace, time to genuinely and authentically recharge your battery, in whatever form (meditation, prayer, reading, exercising, etc.) that may take.
5. The Dangerous Precedent Set by Judicial Attacks on Trump's Travel Ban - Good read from David Frum at The Atlantic on how judicial decisions can't really be considered in a vacuum. Several weeks ago, after the first Executive Order on immigration was stayed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, I linked to a piece and wrote that I was a bit surprised. Its in part because of what Frum mentions here - the President has, under our system of government, broad powers when it comes to immigration, and because the constitutional rights at issue don't apply to foreign nationals (the Second EO appears to attempt to get around that by limiting it to those groups, and not to existing visa holders, etc.). The one caveat I have with Frum's take is that the decision is a district court decision, which is essentially a trial court decision at the federal level. Typically, that's not the type of decision that carries any real precedential value, particularly beyond its own federal district. But its an important read to serve as a reminder that politics and law and governance are much more complex than we often make them out to be and, as such, we do a disservice when we fail to investigate issues more fully when developing our opinions.
In terms of books, I've read two really great ones over the last couple weeks - The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, a World War II historical fiction novel that explores love, forgiveness, and courage; and Lila by Marilyn Robinson, that explores memory, experience, and relationships. Both were superbly written, excellent, but very different books.
Tonight, amid all the March Madness basketball and avoidance of work, I will be starting The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story by Douglas Preston, as I've seen it show up on Amazon and Goodreads as recommending it to me, and it was right at the front of the library the last time I walked in (I know, a highly selective book selection process).
What are you reading?
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