A Crumb...

Hola mi Gente,

As many of you know, thousands of protestors composed of a coalition of Black Lives Matter activists and some allies (including MoveOn) put a stop to a planned Chicago Klan fest/ Trump rally. I don’t want to say too much, but organized efforts have been under way for some time with groups around the nation coordinating Trump protests. This is not going to be the last one. I won’t say more…

One more thing: Trump’s campaign illustrates clearly the historical fact that in the U.S., racism and conservatism are the same. An essential read if you want clarity on this issue is Robert C. Smith’s Conservatism and Racism, and Why in America They Are the Same (here). He argues that in American politics, conservatism and racism are the same and always have been. He says that it’s, “… not that conservatives in general are racist, but that the application of pure conservative principles has the same effect as racism.” It’s provocative reading. After reading this, you will never look at a conservative talking point the same way.

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Luck

On the subway… so many things happen, there’s so much to take in. One of the hidden joys of the subway is the Poetry in Motion series. It’s a series of posters highlighting the poetry of some of America’s great and some not so well-known poets. On any given day, you could find yourself packed shoulder-to-shoulder on a train and you lift your eyes and you’re blessed by line or two of sublime beauty. The following is one of my favorite Langston Hughes poems. I saw it once after a particularly hard day and it brought a smile to my lips…

Sometimes a crumb falls
From the tables of joy,
Sometimes a bone
Is flung.

To some people
Love is given,
To others
Only heaven. 

-- Langston Hughes (1902-1967)

From The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes

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My name is Eddie and I’m in recovery from civilization…