There are many things to know about Kamala Harris. Americans will take a closer look at the former presidential contender tonight, as she debates Vice President Mike Pence. But in this post, I'd like to start with her unique background. Most Americans will be surprised to find Kamala Harris among the most elite-pedigreed candidates to … Continue reading Kamala Harris Privilege
Perhaps it is no surprise that the best characterization of American life comes to us via an outsider: the French aristocrat Alexis de Tocqueville, who published Democracy in America in 1835. Outsiders have a way of noticing unique and bizarre aspects of society that can seem “normal” to those who live there. We are all … Continue reading How Tocqueville Predicted Cancel Culture and Political Correctness
Can you feel the memory of this place? Or does the weight of time erase Blood from the root, leaving only fear? Do you know what happened here? In 1893 they hung me from a hickory tree; Still hungry, they tore its branches free And cut my clothes for souvenirs Like something great had happened … Continue reading The Ballad of Thomas Smith
America has made tremendous progress on the issue of race over the last fifty years. In 1960, a black man could be lynched for the "crime" of flirting with a white woman, very few African-Americans could exercise the right to vote, almost none held elected office, and the most profitable careers were off-limits. I can … Continue reading Why Acknowledging “White Privilege” Won’t Help
The Front Porch Philosopher 