Category: U.S. Politics
-

Mid-Month Madness in May, or: Temperatures Soar…and So Do Prices!
Late Morning, Thursday, May 15, 2025, Miami, Florida Hello, Dear Reader, We’ve reached the midway point of May, and though it’s still technically spring, summer seems eager to make an early entrance. As I write this, it’s already 85°F (30°C) under a bright sun. With humidity at 66% and a light southern breeze at 2…
-

My Letter to Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL 27)
When penning an email to a political representative, the fine line between respectful discourse and the expression of strong convictions often becomes a tightrope walk. Recently, I crafted a letter to Representative Maria Salazar, a Republican and a known Trump loyalist, to voice my concerns about the current state of our nation. Fully aware that…
-

Writer’s Shop Talk: A Day of Mixed Emotions and Creative Triumphs
Late Morning, Tuesday, January 21, 2025, Miami, Florida Yesterday was a day of mixed feelings. On one hand, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States, starting his second term with controversial actions like abandoning Afghan refugees, pardoning the January 6 insurrectionists, and renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf…
-

Writer’s Shop Talk: ‘Reunion: Coda’ – Characters’ Views on History, Politics, and Personal Beliefs
What are your protagonists’ political or religious views (if any)? What do they believe in? Professor James K. Garraty: A Centrist Democrat with a Passion for History In Reunion: Coda, Professor James K. Garraty stands out as a centrist Democrat, often casting his vote for the party. As a dedicated educator, he lives by the…
-

The Dark Web of Russian Influence: How Moscow Manipulates America’s Right-Wing Politics
Midday/Early Afternoon, Tuesday, January 7, 2025, Miami, Florida For my esteemed friend Jenny: The Russian Influence on American Right-Wing Politics Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about how Russia is influencing American politics, especially on the right. Using their GRU intelligence service and the Internet Research Agency (IRA), they’ve managed to tangle up a…
-
A Quick Thought: Florida Right-Wing State Senator Seeks to ‘Cancel’ Democratic Party in the State
If anyone still doubts that the Republican Party is authoritarian and seeks to create a one-party system (with itself as the one party), this should change your mind. In my home state of Florida, state Senator Blaise Ingoglia introduced SB 1248, aka “the Ultimate Cancel Act.” If enacted, it would make the state Department of…
-
A Quick (or Perhaps Not-So-Quick?) Thought on the American Right’s Pro-Russia Stance
Although most, and I emphasize most, Republicans in and out of Congress do not like or trust Russia and condemn Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the MAGA wing of the GOP opposes Western (particularly American) assistance to that embattled Eastern European nation. Even as the war in Ukraine continues over a year since the autocratic…
-
A Quick Thought: Right-Wing ‘Patriotism’
I hate how the right has hijacked the concept and symbols of patriotism and claimed “love of country” as the domain of the conservative movement and its adherents. Trump supporters call themselves “patriots.” They fetishize the American flag and other national symbols (such as the bald eagle). They claim that they, and they alone, are…
