Why I Don’t Want to Write About Fatherhood
Fatherhood is here. As a new parent, a good deal of people have asked me to share what is it like. This is an attempt to open a small window into my experience.
Silence: A Reflection on the Mass Shooting in Uvalde
The country was still reeling from the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, when the 2022 Memorial Day arrived. While all the usual celebratory processions to honor America’s fallen soldiers were in effect, another pair of fallen laid unburied on the national stage. All the pouring of condolences, prayers, and demands for changes in access to guns didn’t change the paralyzed state of mourning that the parents of the victims were and are still feeling. I say this not to shun the responders. They were simply empathizing. They felt compelled to reach out and grab anything at
Haiti and the Economics of Kidnapping
Not all kidnappings are transactional in nature. Not all kidnappings are opportunistic occurrences by those willing to go the distance to fill their pockets through the negotiating tactics of plata o plomo (silver or lead). There are kidnappings in Haiti (and elsewhere) wherein an opposing gang member is snatched up, held, and tortured for a period, and then killed. There is a certain type of value attributed to such an act. But there is no exchange of goods, monies, or services.
“I Am Human”: The Spectacular Sha’Carri Richardson
Introducing the One and Only Sha’Carri Richardson is the talk of the town, again. No, it’s not for her “10.72 seconds to win the 100 meters at the 2021 Miramar Invitational.” It’s not about missing the Olympics due to failing a drug test. Nor is it about the passing of her mother. No, this time it’s about her ninth-place finish at the 2021 Prefontaine Classic. This event was hyped up as being the ultimate showdown between Richardson and the Jamaican Olympic sprinting group led by Elaine Thompson-Herah. In fact, I initially set out to write about Thompson-Herah. I wanted to say a