We are at a critical juncture. Basic freedoms and our safety—rights enshrined in the Constitution are under assault. We are becoming a nation ruled by Fascists, criminals and grifters. In the face of this danger, why are people [...]
Pat Taub
I had hoped that Troy Jackson, with a long history in labor—logger, union leader—and in local government, and who began his campaign speaking for Mainers would bring progressive changes. Yet his campaign to unseat the aging and devious Susan Collins—look at her vote for Brett Kavanaugh—now moves towards “inside the Beltway.” [...]
Pat Taub
In these perilous time, l often feel like I’m inhabiting the song, “Stop the World I Want to Get Off,” reeling from Iran’s debacle, the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the deepening climate crisis, ICE’s sway and more. To soothe my spirits, a common practice I follow is to retrieve a Mary Olive poetry book from my library. Her poems [...]
Pat Taub
I’ve been thinking about kindness, and how dangerous its disappearance has become at this particular moment in American life. Kindness is usually considered a private virtue—a quality we teach our children and practice with our friends. Kindness is also political. Kindness is essential to bridging differences and creating an equitable [...]
Pat Taub
We have never had more ways to communicate, yet I wonder if we have forgotten how to have a conversation. I have spent much of my life talking. As a journalist, radio host, teacher, and activist, I’m familiar with the power of words. I’ve learned how to ask questions, challenge authority, make an argument and, when necessary, raise my [...]
Pat Taub
Sometimes the most unsettling aspect of a political policy is the language we use to describe it: “a cut,” “a reform”, “a change in eligibility” or, “a new vaccine schedule.” Behind every one of those words is a child. Consider the migrant child sitting in an immigration courtroom without [...]
Pat Taub