National Mourning The Tree of Life synagogue massacre continues to haunt my soul. I was heartened by the large number of Portlanders who came out for a vigil in honor of the Tree of Life Victims. I wasn’t able to go because of my fractured foot, but reports from those who attended give me hope. I was told that the overflow crowd radiated [...]
Pat Taub
Many of us are struggling with this question as we try to process last week’s heinous hate crimes where a Trump disciple mailed pipe bombs to many of Trump’s sworn enemies; where a white racist killed two elderly African Americans in cold blood in a Kentucky market; where 11 mostly elderly men and women were murdered at Pittsburgh’s [...]
Pat Taub
The Craziness Mounts Egads, what a scary week: pipe bombs delivered to Trump’s major targets while he responds by blaming “fake news” rather than recognizing his hate speech is the real impetus for the growing hate in our country—but what else is new? It will be interesting to see if the bomb scares create a midterm backlash [...]
Pat Taub
I had a lousy week. I fractured my foot. I was freaked out by the more-depressing-than-usual headlines of amped-up hate speech, of an American journalist being brutally murdered by the Saudis, of rampant voter suppression and on and on. There seemed to be no end to bad news. To lift my spirits I tried the familiar self-care suggestions. [...]
Pat Taub
Trying to Stay Sane! The accelerating racist and hate speech spewing from the White House and the Congressional races is making it harder and harder for me to stay sane. Recently addressing his base, Trump singled-out Greg Gianforte, the Congress member from Montana, praising him for violently attacking a Guardian reporter, saying that someone [...]
Pat Taub
I wish I could say that the many deaths I’ve experienced have left me with the skills and confidence to comfort the newly grief-stricken. But that’s not the case. Every time a close friend or relative is hit with a death, I reach out with my condolences and offers of support, but no matter how many times I’ve done this, it feels awkward. [...]
Pat Taub
The gloves are off. The war on women is official. The system has discounted women. After tireless weeks of women protesting legal abortion opponent Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to be a Supreme Court justice, he was confirmed. Women poured their hearts out, flooding Senators’ offices in D.C. and in their home states with phone calls [...]
Pat Taub
Will She or Won’t She? Tension over Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation mounts. The Senate just voted to move the Kavanaugh hearing out of committee, readying it for a floor vote on Saturday. Senator Collins’ office has reported that she will make her decision on Kavanaugh by 3:00 this afternoon. I’m not holding my breath, expecting [...]
Pat Taub
GUEST POST BY MARGIE MARTIN CAMPBELL I first encountered death when I was three. I watched my beloved Grandpa (Dad’s father) restlessly walking the floor, then sitting on the couch only to return to his pacing. I had noticed he hadn’t eaten, so I suggested to Mom that she fix him something. I wondered why she had such a strange look on [...]
Pat Taub
A True Shero I was moved to my core by Catherine Blasey-Ford’s brave testimony before the hostile Judiciary Committee. She spoke eloquently and truthfully as she struggled to keep her emotions under control. I found her fully credible. Conversely Brett Kavanaugh’s angry tirade where he grabbed the victim mantle was thoroughly disgusting. [...]
Pat Taub