Tag Archives: Donald Trump

‘Ghosts of Mississippi’ haunt Minnesota

Posted on January 26, 2026 by Bennett Minton

It appears that because we all learned the first few sentences of the Declaration of Independence, some of us think the Trump era is an aberration. We are living through a period in which the Confederate separatists are ascendant. The … Continue reading →

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‘The past is never dead. It’s not even past.’

Posted on June 29, 2025 by Bennett Minton

And Faulkner lives forever. Because it feels personal, I offer my perspective on the federal government’s assault on the University of Virginia. The Justice Department’s demand for the head of President James Ryan spurs me to describe two earlier chapters … Continue reading →

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Not a sanctuary, but safer

Posted on November 10, 2024 by Bennett Minton

On day 5 of a different America, Portland feels safer than most places I could be. Oregon Democrats won most of the races, flipped a U.S. House seat, retained all three statewide offices on the ballot, and captured a state … Continue reading →

Posted in election campaign, presidential election 2024, U.S. Constitution, Uncategorized, Voting | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Not a sanctuary, but safer

Vignettes of Las Vegas

Posted on November 1, 2024 by Bennett Minton

Alexis was sitting on the stoop. A 28-year-old registered Democrat, my data informed me, he affirmed he was voting the straight ticket. His English, through a Spanish accent, was flawless. I asked him where he was from. Southern Mexico. And … Continue reading →

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Advice to a (small ‘d’) democrat, round two

Posted on October 29, 2024 by Bennett Minton

I called an old friend at the urging of his daughter, who told me her dad was undecided about voting at all. We caught up for an hour and exchanged views on this election. Below is the follow-up I wrote … Continue reading →

Posted in Congress, election campaign, Supreme Court, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Advice to a (small ‘d’) democrat

Posted on October 4, 2020 by Bennett Minton

A friend asks for facts about Joe Biden, without mentioning Donald Trump, to help her decide. Not comprehensive, but this is what I wrote her after spending 15 minutes on the question (and a few more refining for this post): … Continue reading →

Posted in election campaign, Joe Biden, presidential election 2020, Uncategorized, Voting Rights Act | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The lies our textbooks told us

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Bennett Minton

A link to The Washington Post version of my post on the Virginia government’s effort to rewrite history. https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/slavery-history-virginia-textbook/2020/07/31/d8571eda-d1f0-11ea-8c55-61e7fa5e82ab_story.html. Published in the Sunday opinion section on August 2, it drew more than 1900 comments. My sampling suggests people were inspired … Continue reading →

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Exhuming history, exposing lies

Posted on July 4, 2020 by Bennett Minton

As I watched Richmond city workers, surrounded by cheering protestors, remove a hundred-year-old towering bronze of Stonewall Jackson on horseback from its base on Monument Avenue, tears streamed down my face. On the 157th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil War, slavery, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The revolution will not be televised

Posted on March 12, 2020 by Bennett Minton

I hear the frustration of Bernie supporters. I too am frustrated at the cultural and institutional conservatism that has created a country where the accident of birth determines economic fate. In 240 years we’ve had a few shifts of the … Continue reading →

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What I ponder at the Lincoln Memorial

Posted on June 22, 2018 by Bennett Minton

What have I learned in 60 years? Take little for granted, other than that I will (likely) return home from a bike ride. At dawn I took my customary solstice/birthday pilgrimage to the Lincoln Memorial and faced the Washington Monument, … Continue reading →

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, civil rights, Uncategorized | Tagged | 1 Comment