Nov 21, 2016Democracy isn’t a chamber music concert — it’s a drum circleIt’s time we stopped thinking about democracy as a chamber music concert. Democracy is meant to be a drum circle. Like a drum circle, democracy is supposed to be participatory and open to all. Everyone brings their own unique rhythms. Drumming together, we find a beat. Each of us adds…Democracy3 min readDemocracy3 min read
Oct 22, 2016“America” Clinton meets “Disaster” Trump in Las VegasThe third and final presidential debate of 2016 ended up being very much about words. Nasty. Hombre. Bigly. As with so much of the media coverage in this campaign, the focus has been on Donald Trump, which is both a mistake and a disservice to the voters. Hillary Clinton uses…2016 Election3 min read2016 Election3 min read
Oct 11, 2016Top ten words at the debate: Clinton v TrumpIt was the word “disaster” that caught my attention in the second presidential debate on Sunday night, the way Donald Trump seemed to relish using it. It wasn’t just that Hillary Clinton presented a very different America, it was the fact that she actually used the word “America” and talked…Hillary Clinton3 min readHillary Clinton3 min read
Feb 10, 2016What I discovered when I declared #RefugeesWelcome month on FacebookPeople are helpful and kind, but you might never know that on the internet As 2015 drew to a close I felt overwhelmed by all the angry anti-refugee rhetoric I was hearing. I couldn’t get online for a minute without reading about yet another politician (actual or would-be) on some…Syria4 min readSyria4 min read
Sep 8, 2015Poverty and prisonsA vicious cycle for individuals; a policy challenge for states — It’s fairly well known that the prison rate in the U.S. is the highest in the world, well ahead of countries like China, Russia, Mexico and Nigeria. Within the U.S., it’s also true that prison rates vary across jurisdictions. …Prison Reform3 min readPrison Reform3 min read
Aug 4, 201533 koans for the social media eraIs there a retweet for every tweet? What if you believe what happened next? There is truth in photoshop. Is Facebook inside or outside of your mind? How much does an algorithm weigh? Do dogs on the internet know they are dogs? The value of the valuation may be greater…Koans2 min readKoans2 min read
Apr 16, 20157 things to consider about ideologyIt’s that time of the election cycle when a person’s thoughts naturally turn to ideology. On my bike ride home the other day, the jacarandas were in bloom and my reflections on ideology lined themselves up in a list: The allure of ideology is undeniable. It offers paint-by-numbers solutions to situations where the lines themselves aren’t clearly drawn. No ideology should be treated as more imperative than its impact on living things.Ideology1 min readIdeology1 min read
Aug 22, 2014On Ferguson and your democratic duty to protestI love a good protest. Back during the “Battle in Seattle” I was part of a group of people who organized a human chain at the opening reception of the WTO meeting. …4 min read4 min read
Jun 22, 2014Draymanshort fiction by Bronwyn Mauldin — Photo by Beatrice de Gea/Los Angeles Times “No way in hell I’ll do that dray for seventy-five!” I shouted down the radio. “That’s a one hundred dollar trip.” “Offer’s seventy-five,” Kurt the dispatcher yelled back. “Rate’s one hundred dollars since July.” “Take it or leave it.” Kurt don’t care. …9 min read9 min read
