Reflections on the 2023 Creating Change Conference, part four — This post is the fourth and final part of a series of reflections on the 2023 Creating Change Conference. For part one, see “Mixed-Race and Rootless”. For part two, see “Accessibility, Ableism, and Accommodations”. For part three, see “Trans Athletes and Fairness to Women”. On the final full day of…

Reflections on the 2023 Creating Change Conference, part three — This post is part three of a series of reflections on the 2023 Creating Change Conference. For part one, see “Mixed-Race and Rootless”. For part two, see “Accessibility, Ableism, and Accommodations”. For part four, see Trans Takeover at Creating Change. At the Creating Change Conference, one of the sessions I…

Reflections on the 2023 Creating Change Conference, part two — This post is part two of a series of reflections on the 2023 Creating Change Conference. For part one, see “Mixed-Race and Rootless”. For part three, see “Trans Athletes and Fairness to Women”. For part four, see Trans Takeover at Creating Change. When deciding which sessions to attend at the…

Reflections on the 2023 Creating Change Conference, part one — This post is part one of a series of reflections on the 2023 Creating Change Conference. For part two, see “Accessibility, Ableism, and Accommodations”. For part three, see “Trans Athletes and Fairness to Women”. For part four, see Trans Takeover at Creating Change. Last month, I attended the annual Creating…

The perfect cup that gets me out of bed in the morning — Like many people, I suffer from clinical depression and anxiety, both of which have worsened during the pandemic. I struggle to find the motivation to get through each day. But one thing that makes me look forward to getting up each morning is a perfect cup of tea. Unlike most…

Two months into the year 2023, mass shootings continue to be everyday occurrences in the United States, with no end in sight. Every one of these events is a tragedy. But an even bigger tragedy, to my mind, is that hundreds of legal state executions are happening every year in…

One atheist’s perspective on the nature of deity — Since I started attending Quaker meetings a few months ago, I’ve been thinking a lot more about theism, atheism, and other terms regarding belief in deities, or gods. I came to the Religious Society of Friends to find common ground with people dedicated to pacifism and equality, while well aware…

Why I believe that killing is never the answer to oppression — As I write this post today, mass shootings are dominating U.S. news headlines. According to the Gun Violence Archive, we have had more than one mass shooting per day in January, and the month is not yet over. Sadly, this is nothing new for a country that appears to value…

For everyone’s safety, we must rid the world of firearms. — Yesterday, I read yet another news article about yet another school shooting in the United States. These horrific incidents have become so routine that the details have begun to blur together. What stood out in this case was the age of the shooter: Six. Six. A six-year-old child deliberately shot…