Making Sense of Prop 4

It is easy—very easy—to get lost in trying to understand Prop 4. Voters approved Utah's Prop 4 by a very narrow margin in 2018, with 512,218 (50.34%) voting for the proposition, and 505,274 (49.66%) voting against it.

A razor‑thin margin, but Prop 4 won just the same.

Two federal elections have since taken place under the Legislature’s 2021 map. Both failed to use the map recommended by the Prop 4 Independent Redistricting Commission. You can't say they were illegal elections, because it is more layered than that, but you can say the map used was later found unconstitutional. The Constitution does give the Legislature the right to draw the maps, but it doesn't give it the right to gerrymander—to draw lines to accommodate one party over the other. It gives the courts the right to step in and require equity of judgment.

And that's what Judge Diane Gibson did in October 2025 when she stepped in and ruled in favor of the map drawn by the Better Boundaries commission. Now, those opposed to Prop 4 are marching door‑to‑door to get a measure on the ballot ending Prop 4.


(Blog)

Be Reasonable, Be Reasonable

Book banning, you know—

banning books from schools.

It sure has them riled up

as they come up with these new rules.

Utah has banned a number,

banned them from school libraries.

Oh, most anyone else can read them—

all the Tom, Dick, and Harrys.

But children?

Put a lock on them.

They can't just read anything

that will lead them into sin.

And so in Utah,

they start taking books right off the shelf—

banning books, banning books

from every child small as an elf.

Great authors,

names like Kurt Vonnegut—

writers you don't think of

when you think of smut.

And sometimes just a line or two

is all it takes

for the book to be swept away

by the purist's rakes.

No, it's not good enough

for the optics of what you're doing.

More damage is being done,

and you've just got people suing.

Back up and be more practical.

Battle true pornography.

You've got to be reasonable

if you want people to agree.

 

Homeless People Sometimes Beg, and That Means...

There is a movement in Utah that would centralize homeless services. And the location they prefer? Out near the airport. The proposal might work or it might not work but I do see one large red flag: Sometimes, homeless people beg. If you place them out near the airport...

Trump's Gifts

Vehicle emissions will no longer be regulated. That means more gas-powered cars, fewer electric cars, and more tailpipe emissions — pollution.

The Wasatch Front, already faced with days of inversion, will only have more.

The cloud of pollution that many witness when they are high enough to see it hang over the valley will only increase.

This is because President Trump repealed the EPA’s “endangerment finding” — rules that restrict CO₂ emissions.

Unless Utah marches against federal standards instead of aligning with them, enforcement of air quality rules might falter.

As of this week, Utah has received only one-third of its normal February snowpack. Unfortunately, this climate impact could increase. Ski cities such as Park City could be financially strained. Warmer winters mean shorter seasons, and that means fewer tourists — and among the tourists who do come to enjoy Utah skiing, less satisfaction.

There will be more emergency room visits for asthma, heart disease, and heat stroke. There are already times when hospital resources are strained. It could get worse.

Premiums for homes, fire risks, and flood zones might increase.

Utility bills could rise as people use air conditioning more because of hotter weather.

To sum it up: Trump’s decision on the environment strips Utahns of the protections they need. It means more pollution, hotter summers, less snow, higher costs, and greater health risks.

.

 

 

Utah Became First State to 'Regulate' This Dangerous Drug

It's a dangerous drug, and Utah can proudly claim to be the first state to protect it.
Well, “proudly” might not be the right word, but Utah was the first state to place a comprehensive law on the books concerning the drug.
Supposedly, the law regulated kratom — which is the drug we speak of — but in fact, it enabled it.

Yes, Utah’s Kratom Consumer Protection Act of 2019 might even be said to have coddled the industry.
It enhanced it. It legitimized it.
The drug would have become everything it did — exploding on the scene in recent years — but the nudge from Utah’s legislators certainly didn’t hurt.
Indeed, the Utah law became a model for other states, and the author of the bill became a paid spokesperson, his consulting firm raking in more than a million dollars in consulting fees. The man went around the country calling for favorable legislation for the drug. This all according to a Salt Lake Tribune article.

Did I say this is the legacy of Utah?
Well, it is. So sorry.

There are at least three bills before the 2026 Legislature trying to clean up after the Kratom Consumer Protection Act of 2019.
Only SB 45 could be said — of the three — to not be at all friendly toward the kratom industry in Utah.
It would repeal the 2019 law and classify kratom alkaloids as controlled substances.

If I were a legislator, I would vote for SB 45.

(blogs)

 

Don't Pretend to Altruism

Utah's legislature, with the governor's signature, recently added two new judges to the State Supreme Court.

It is well known that packing the court with more favorable judges is the way to get the results you want. It is most disingenuous of the MAGA faithful to try to hide the fact.

Cox Should Be Taken to Task for Blaming the Media

“I hate the questions you ask the athletes,” Cox, a Republican, said during a Utah 2034 press conference in Milan, Italy, as reported by the Salt Lake Tribune.  “These are kids out there competing. I think you should be asking them about their sports and about their competition and let the politics take care of the politics and that will happen.”

Gov. Cox needs to be taken to task for three things:

1) Condemning the press. I am grateful for living in a land where the press can report things that don't reflect good on the government. What is happening in Minnesota is an embarrassment to our country. Gov. Cox should not condemn journalists who ask questions about it. Cox should be ashamed for blaming the press.

2) “These are kids out there competing." Cox should not be insinuating the athletes are too young. Everybody can have an opinion, regardless of age.

3) Cox should not be suggesting they need to stick to sports and let politics take care of itself. Bless them for offering their opinions. Having and expressing opinions is the American Way of doing things. It is shutting up and being forced to shut up that is not American.

Bless the halfpipe skier, Hunter Hess. I'm proud of him for standing up for freedom, even if that freedom pits him against this otherwise great country.

 

Here's How to Pay for It

If I were a legislator, I would call for passage of a Utah Health Product Advertising Regulation Act (PARA). I will write about the features of the act in another post. At the moment, I would just like to set forth how the measure could be financed.

And to do that, we should set forth the expected expenses:

Staffing -- The program would perhaps require four to six people (investigators, legal analysts, and registry administrators). Estimated expense: $450,000.

Technology infrastructure -- Secure a database, purchase AI monitoring tools, and establish a reporting portal. Estimated expense: $150,000.

Enforcement operations -- Investigations, expert reviews, legal filings, and interagency coordination. Estimated expense: $100,000.

Public outreach and education -- Website, consumer alerts, training for retailers and platforms. Estimated expense: $50,000.

Administration and overhead -- Office space, equipment, travel, and compliance audits. Estimated expense: $75,000.

Total estimated annual expense: $825,000.

To help fund the program, each product making health claims would have to register each year. The cost of registering a single product would be $250, a product line (3-10 items) would be $1,000, and national brands would be $5,000. Revenue projected from registration: $500,000.

Penalties assessed would also contribute to the revenue. First offenses would be fined $1,000, second offenses $5,000, and each subsequent offense $10,000. Blatant, knowing, willful deceptions would be hit with $25,000 fines. Revenues projected from civil penalties: $100,000.

Federal grants would provide a third source of income. The FDA grants are projected to bring in $500,000.

Total revenue expected: $1,100,000.

(Index: Blog)

 

Learning Like Albert 

"The man who instructs himself has a dupe for a teacher," quips an online commenter in the Deseret News.

He was responding to another commenter who said, "Learning how to 'teach oneself' is the most valuable lesson I ever learned, and served me well when finally going to the 'auditorium sized' classes of college."

Perhaps the first commenter should reflect on the case of Albert Einstein. He taught himself calculus, mastered physics classes on his own, studied Maxwell equations on his own as a teenager, and pursued experiments without being assigned them by a teacher.

Sparking such a chord in our students is perhaps the most valuable thing a teacher can do.

 

The Three‑Year Bachelor’s Degree

It’s learning made fast,

education made swift,

designed to help the student

and to give to him a lift.

Three years — that’s all it takes,

three years to a bachelor’s degree;

three years of education,

and then they set you free.

You learn just as much,

but with a faster touch;

you learn the things you need to know.

And you become just as smart,

and true in heart,

in the things that help you grow

It’s at Ensign College —

a wonderful college,

a great place to learn and live.

It’s the first place in all of America;

now how’s that for being exclusive.

Anger All Over Again

Anger all over again—
anger—
as I learn of the Marimar Martinez story
and the danger.

Shot five times,
she drove away.
The Border Patrol
didn't attempt to haul her away.

It didn't pursue
nor try to arrest;
but that she was a “terrorist,”
they were quick to attest.

She tried to ram their car
is what they say,
but they didn't chase her down—
they just let her get away.

There's danger to our country
and the people of this land.
We have rogue Border Patrol agents
and a rogue government we should not stand.

 

 

 

 

Utahns Need Not Follow

A take-over of elections?

Nationalizing them, you say?

Utahns should raise their hackles

instead of being so quick to obey.

Don't jump to follow

when the president calls for such.

Tell him it's not in the Constitution

and that he wants too much.

Utahns say the Constitution

is inspired by the Mighty God,

and they bow not to a man,

but it's to God that they nod.

The Constitution gives states the right

to direct elections on their own,

and when we follow other paths,
seeds of danger are sown.

 

The Ones You Want, and the Ones That Haunt

The Utah Legislature is at it,

coming hard, coming hard,

bill after bill proposing change after change,

trying to take away the damage

wherever the people have been scarred.

SB 134 adds two justices

to the Supreme Court.

HB 179 expands who can sell raw milk—

is that a law that you support?

Andrew Stoddard

is a favorite legislator of mine,

and his HB 80 is his signature bill;

it gives firearm storage a new design.

HB 30 directly touches on bank fraud,

setting standards we are much in need of.

HB 331 expands the voucher program,

shifting education to private schools

instead of those run by the gov.

Then there is HB 72,

a crackdown on crypto‑ATM fraud.

There's a lot to be said about this proposal—

there's a lot to laud.

So follow the bills—

the ones you want,

the ones you love,

and the ones that haunt.

 

 

It Will Go Down in History as 'Judge Biery's Fiery Speech'

Let’s piece this together the best we can, trying to get as much of U.S. District Judge Fred Biery’s fiery “speech” before you as possible. Maybe someday the “speech” will be found in American history textbooks across the land — you know, kind of like the Gettysburg Address.

It wasn’t really a “speech,” at least not like we think of where a dignitary gets up in front of an audience and pontificates in oratorical tones. No, Judge Biery’s words simply came as he ordered the Trump administration to release 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, from an immigration detention center in Texas.

You will recall how agents kidnapped . . . Okay, “kidnapped” might be too strong of a word. Let’s just say you recall how agents stole . . . Okay, “stole” might be too strong of a word. Or is it? Truth be told, perhaps neither “kidnapped” nor "stole" are too strong.

Let’s just say Liam and his father were apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during an immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

Judge Biery looked over the case and started firing. Now, here is where this article/blog swings away from its light‑minded and frivolous tone. Judge Biery had serious words to say.

Judge Biery said, “the case has its genesis in the ill‑conceived and incompetently‑implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.”

“Apparent also,” Biery said, “is the government’s ignorance of an American historical document called the Declaration of Independence.” Biery, suggesting the Trump administration mirrored actions of England’s King George, quoted from the Declaration: “He has sent hither Swarms of Officers to harass our People” and “He has excited domestic Insurrection among us.”

The judge referred to two lines from the Bible: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” and “Jesus wept.”

Judge Biery suggested some officials are driven by a “perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest (that) know no bounds and are bereft of human decency.”

He said the father was asking for “nothing more than some modicum of due process and the rule of law.”

“That pesky inconvenience called the Fourth Amendment,” Biery quipped.

I will wish schoolchildren someday will be taught the words Judge Biery offered. For now, I just wish the parents of our day would listen to them.

 Count the Reasons to Think the Arrest Was Politically Charged

   Go ahead and count the reasons to think the arrest of Don Lemon was politically charged:

   1. Legal experts commenting on the case agree there was no legal basis for his arrest. 

   2. Multiple federal judges had turned down the DOJ's attempts to charge him, indicating they found insufficient evidence of a crime.

   3. Despite the courts having said no, the DOJ persisted, ultimately seeking and obtaining a grand jury indictment— an unusual escalation since two courts had already ruled against the arrest.

   4. There were 30-40 participants in the protest, yet most of them were not arrested -- while a journalist who did not participate in the protesting and was just there to cover it was arrested.

   5. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the arrests were made at her direction. That’s uncommon language, as normally the institutional process is emphasized, not personal command.

  6. Lemon has a long history of friction with President Trump, having repeatedly criticized the president, which raises the question of political retaliation.

   7. The DOJ relied on a never-before tried twist, as the statute used had never been applied to a protest made inside a church. Legal scholars note it is a red flag that the DOJ stretched the statute into new territory.

 

 

 

Trump Called

I mean, it’s the timing—

the timing and what was said—

and the fact that he even called him,

the blue taking a call from the party red.

President Trump called him—

called Governor Shapiro.

And the timing of the call

can hardly be dismissed as zero.

The Pennsylvania governor’s home

had been set ablaze,

and Trump called

after the passing of a week’s worth of days.

Trump warned Shapiro

against running for President.

That’s the message he was given,
that’s the message he was sent.

 

Can They Trick Us into Supporting Their Mission?

President Trump has said he is “going after the worst of the worst” — murderers, rapists, and gang members — when it comes to deporting immigrants.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has said, “The individuals that we are going after are those that are violent criminals, those that are breaking our laws, and those that have final removal orders.”

ICE press releases have emphasized the arrests of violent offenders.

Border Czar Tom Homan has said ICE will “prioritize violent offenders in the country illegally.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has named “heinous, violent criminals” as the focus.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has placed the emphasis is on violent actors — specifically gang members and terrorists.

Yes, perhaps every one of the above have gone on to say anyone here illegally might also be detained or deported. I am concerned, though, that they think to win our support by suggesting it is the bad actors they are going after even though they will also be sweeping up everyone they can get their hands on. I do not and will not support such deportations, especially those that come without court hearings.

That Government that Governs Least Often Governs in Anarchy

That government that governs least often governs in anarchy. We shall see what happens. Perhaps we will be okay. But perhaps Donald Trump's decision to offer buyouts to 2 million federal employees is going to prove too much.

It is estimated that only 5-10 percent of the workers are going to snap up the employment buyouts, but even at that it could stretch us thin in such places as Social Security workers, the IRS, and National Parks.

 

Sue Donald Trump

Sue Donald Trump,

Sue him,

and maybe he'll learn not to lie.

He should be responsible to tell the truth;

he should at least learn to try.

Renee Good — if you listen to him —

was a “professional agitator.”

That’s defamation;

it’s a lie, and he’s its creator.

She “violently, willfully, and viciously

ran over the ICE officer.”

That’s what Donald Trump says,

and he’s the one we call our prez.

Trump should have to prove it —

prove that he’s correct.

If he can’t, then it’s slander.

What do you expect?

 

That Should Be Her Plight

She should resign — or be impeached?

What should we do with Kristi Noem —

Kristi, Kristi, Kristi Noem?

Spank her good and send her home?

Didn't she call Alex Pretti “an assassin?”

Hardly true. Hardly right.

What should we do with Kristi Noem?
Sue her — that should be her plight.

 

Instead of Sorrow

Everything doesn't have to be a sword.

Tamer times,

softer times,

call for no weapons to even come aboard.

Peace,

instead of sorrow—

let it smile

and reach into tomorrow.

Guns and knives and a wicked machete,

missiles and bombs

once rained down like so much confetti.

Now, let those weapons rest—

but not on graves.

Let them be buried
beneath the waves.

 

 

Control Thine Anger

Do you measure your anger—

or depress it?

Do you change the conversation—

and say you shouldn't even discuss it?

I speak of Minnesota.

There was a shooting there—

and it should raise your hair.

Or should it?

Should you not even let it?

For anger is not a good feeling—

it's not healthy and it's not healing.

There are those—

I suppose—

who would say, "Don't even go there."

Don't enter those conversations—

not if they just turn you into a bear.

I say there are times for anger—

times when anger is fine.

But control your anger, control your wrath—

though I know that draws a fine line.

Perhaps don't even express it.

Perhaps don't let it even be seen.

Handle the situation the best you can—

without appearing angry and mean.

But there are times for displeasure—

times you need to show that.

Controlled anger can be anger indeed—

so if you must, then you must wear that hat.

Let's Welcome a Detention Center

Word is, federal officials want to open an immigrant detention center in Salt Lake City. Okay, let's build it. Let's have a detention center in Utah. But let's make it a place where detainees are treated well and with respect. More than that, let's require that such a center be transparent, with the names, statuses, and court dates of detainees available. Don't let them build unless they agree to this. No, let's go a step further and require that they DO build a detention center here. We want the detainees to be treated humanely. We should demand a facility that so requires. Two more things: 1) The facility is to be open to daily inspections, and 2) The detainees are to be free to speak to the press.

 

 

Dreams Are Sometimes Shattered

Dreams are sometimes shattered—

broken and torn apart.

It seems as though they've fallen

right off heaven's cart.

They tumble down a canyon wall,

shattering more and more,

and every piece is broken

by the time they reach the valley floor.

Who will pick them up?

Can anyone rebuild this dream?

I see a man walking up,

and in his eye there is a gleam.

He smiles gently and gets to work.

He fixes everything that's broke.

And soon the dream is even better—

what he's done is a masterstroke.

So, if you ever dream a lot,

but your dreams are then wiped out,

turn to the Savior's touch,

and He'll help you beyond any doubt.

 

Rip the Child from His Home

Rip the child off the street;

toss him straight in jail.

You call it a “detention center,”

but you don’t even offer bail.

Rip the child from his home;

make him do hard time.

Seek to deport him —

but what will you say is his crime?

Keep on Eating

I shouldn't keep on eating;

it's really not all right.

But I like to eat all day long

and through the moonlight.

I eat breakfast twice a morning,

and lunch I eat twice too,

and dinner I eat three times—

so it seems I'm never through.

I eat and eat and eat a lot;

there's so much food to try,

and all of it is wonderful—

of that, you can't deny.

You've got to have a midnight snack,

and a bite the next hour out;

you've got to wake up often to eat some more—

of that there is no doubt.

So eat and eat and eat some more;

eat as fast as you can.

Eat straight out of the jar
and right off the frying pan.

 

 

Greenland’s People Probably Wouldn’t Meet Trump’s Criteria

If Greenland is taken over by the United States, don’t expect it to become the 51st state. No — it isn’t going to happen. Now, you might notice that when Trump spoke of taking over Canada, he suggested they could become the 51st state. We are told he was just joking, but he made the suggestion just the same. Well, when it came time to discuss Greenland, such a suggestion was not made, not even jokingly.

Greenland just doesn’t fit the mold Trump wants. Correction: not Greenland itself, but the people. Remember, this is the Trump who once spoke of Haiti and African countries as being “s---hole countries.”

And also remember that this is the Trump who has explicitly questioned why the U.S. receives immigrants from poorer nations rather than wealthier ones.

The Inuit of Greenland are hardly well‑to‑do people. Some might even call them a downtrodden people. Trump wants people who will be “assets” to America. I hardly think the fishermen of Greenland would meet his criteria.

Of course, when the U.S. has acquired new territory, it has always taken time before those territories became states. And it is Congress that grants statehood anyhow. I’m just saying: if the decision were left to Trump, I doubt he would throw his arms around them and make the people citizens.

 

 

 When you give a ship over to pirates, it sails under a different flag. I suppose I feel that way about giving the country over to Donald Trump.

 

The Land Just Wants to Be Free

Greenland could use a brother —

yes, a big brother.

Someone to help it,

not someone to smother.

The land just wants to be free.

It could use a friend,

even a friend to the end.

Someone to guide it,

and all its sorrows to mend.

The land just wants to be free.

It doesn't need someone to rule it,

to laugh and to fool it.

It just needs someone beside it —

someone next to it.

Yes, the land just wants to be free.

It's not ready for freedom;

it knows it's not yet.

It knows there are steps yet ahead.

But it needs an arm around it

before its troubles can be shed.

So just help the land to be free.

Yes — please help the land to be free.

 

The Devil Shot the Devil

The Devil shot the Devil

in that gunfight in the street.

He said the other devil

was the evilest you could meet.

He said some folks aren't worth living—

so he would gladly take their lives,

leave their children fatherless,

and make widows of their wives.

Too often, guns are raised—

they are fired by those who think

the other person's a devil,

so they kill in just a blink.

But for every devil killed like that,

there's a devil who shoots him down.

And those who pass such judgment

are the evilest around.

 

 The List Grows Longer

Are you watching the list grow longer,

the list of foes of Donald Trump—

people whom he hates,

wants to kick them in the rump?

ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN—

all “enemies of the people.”

If you’re listening to Donald Trump,

they don’t belong under a church steeple.

How about the “Seditious Six,”

lawmakers who Trump says are seditious?

They said you don’t need to obey illegal orders,

and that went against Trump’s wishes.

And then there were those who investigated him—

a terrible, awful crime.

Trump has no use for them;

they are the worst of slime.

Gov. Gavin Newsom,

Bill and Hillary Clinton—

those are folks he won’t treat nice,

won’t treat them like a kitten.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris—

he’s sought jail for both of them.

And if he catches up with them,

their lives will be so very grim.

Throw your opponents in jail;

quiet the free press.

If you’re going to be a dictator,

we expect of you no less.

 

Shoot

Is there a training manual for police,

one that just says, “Shoot?”

Shoot if they get too close,

shoot if they get cute.

Police Training 101

is where you find these rules.

It says, “Shoot, shoot, shoot —

shoot the crazy fools.”

Shoot them if they run,

shoot them if they mouth off,

shoot them if they sneeze,

and shoot them if they cough.

Shoot them and don’t be nice;

aim and shoot to kill.

Shoot them if you want to,

shoot them if you will.

But with all this talk of shooting

and the manual saying it’s okay,

don’t forget that murder’s wrong —
and in heaven, there’s a price to pay.

Where Is the Arrest, or the Suspension of Officer Ross?

Days and days later, where is the arrest? Suspects are often arrested at the scene or shortly afterward. Yes, they are often arrested before the investigation is complete. Not so, though, with Officer Jonathan Ross — or, if he has been arrested, it has not been reported.

Has Officer Ross even been placed on administrative leave? The FBI has not disclosed as much. It would be an appropriate action — but it apparently hasn’t happened with Officer Jonathan Ross.

These two facts should sharpen the criticism that the FBI may not be impartial. They should serve as tell‑tale signs that the FBI might conceivably spin the investigation to protect Officer Ross.

To begin with, there is a conflict of interest when a federal officer is being investigated by a federal agency.

And secondly, the boss above both agencies (that would be Donald) has provided verbal comments that could influence the investigation — as has Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Can we expect a fair investigation? You judge.

 

Did the FBI Doctor the Video?

 Laura Ingraham, I simply disagree. I watched the officer's video you presented during your newscast and ... well ... It seems clear the ICE officer was aside the SUV -- not in front of it -- when the shots were fired. Worse, it appears the video was doctored, perhaps not with the intent of hiding the truth, but with the same effect, the same. Try the freeze frame approach. Stop the video right before the shooting. Look at the angle of the cellphone. Judge where the officer would need to be for the angle to be as it is. He would probably be beside the SUV, not in front. But wait! Notice how narrow the video image is! On each side, the picture appears to have been cropped! If it weren't for that cropping, you would be better able to determine if he was indeed to the side of the SUV. If the FBI did doctor the video before releasing it, can we trust it to impartially investigate the case? Another thing, time after time we are hearing that Renee Good tried to run over Officer Jonathan Ross. That argument fails to recognize that Good was turning sharply to get to the right of Ross. Since when, if you are trying to hit someone, do you turn sharply away from them?

 

President of the Flies

I've never seen Lord of the Flies —

I've not.

But I've heard of this comparison:

An essay titled President of the Flies

puts Donald Trump in embarrassment.

Jennifer Finney Boylan —

that's the author —

speaks of being cast into

"some cruel and hostile strand,"

a place hard to get through —

do you understand?

People with disabilities were mocked,

immigrants reviled,

and grabbing women by their private parts

was not considered being defiled

Lord of the Flies, President of the Flies —

there's a lot they have in common:

"Shut up, Piggy," "Quiet, Piggy" —

and we'd have to say a person who speaks like that

is fallen, fallen, fallen.

We live in a society in which democratic norms are lost,

cruelty is accepted,

moral decay is everywhere.

But a president who acts like this

should surely be rejected.

 The Shot Was in the Day

The shot was in the day,

not the dead of night.

Everyone saw it —

and could see it wasn't right.

ICE agents killed her,

cameras rolling to show their crime.

Sometimes it seems these shootings

are happening all the time.

Shots were fired, shots were fired —

and a woman's life was lost.

It happened in broad daylight,

as ICE tried to show they were boss.

There will be an investigation,

as you know there always is —

but only by the FBI,

for they say it's not the local police's biz.

Investigate, investigate —

do it a million times.

But it won't change what the videos show:

another of police's violent crimes.

 

 

A Stir of Silence

A stir of silence in the night;

something moved, but was only felt.

I searched the blackened sky for movement,

then resolved to face what I was dealt.

Shadows blossomed —

they grew and grew,

charcoal‑colored;

they shared their dew.

Nothing that night was in my view,

nothing in my sight.

And the whispers were inaudible,

but they moved through me with fright.

No moonlight, no starlight,

and not even owls with haunting hoots.

But I think I felt the soldiers coming,

though I couldn’t even hear their boots.

I peered through the willows,

hoping to gain a glance,

but saw nothing but darkness —

though in my mind they danced.

I say hello to nights such as this;

I know they will come again.

And though I will not see it,

I’ll feel their laughing grin.