by Melinda Snodgrass | Jan 2, 2017 | General
So January 20th looms and for many people it’s a terrifying prospect. People don’t know how to stand for the things we support and cherish in this republic. So here’s a suggestion. Join the ACLU. Here is but a sample of the litigation and advocacy they have undertaken: The Scopes trial – the right to teach evolution in public science classrooms Supreme Court Cases: Korematsu — challenging Japanese American internment Miranda — the right to remain silent...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Dec 17, 2016 | General
Last night I finished reading a terrific short story by my friend Connie Willis. She is a wonderful writer, and also a terrific human being. I’m not generally a reader of short fiction. I love novels where I can wallow and spend a lot of time with the characters, but Connie is one of the masters of the short form. Right now I’m reading a collection called The Best of Connie Willis, and I hit the story “Inside Job”. It’s about a skeptic writer dealing with a...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Dec 12, 2016 | General
If you visit my website and come to my blog and post a comment, and it attacks my friends — one in particular — you know who I am talking about so pay attention trolls. I will file your comment in a round file called trash. You do again and I’ll block you. I moderate all comments so you aren’t going to have an opportunity to spread your nastiness on my site. Because it’s my site. My rules. My friend. My best friend. So take your entitled little self off...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Nov 9, 2016 | General
I have been living in fear for months and last night my fears were realized. Here’s what I fear is coming: The climate change accord rejected. Planned Parenthood defunded so no more cancer screenings and birth control for low income women. The ACA repealed. Millions without health care once again. The nuclear agreement with Iran revoked. A new Supreme Court that may well overturn Obergefell granting gay people the right to marry. What happens to those couples and their children? And...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Nov 5, 2016 | General
This is long so I apologize for that. It’s also a post that I hesitated to write because I’m very private person, and I’m telling you a lot about myself. But I think this election is just that important that I’m willing to open up. So here goes — I’m younger than Secretary Clinton, but I want to give you a look at how the world appeared and still often appears to a woman. Especially a woman who is driven, ambitious, smart and educated. I’ve talked about being...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Oct 22, 2016 | General
I recently posted on Facebook a link to a story out of Texas about students walking out of an anthropology class over the discussion that modern humans evolved in Africa. I got push back that this was unfair to Texas, on overblown story because only a small number of students walked out of a class of 390, etc. Then I realized that what disturbed me about the story is that there is a percentage of our American citizenry who is truculent, ill informed, proud of that lack, and suspicious of...
