I’ve lived in East Africa for nine years and witnessed two presidential elections in two different countries (Uganda and Rwanda). People here are genuinely fascinated by America and how we do elections. When I ask my African friends what they think of the United States, their reaction is often one…

As a Christian and an American, I’ve always wondered what a conversation between President Trump and Jesus Christ would be like. If Trump says “America first,” and Jesus says “the first shall be last,” where does that leave America? I grew up in a conservative Baptist church in Oklahoma. My…

Before 2020, I thought unnecessary paperwork was universally hated by all humans. Certainly it’s the bane of my existence: nothing enrages me like being asked to fill out some arcane form that serves no purpose, or being grilled by an official over some uncrossed “t” or un-dotted “i” because “that’s…

I voted from Rwanda! The other day I printed, signed, scanned, and emailed my ballot in via the Federal Voter Assistance Program (FVAP), tracking my ballot’s progress every day via Oklahoma’s online voter portal. Finally, nearly a week after sending the email, I received an email back from FVAP confirming…

In the world of Game of Thrones, words are wind, and power is power. But in a democracy, words matter. Why do people follow laws, and not whatever they want, or whatever the local “big man” tells them? Why, in the United States, can a powerful Senator not order…

Why do we send text messages (via Slack, WhatsApp, Skype, etc) to the people who are sitting directly across from us at work (or at least we did before the pandemic)? Or when we have a quick but urgent question (i.e. …

Two and a half years ago I opened a street food restaurant and pub in Kigali, Rwanda. As any small business owner knows, it hasn’t been easy. I’ve invested my own money, and every time it has seemed profitability was just around the…

“On the savanna, the lion may fear being gored by the buffalo, but she cannot stay home forever — eventually she must hunt, or the pride will starve. The buffalo may fear the crocodile, but he cannot stay away from the river forever — eventually, he must drink.” That’s an…

I’m a white man. My great-grandmother’s grandfather fought for the Confederacy (so my great-great-great-grandfather). Apparently, we used to have some pretty cool heirlooms like his battle sword and uniform, but my great-grandmother’s sister inexplicably sold the sword in a garage sale and burned the uniform to clear room in the…