John Stoehr

John Stoehr is the editor of the Editorial Board. Find him @editorialboard.bsky.social .

What Trump Doesn’t Get about the Statue of Liberty

August 21, 2019 /

It’s a monument to slavery’s end and the rise of a liberal democracy.

White Envy of Black Patriotism

August 20, 2019 /

Reaction to 1619 Project reveals love of country built on sand.

Hates Crimes Are Domestic Terrorism

August 19, 2019 /

Hatred isn’t new. What’s new is hatred with easy access to massive lethality.

When Republicans Stop Believing

August 16, 2019 /

A recession would mean the president’s lies no longer work.

‘He’s so insecure’

August 15, 2019 /

You hear it all the time. “He acts that way because he’s insecure.” Take guns, for instance. He bought a gun because he feels insecure. He acted out because he feels insecure. He did terrible things to others because he feels insecure. So if he felt more secure, he wouldn’t do that? I’ve always felt…

For White Evangelicals, It’s Not About Fear

August 15, 2019 /

Attributing fear to sadism gives sadists too much credit. 

Actually, White Evangelicals Are Sadists

August 14, 2019 /

To them, being punished for being gay, trans or “illegal” is divine justice.

From ‘We’re Broke’ to ‘Build the Wall’

August 13, 2019 /

In retrospect, the Tea Party was a nascent fascist movement.

Our credulous news media

August 12, 2019 /

This morning’s news was a former Trump aide saying the Republicans should pick another candidate for the 2020 election. Jonathan Swan reported his phone interview with Anthony Scaramucci. “We are now in the early episodes of ‘Chernobyl’ on HBO, where the reactor is melting down and the apparatchiks are trying to figure out whether to…

The moment we break faith

August 12, 2019 /

I can’t stop thinking about this poem by James Baldwin. So much of liberal democracy entails trust in each other, in our willingness to contract and covenant with each other, and in our obligations to respect and honor each other for our collective benefit. To have a democracy, we must have faith. When we break…