Most days, I try and write with a level head. I take a step back from the heat of a moment, quiet my emotions, and present what I have to say in a calm and rational manner. Today is not one of those days. You might remember a post I wrote about a year ago, with just a few of my tangled-up thoughts about the Syrian refugee crisis. Right after that, the horrible attacks in Paris happened, and I'm sorry to say that I stopped speaking out on the matter. The fear in the world was

A few weeks ago I was feeding Ira, my 7-month old, and we were listening to Sufjan Stevens’ record, Carrie & Lowell. The theme of the album is centered around the death of his mother, and if you haven’t heard it, I highly recommend it. Anyway, there’s a song on there called “Fourth of July” and it is haunting to say the least, especially when There’s that ultimate, cosmic elephant in the room: What happens when we die? you know the context. The refrain is “we’re all gonna die