Of Memes and Men
April 16, 2026
Has there ever been a time when the stakes for civilization have been so high and the quality of political discourse has been so tawdry? We have come to the point in this endless SNL nightmare of a skit in which the president of the United States posts a ridiculous image of himself as Jesus Christ, then claims he thought it portrayed him as a doctor, then takes down the image from his social media feed all the while carrying on lengthy rants against the Pope who, rightfully, is teaching the world about the profoundly moral issues of war and peace. The line between farce and tragedy, always somewhat thin, is decaying rapidly. The farce IS the tragedy as the consequences of horrific and unjust wars ravage innocent communities abroad and tear apart the fragile social fabric of our domestic lives.
The memification of contemporary politics has gone from an amusing sidebar distraction to a mainstream weapon of mass psychic destruction as each new iteration of the once-silly pictures and phrases becomes more toxic, more dangerous, less tethered to anything resembling what mature adult leaders should be thinking and doing. The very idea that the president of the United States thinks it’s ok to spend his time bleating out inane pictures while berating the pope for preaching the Gospel — exactly the pope’s job — speaks volumes about the dangerous zone our society has wandered into. Critics on both sides of the aisle wonder aloud online about the president’s mental stability while others take the president’s criticism of the pope as license to mock, demean and try to silence the pope’s voice. The president’s surrogates — the vice president, the House speaker — weirdly and wrongly tell the pope that he’s wrong on theology. Then the administration cancelled an $11 million contract with Catholic Charities in Miami to help migrant children. We are very deep into the rabbit hole of official obfuscation and gaslighting.
What we all should be talking about is how do we move our country and our culture back from this perilous edge of self-destruction. The silliness of the memes and late night jokes masks the appalling dangers inherent in a war conducted by someone who seems unable to separate fiction from reality on many days. The problem is not just the president; the problem is everyone who defends him, and also everyone who looks away from the obvious signs of impending social and cultural catastrophe.
This is not the first time that the president has promoted scurrilous memes — his disgraceful and truly disordered posting of a meme showing the Obamas as apes is a fresh and painful gash in our recent national memory. As a political writer noted in 2019 that, “The weaponisation of memes through mass replication has created a powerful tool for waging political war against opponents” (Marina Bulatovic in 2019 Sage Journals) There’s a whole dark industry of political “dirty tricks” that is now empowered with AI tools to take the manipulation of communications and public perceptions to increasingly destructive levels.
The current president surely is not acting alone — someone makes the images that he gleefully sends out to entertain his “base” while supposedly taunting his opponents. Every day brings more examples of the amoral use of artificial intelligence to bend our perceptions of reality in directions dictated by largely unknown operatives-behind-the-scenes who secure power and wealth through manipulation of public discourse.
Serious leaders of civilization’s communities know how to communicate and act with profound reverence and respect for their responsibilities and the people they serve. Pope Leo XIV is a very serious leader, not just for Catholics but for all of humanity whose future is at risk when other leaders threaten to keep us in a state of constant war, conquest, subjugation and the not-unimaginable spectre of nuclear annihilation. The current U.S. president is not the only target of Pope Leo’s message of peace, but he is the one behaving in the most alarmingly bellicose ways in the present moment with the military and economic capacity to follow-through on his threats. When the president writes that, “A whole civilization will die tonight,” if they don’t bend to his will, he has crossed a line from the merely offensive to absolutely irresponsible and dangerous abuse of power. Pope Leo has had the courage to confront the amoral danger of this moment.
The president’s scandalous attacks on Pope Leo have had the effect of unifying the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in support of the pope. Bishop James Massa, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Doctrine, issued a strong statement explaining “just war” teachings and making the pope’s role very explicit: “When Pope Leo XIV speaks as supreme pastor of the universal Church, he is not merely offering opinions on theology, he is preaching the Gospel and exercising his ministry as the Vicar of Christ. The consistent teaching of the Church is insistent that all people of good will must pray and work toward lasting peace while avoiding the evils and injustices that accompany all wars.”
Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of USCCB, also issued a strong statement on the pope’s role in proclaiming moral teachings. And three of the most influential U.S. cardinals — Cardinals Robert McElroy of Washington, Blase Cupich of Chicago, and Joseph Tobin of Newark — gave a joint interview to 60 Minutes to set forth Church teachings and the pope’s role. Cardinal McElroy of Washington also received a rare standing ovation from the congregation after his homily during the Vigil for Peace on April 11.
We must pray for peace, yes, but we must also act as citizens of the most powerful nation in history to demand an end to the perpetration of unjust war, the manipulation of public communications, the demeaning of not only the pope but anyone who dares to disagree, who dares to challenge immoral political actions. We must confront the wholly disordered and inappropriate use of religious rhetoric — especially the rhetoric of the Secretary of War — to somehow justify launching missiles against civilians, blowing up boats on international waters, and otherwise committing the most heinous belligerent acts of war and destruction.
We must stop condoning and looking away from the silliness of the memes. There is nothing funny, nothing religious, nothing patriotic about using power to destroy lives. Even when war is necessary, it is a terrible tragedy. When war is not necessary, it is a horrific crime and profound sin. Those who perpetrate war must be called to account, not dismissed as daft old men with scores to settle.
Continue reading →Read comments (0) Add CommentOver the Moon
April 12, 2026
I remember sitting in the backyard in the early 1960’s with my brothers and Dad who pointed up to the stars and noted one that was blinking and moving. “Telstar,” he explained with enthusiasm, a machine that humans made to fly into outer space for global communications. In 1962, we children of the Space Age were dazzled by the thought that humans could send a machine so high into the firmament, literally moving among the stars. Later, we watched in awe as John Glenn rocketed into orbit, the first American to do so. We dreamed of becoming astronauts soaring through outer space. We wondered if we had “The Right Stuff” and paraded around as space explorers in our Halloween costumes.
As the years went by, we became used to the special TV broadcasts of launches for Mercury and Apollo missions, and still we were amazed when Neal Armstrong put his boots down on the moon — “One small step for a man; one giant leap for mankind.” Still later, we watched in horror as the hopes for even more exciting space exploration blew up, contrails of the Challenger space mission lacing through the skies over Florida as this once-ambitious program plummeted back to earth.
Another disaster with Columbia, and the space shuttle program was retired in 2011. NASA joined with other nations to develop the International Space Station and launched astronauts with commercial partners including SpaceX. 25 years later, the ISS is still going strong, but the dream of returning to the moon never went away.
This past week, the enduring dream of another moon landing took a giant step closer to reality with the very successful Artemis II mission. Four courageous astronauts packed together in a small capsule (described as about the size of two mini-vans) for ten days.
This mission was about preparing a future moon landing. The crew flew farther than any humans ever flew before, circling the moon, getting a good look at its “dark side,” and then returned to earth on a picture-perfect splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego.
NASA’s Orion spacecraft with Artemis II crewmembers NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist aboard is seen as it lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026. NASA’s Artemis II mission took Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. Following a splashdown at , NASA, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force teams are working to bring the crewmembers and Orion spacecraft aboard USS John P. Murtha. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
With so many serious problems here on earth — the war in Iran, wars and devastating conflicts elsewhere, the rise of authoritarianism here and abroad, the immigration crisis, the economy, and on and on — why should we care about space travel and a fly-by to the moon?
Dreaming about a future full of possibilities is an essential quality for a healthy society. Imagining traveling with explorers is something humans have done since ancient times — from epic tales of the ancient poets to the fabulous stories told by Jules Verne to Sci-Fi and Star Trek to the glorious photography of National Geographic to the real-time streaming of the Artemis II crew zooming around the moon and back to earth — a passion for exploration of our planet and worlds beyond is an essential part of the advancement of our civilization.
The passion for exploration of the universe is also grounded in the real need to make sure that scientific discoveries continue to evolve, that we continue to imagine opportunities for new horizons, new colonies, inventions that can improve our lives today and for generations to come.
Space exploration also gives us perspective. Seeing that small “blue marble” earth from 250,000 miles away also shocks us into realizing, once more, that we are a very small part of a vast universe, that we are all dependent on the health of this tiny planet, and that we are more alike than different. Space exploration, at its best, can help us earth-bound humans to transcend our differences, lift up hope for new ventures, and renew our determination to spend our limited time on earth keeping the peace and helping each other to live better lives.
Thanks to NASA and the Artemis II team for lifting us up once more! We are “over the moon” with excitement for the next phase of exploration in space.
Continue reading →Read comments (1) Add CommentResurrection: Deliver Us from Evil
April 5, 2026
On Easter Sunday morning, two very different messages appeared one after the other on my Twitter (X) feed (left) — one from the current president that required redaction of its profanity; and one from Pope Leo XIV reminding us of the true message of Easter.
We are in a moment in history that is exposing a dramatic chasm between our national leadership in the United States and the leader of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church. The stark contrast between the messages of these two leaders exposes the dramatic crisis of civilization that has been brewing for some time.
In the last few months, the current political administration has accelerated its use of religious terminology to justify its bellicose actions; the language of Christian Nationalism uses religion to consolidate power and justify oppression and war as it sees fit.
Pope Leo has repeatedly challenged the use of religious assertions to justify the War in Iran and other official acts of violence. In his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” address on Easter Sunday, he reminds us that, “Easter is the victory of life over death, of light over darkness, of love over hatred. It is a victory that came at a very high price: Christ, the Son of the living God (cf. Mt 16:16), had to die — and die on a cross — after suffering an unjust condemnation, being mocked and tortured, and shedding all his blood. As the true immolated Lamb, he took upon himself the sin of the world (cf. Jn 1:29; 1 Pet 1:18–19) and thus freed us all — and with us, all creation — from the dominion of evil.”
The Pope reminds us that the true meaning of the Resurrection is “…the beginning of a new humanity; it is the entrance into the true promised land, where justice, freedom, and peace reign, where all recognize one another as brothers and sisters, children of the same Father who is Love, Life, and Light.”
Bombing other people, showing “no mercy” as the Secretary of War has demanded, openly reveling in killing others — all of this rhetoric is the absolute contradiction of the true meaning of Easter and Christianity. On this Easter Sunday, let us join in solidarity with Pope Leo: “Let us allow our hearts to be transformed by his immense love for us! Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!”
Read the full Urbi et Orbi text.
Also worth reading, Pope Leo’s homily at the Holy Thursday Mass
Continue reading →Read comments (0) Add CommentNo Way to Run a Country
March 29, 2026
On Saturday, officials at BWI/Thurgood Marshall airport in Baltimore told travelers to arrive at least four hours early to get through security. Later, interviews with travelers revealed that many took five, six or more hours to clear security — and not just at BWI, but at major airports throughout the nation. TSA agents are quitting or calling in sick because they have not been paid in weeks. The reason is gridlock in Congress over the question of how to reform the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and specifically ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). TSA agents are what some might call “collateral damage” in the political wars over funding ICE and DHS. The need for such reform clearly emerged from the horrific actions of ICE in Minnesota and its brutal presence in many cities largely against the will of local authorities and citizens.
Congress is responsible to authorize funding for government agencies, but this particular impasse has been going on for more than a month. Late last week, the U.S. Senate actually managed to pass a bill with bipartisan support that would end at least part of the problem; then the Senate went on a two-week holiday. Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives decided to ignore the Senate bill and instead, passed a piece of legislation that will never pass muster in the now-vacant Senate. Neither side seemed invested in finding a truly workable solution.
At the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, the real strings are being pulled at the White House which also happens to be (a) escalating a war (what the president calls an “excursion”) against Iran that seems fated for catastrophe, (b) demanding hundreds of billions of dollars more to fund said war, (c) sending thousands of American ground troops to the Middle East, (d) pushing a piece of legislation (the SAVE Act) that would make voting very hard for many citizens, (e) designing a ballroom, (f) gutting the institution formerly known as the Kennedy Center…. and…. oh, well, you get the drift.
And for good measure, gasoline prices have skyrocketed, now more than $4 a gallon and rising, all thanks to the current administration’s miscalculations about how Iran would respond to being bombed for reasons that remain opaque to most people. Most of us never thought much, if at all, about the Strait of Hormuz until it became a global fuel and supply problem two weeks ago.
This is no way to run a government or a country! The absolutely stunning disregard for the safety and needs of ordinary American citizens who have places to go, work and families to support, and clear preferences for peace and economic security is a betrayal of the American system of government and service to the people of our nation. I keep thinking of Abraham Lincoln’s soaring rhetoric at Gettysburg demanding national resolve to ensure that, “…government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”
Such a government seems almost a fiction of the last century. Today’s American government is ignoring its most fundamental duty to ensure prosperity for We, the People. While it’s true that Congress has always been somewhat chaotic when the political parties cannot agree on legislation, the current environment is exceptionally dangerous for the durability of this political system. On the surface, since one party controls both houses of Congress and the White House, we might think that there would be less chaos. We would be wrong. The rise of authoritarian leadership in the White House defies conventional political rules and processes, and too many members of Congress appear unable or unwilling to exercise the courageous independent judgment that would lead to sensible and humane compromises for the good of the nation.
The American people are suffering the consequences of legislative cowardice, self-serving leadership and legislative gridlock. Millions of Americans took to the streets over the weekend in another “No Kings” display of unhappiness over the current state of affairs. But marching is not enough. We the People need to demand more of our elected leaders on both sides of the aisle. Leadership starts with a commitment to the people who need service, not to the bluff and bluster and threats coming from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Congress must act immediately and decisively to get the airport lines moving again, to demand a peaceful resolution to the Iran War, and to demonstrate a genuine commitment to making Americans secure and satisfied again with their government. Congress doing its job would be a big step toward making America truly great again.
Continue reading →Read comments (0) Add CommentHeroes, Legends and Idols of Clay
March 19, 2026
All the heroes and legends
I knew as a child have fallen to idols of clay
(Styx, Show Me the Way)
(Photos: Right: Cesar Chavez 1979 (Photo Credit) Left: Dolores Huerta 1972 (Photo Credit))
Can we revere anyone anymore? After the news broke this week of the horrific sexual abuse that the late farmworker organizer Cesar Chavez inflicted on girls in his orbit, I found myself thinking about our yearning for true heroes and our utter dismay when we learn that many heroes are really “idols of clay” as the song goes. According to an investigative report in the New York Times, what Chavez did was so heinous that many cities and municipalities that once held him up as a role model of working for justice have begun to cancel events in his honor, remove street signs and even consider changing the names of schools and programs once named to honor him. The story in the New York Times called Chavez “one of the most consequential figures in Mexican American history,” an icon of organizing for generations of Latinos. His name is now synonymous with scandal, disgrace and terrible crimes. The United Farmworkers of America, the labor union that Chavez co-founded, immediately began to distance the organization from its co-founder. Chavez joins a long line of prominent, powerful men who were predators, apparently believing that their power and status entitled them to commit abuse and rape. The list is long.
Shortly after the story broke in the New York Times, longtime Chavez collaborator and UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta, now 96, issued a statement revealing that she, too, had been sexually abused by Chavez. In her statement, Huerta says she kept her silence because she did not want to harm the farmworker movement for which she had devoted a large part of her life. She reflected the experience of many abuse victims when she wrote, “I had experienced abuse and sexual violence before, and I convinced myself these were incidents that I had to endure alone and in secret.” And she went on, “I have never identified myself as a victim, but now I understand that I am a survivor — of violence, of sexual abuse, of domineering men who saw me, and other women, as property, or things to control.”
Immediately, Huerta was criticized for remaining silent, but her critics clearly do not understand that her experience and her reasons for remaining silent reflect a universal response among people subjected to sexual abuse, especially by powerful men. It’s been nearly 20 years since Tarana Burke founded the #MeToo movement, and yet too many women (and, yes, men who are also survivors) still hide their truth out of fear of more violence, retribution, shame or the despair of not being taken seriously.
Each day’s headlines continue to shout stories of sexual abuse and women’s despair over being ignored, humiliated, shamed into silence. Just consider the unbelievably ugly, corrupt, abusive secrets still hidden in the now-infamous “Epstein Files,” a shorthand phrase that veils an unfathomably large global network of powerful men (and a few women collaborators) that engaged in sexual abuse of young girls. We may never know the truth about Jeffrey Epstein and his large circle of customers and co-conspirators, but the number, status and shocking details of the names already revealed should be cause for widespread revulsion and demands for atonement…. but the shouts seem muffled and many of the perps continue to go about their business as if nothing happened. The Epstein files are the secular analog to the Catholic Church’s clergy sex abuse scandal — maybe even worse because of the widespread engagement of so many public figures and the apparent deliberate and protracted attempts of the political administration to repress the evidence and hide the truth.
In such an environment, it’s no surprise that an individual woman might hold back from revealing her awful secret, no matter how painful, because the pain that might come with speaking out could well be worse — or so some women think.
We need to make it safe for women and all victims of abuse to speak out, to seek justice, to secure their own safety and security against the men who commit crimes of sexual, physical and psychological abuse. We need the justice system to do a better job of prosecuting and punishing the perpetrators. We also need families, schools and workplaces to do more to educate and elevate climates for respect for women and all people. In this regard, rather than standing idly by while the current administration gets away with obliterating programs devote to teaching students how to treat others with respect (the whole point of effective DEI education), we should be insisting that such programs are central to any curriculum that strives to educate happy, peaceful, productive citizens.
Finally, maybe we need to stop creating so many idols of clay. Sainthood is only bestowed on a few after death and careful scrutiny. We spend entirely too much time and energy elevating ordinary human beings to sainthood status while they are alive, and then we are shocked, shocked, to find out they are made of all-too-soft clay. We don’t need another hero — we need moral, sensible, committed human beings who are capable of leading others without exploiting or abusing them, who can show the way forward with humility and grace, not dominance or a misplaced sense of entitlement.
Cesar Chavez joins a long, tawdry list of fallen heroes. We can mourn that loss from our pantheon of great men, or we can reconsider the whole idea of the pantheon as bestowing too much mythology on flawed human beings.
NOTE: At Trinity, we have a set of policies designed to protect members of this community from harassment and abuse. Please be familiar with these policies and please never hesitate to report any instances of harassment or sexual violence.
Title IX Policy on Sexual Misconduct
Reporting
Dr. Sarah Young
Title IX Coordinator
202-884-9227
YoungSar@trinitydc.edu
Dr. Karen Gerlach
Vice President for Student Affairs
202-884-9203
gerlachk@trinitydc.edu
Ms. Michele Bowie
Dean of Student Services
202-884-9611
bowiem@trinitydc.edu
Ms. Michelle Burke
Director of Human Resources
125 Michigan Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20017
202-884-9127
BurkeMi@trinitydc.edu
Ms. Andrea Glascoe
Chief of Public Safety
202-884-9111
GlascoeA@trinitydc.edu
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