I have a former work supervisor and friend I admire named Hanne. She’s from Denmark but has lived in the US for many years. I have always respected her intelligent and humorous opinion on many things, but particularly her outsider’s perspective on America.
Around the time it became apparent that Donald Trump was serious about running, we got together for lunch. We ruminated about how nothing was really clear, “but one thing is for certain,” she said, “it will be bad.”
I told her that frequently the news overwhelmed me, but I wanted to be informed, that it was going to be more important than ever to be a citizen who participated. She said she listened to National Public Radio a bit, and also subscribed to the Guardian Weekly. Between the two sources, she felt like she was getting a good worldview, without a lot of the poison that distracts us from the meat of the story.
Within a week of Trump’s election, the crap faucet turned on full blast. It was hard to even understand what was going on among the media speculation and the outrage.
That week I quit Facebook and subscribed to the Guardian Weekly. Now I take in a level-headed and even-handed version of the news and when the articles become too heartbreaking, I set the newspaper down and pick it up later.
If you’re reading this, Hanne, good call, and thanks.
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