Debbie Baldwin

“Tofu tacos are not Mexican. I think putting tofu on anything and calling it Mexican is an insult to my people.”
― Simone Elkeles, Rules of Attraction

“Words linger and words matter, I learned, and it’s not possible to predict the fallout they can have on a subject’s life.”
― Beth Macy, Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South

“It takes a special brand of courage to forge a path against a marching crowd. We may live in a democracy of majority rule, but one of our most important founding ideals was to confer legal protection on those unafraid to buck popular sentiment with contrarian voices. Dissent can sometimes be uncomfortable, but it is vital in a democracy. Our nation would never have thrived without the determination of those who were fearless in their beliefs, even when those beliefs were severely out of step with the popular mood and those in power. And in moments like the present, when our government has become erratic and threatens our constitutional principles, dissent is doubly necessary to resist a slide into greater autocracy. I grew up in a segregated and bigoted world in dire need of dissenting voices. My parents, teachers, friends, and acquaintances mostly accepted the status quo without question, and I have come to learn that most people, in most times, tend to follow the herd. That is why our First Amendment is so important. Free speech must be protected so that we can hear from those who challenge our beliefs. And a free and independent press is essential for bringing dissenting opinions to the national conversation.”
― Dan Rather, What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism

“In 1984, Orwell could only imagine a tyrannical central government having the power to systematically undermine objective truth. Today we see that process happening organically through millions of social media “shares.”
― Dan Rather, What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism