Introduction to Our America

I’m Marty Dahlman. I’m a retired old man now, and choose to write about what’s going on in America.  And I spent a thirty-six year career teaching government in high school and coaching track and cross country.  But my very first jobs were in political campaigns, and though I switched to teaching, I still continued politics in my spare time. I worked many campaigns, from school levies to US Presidential.

In this age of “identification” you can place my ideology in the Liberal column (I hate the new-speak “Progressive”).  I am proudly a “card carrying” member of the Democratic Party and the ACLU.  Now  that you’ve got me labeled, it might be time to “turn me off”.  That’s what we do in this our current political world. We “turn off” any ideas that might conflict with our own: ideas that might pierce our  ideological bubble.

With the  first election of President Trump, I looked for a way to contribute to “the Resistance”.   My niece, who grew up taking part in our family dinner-table political conversations, suggested that I write about what’s going on in today’s politics and administration.  So I started writing in February, 2017. Now, almost eight years later, there are 1800 essays and 2900 subscribers that make up “Our America”.   

For a “brief” four years, we got some respite from Trump.  The Biden years were incredibly successful.  We overcame the results of the Covid pandemic, we re-established the US economy, and we avoided a post-covid economic depression.  Joe Biden brought us back a “normal Presidency”.  His own failing, if you can call it that, was his desire to get American politics back to “normal”, after the Insurrection (which will, I’m sure, be whitewashed into a peaceful protest in the near future).  Normalcy:  that’s something Trumpists couldn’t allow.

After the lightning Kamala Harris campaign (she really did everything right), our Nation has made another narrow decision.  Trump claims a mandate, but what he got was a United States that is disunited into Blue and Red more than ever.  I expect he will do little to heal and everything to exacerbate those differences:  division is what he thrives on.

So here we are,  descending into another four years of Trump.  The very existence of our Democracy is at stake.  It would be easy to turn off the computer, close down the webpages, and lock the doors.  But I fear that  Democracy’s ultimate failure will batter down them down.

Martin Niemoller put it this way:

First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me,
And there was no one left to speak out for me.

So I am speaking out, here in Our America. 

Our America – Top Essays

based on “hits” (does not include subscribers)

All Time Top Ten
  1. Small Town Problems
  2. Mom’s War
  3. Out My Window – Part 4
  4. Dean Ramsey
  5. The McGowan
  6. A Watkins Legend
  7. A Pole Vault Story
  8. Don Dahlman
  9. An Era Ends
  10. Lester Kahrig
  11. Shanksville
  12. Memories of Notre Dame
Top Ten Political
  1. Flags and Shoes 
  2. OK Boomer
  3. More Perfect 
  4. An American Apprenticeship 
  5. Not When You’re Angry 
  6. A Letter to My Senator 
  7. Live and Let Die 
  8. Guns and Sadness 
  9. Again 
  10. I am a Liberal
Where it all begins!!!
Back in the beginning
The Author in 1977
Today – new hat – less hair!!!

Looking for Information about my parents – Babs and Don Dahlman – click here!!