The Civilian Newsletter

An Israeli runs to a shelter in Ashkelon on Oct. 7. Tamir Kalifa—The New York Times/Redux

Hi everyone! It’s lovely to be with you this week after a summer break. I’m back with a topic that has been both fascinating and appalling to me for as long as I can remember. It’s a topic that is hard to categorize and even harder to explain, but I think the proper heading is: The Israel/Gaza Conflict and its Effect on the US.

I’ve talked about this before, about antisemitism and hate crimes, acts of terrorism against American Jews, and about the events of October 7th, 2023, when the terrorist organization Hamas attacked and killed 1200 people in Israel and captured over 100 hostages.

Since October 7th, I have been shocked at the protests on college campuses and elsewhere and horrified by violence directed toward American Jews who have nothing to do with the conflict in the Middle East. As a life-long student of American politics, I’ve been particularly curious about the effect on the 2024 Presidential election, and particularly the NON-selection of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate. Was at least part of the reason he was not chosen because of his Jewish faith and background? Maybe not at all?

As someone from a Christian faith background and raised in the Bible Belt, I knew I wanted to get a more educated perspective on this issue. So, about three weeks ago, along with my husband and Federal lobbyist Eric sat down with our good friend Brian, who, as you will hear in the interview, has much experience on this topic from both a faith and political background.

We had such a great conversation; I hope you will agree. But, before I play it, I want to tell you that I sat on this interview for over three weeks because I’ve been afraid to send it to you. Two main reasons for this: 1. I know that our community here at the Civilian is small, but I don’t want to get this conversation wrong. As I mentioned, I have been passionately curious about this topic forever, and it means a lot to me. Many people in my life whom I love very much are Jewish. Perhaps this is why I have been so astounded by the threats on the lives of Jewish people in Israel, in the US, and around the world. I do not want to disappoint them.

Secondly, I’ve always thought part of my job here at The Civilian is to stay unbiased and nonpartisan. I’m obviously very biased on this issue, and it caused me to second-guess my selection of this topic. But I later realized, through much overthinking, that it has never been my job to be unbiased on how we treat each other. I think the substantial value I hold for treating others with love and kindness is part of, if not the main reason, that I am so passionate and interested in this topic.

The State Department categorizes Hamas as a terrorist organization, and I found Hamas’ actions on October 7th deplorable. I do think that some, if not most, of the actions taken by Israel since then are justified. Yet I also can't entirely agree with everything Netanyahu does, and I certainly do not believe that innocent Palestinians should die. I am solid in this viewpoint, but I must be open and honest about that position.

I also want to note that we had this conversation before Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, parents of American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, bravely spoke at the Democratic National Convention and before Hamas brutally murdered Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

You will likely find this conversation between me, Eric and our friend Brian to be an imperfect exchange between friends. We discuss sensitive topics with curiosity and open-mindedness rather than fixed positions. We listen to each other.

We agreed on much of what we discussed, but I still managed to learn a lot about being Jewish in this country. Maybe you will learn something, too. But more than anything, I hope this conversation inspires you to have brave, whole-hearted discussions with those around you.

A big thank you to Brian for sitting down with us. And now, with that long preamble, you can find our chat above. (You can toggle to listen at different speeds, or view an AI-generated transcript if you aren’t able to listen!)

Questions? Comments? Want to reach out? Feel free to reply to this email, comment on this post, or send me an email. Anytime.

Thanks, as always, for being here!

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times / Getty

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When news broke of the Hamas attack in Israel, my husband Eric realized that two of the communities hit were those that he had visited during a government trip to Israel in 2014. This meant that many people he met were brutally murdered on October 7, 2023. I’ve asked Eric to join me to tell us more about his 2014 trip and we discuss why terrorism and violence are never excusable.

I know that much news from the Israel conflict is hard to read/watch/listen to, but something I am trying to do as a white Christian: try to stay with it past the moment of uncomfort. When you are compelled to turn away, keep with it for a few moments. Let your heart break a little more. As Leonard Cohen says, that’s how the light gets in.

Note: a transcript of this recording is available above, done by AI. Please excuse any misspellings/grammatical errors on behalf of the robots.

Photos from Eric’s 2014 Trip:

Sending much love to our Jewish friends,

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Did you know that The Civilian is now reader-supported? Your paid subscription makes this work possible and sustainable. If you have yet to upgrade, would you kindly consider it?

In seventeen years, my husband and I have lived in four different communities ranging in population from 17,000 to 5 million. We’ve owned or rented seven different homes. Our oldest kid attended three different elementary schools. You can definitely say we’ve moved a lot.

When we moved to mid-Missouri back in 2017, I was lucky enough to stumble across Melody Warnick’s fantastic book This is Where You Belong. Her research and writing about place attachment helped me form long-lasting bonds with my community—bonds that bolstered me through the pandemic and beyond. I knew I wanted her book to be a part of the exploration of community this month, and (fortunately for us all) she agreed to record an interview! I’m so happy to share her thoughts on place attachment and how loving our communities is more active than passive.

Just as I found with the other interviews I did for this month, I had a wonderful connection with Melody—she is so kind, generous, and passionate about community. I think you’ll all want to spend more time with her.

Please enjoy by listening above or in the podcast app of your choice. You can find Melody’s second book here (note: this is going to be my new gift for college graduates) and you can sign up for her newsletter here.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them on the post or email me directly!

See you next week for talk about local elections,

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Low-Bar Lifestyle

Hello! Welcome to the podcast for this February, I am so glad that you are here. This month, we have been talking all about choices: whether it was choosing a maker schedule or a manager schedule, abandoning January as a goal-setting month, or prioritizing listening to yourself: the overall goal, I hope, is to give everyone a big permission slip to do what works for themselves.

Continuing that today, I am in conversation with my very wise friend Julie. A few years ago, Julie and I felt the stress of the “more, more, more” culture that we live in and really wanted to push back and say “less, less, less!” We coined it “low bar lifestyle.” Since Julie is one of the most intentional people I know, she has become the perfect partner in this aspirational lifestyle.

We walk you through what the low-bar lifestyle means, what it practically looks like for each of our families, and how we adjust when we accidentally (or on-purpose) go “high-bar.”

And, as is very common in our conversations, we add some extra fun at the end when Julie tells us about an embarrassing story she encountered when she set the bar a little too high. We’ve ALL been there!

I know that within a few seconds of our conversation, you will understand why Julie is such a great friend. Listen above or in your favorite podcast app to find out:

How We Aspire (and often fail) to Live a Low-Bar Lifestyle
Are you a Field Trip Parent (like Julie) or an Amazon Prime Parent (like Sarah)? What gifting do you bring to the table?
The Three Core Questions to Ask Before Committing to Something New
Why a Pew Research Poll Shows that Middle-Class Parents are Terrified of Something
Why we Love this Book
How We Know the Bar is Too High and How We Pivot

Want to be a member of the Low-Bar Lifestyle? Guess what—we don’t have any meetings or forms to fill out. If you want to be in, you’re in! But if you have any questions at all, feel free to comment or hit reply.

Thanks for joining us! Next week, I’ll be back with some of my FAVORITE choices—books!

Sources:

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It’s time for the feature of our January issue! In case you missed it, The Civilian is debuting a “magazine” format… you can peruse my favorite things here and design your ultimate reading vacation here.

But today! Yes! I get to share a conversation I had with one of the smartest people I know, Kristen Brown.

But first, a little background:

Right after the holidays, I sat down with a blank piece of paper and a purpose: to make a list of what successfully worked for my family this holiday season, and what…did not. I typed it up, sent an email to myself, and set the “snooze” feature on Gmail to December 1, 2023. This move—genius, if I do say so myself—is to save future me a lot of trouble and headaches during the trying (yet joyful!) future holiday season.

One big thing that was on my “success” list: a meeting that my husband and I had at the beginning of the holiday season. We sat down and talked through gifts, parties, food, travel, and any other holiday tasks we could think of. We listed everything and divided the tasks according to each other’s skills and the time each had available.

Maybe it sounds a little nerdy, but the stark and amazing truth is that this relieved a large part of the invisible load of the holidays.

What is the invisible load?

Although it’s likely been around since the first cave family, this phrase gained a spotlight during the pandemic when parents were stressed to the max working from home without childcare. I think this definition from the BBC describes it best:

Experts say that this hidden work comes in three overlapping categories. There’s cognitive labour – which is thinking about all the practical elements of household responsibilities, including organising playdates, shopping and planning activities. Then there’s emotional labour, which is maintaining the family’s emotions; calming things down if the kids are acting up or worrying about how they are managing at school. Third, the mental load is the intersection of the two: preparing, organising and anticipating everything, emotional and practical, that needs to get done to make life flow.

While there are certainly many exceptions, this invisible load is typically taken on by women, mothers, and/or primary caregivers. Research shows that even in households that aim to share tasks in a 50:50 arrangement, the result can still be one partner bearing more than their share of cognitive labor.

Luckily for us, attorney and philanthropist Eve Rodsky has developed Fair Play—a beautiful communication tool for partners, spouses, and co-parents to use to ease a bit of this tension.

I first heard about Fair Play from the social media posts of my friend Kristen Brown. Kristen is a successful business owner, and like many of us, has experienced the struggles of balancing all the responsibilities of work and family. I invited her to record a conversation with me about the benefits of Eve Rodsky’s book and how it invites us to have open, constructive, and continuous conversations about the invisible workload. Here are some of the things we cover:

Fair Play is not a whining book; it is a solutions book. Rodsky offers a framework to discuss challenging issues in a way that will be constructive rather than lead to conflict.
A relationship can be akin to both parents acting as owners of a company, not the mom as the owner and the dad as the employee or vice versa.
Couples can strive for equitable load-sharing, which does not necessarily mean 50:50. It’s about what works best for your family.

What resonated with you in this conversation? How does your household divide some of this cognitive labor? I’d love to hear from you!

For next week—I’m trying to decide if I should, as a bonus, share my thoughts on Spare by Prince Harry. Have we reached market oversaturation or is it still worth discussing?

I’ll see what you all think and design my bonus material accordingly. :) Until then!

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The Midterm Election is November 8th!

We are less than two weeks away from the 2022 Midterms, so I’ve asked Eric Bohl to jump on the mic with me and breakdown the ballot initiatives so we can all make educated decisions at the polls. I’ve also written a quick glance at everything below.

Stay tuned for more info on my process, graphics, and other important info before November 8th rolls around!

To find a sample ballot for your specific Missouri area, click here.

To see only the statewide ballot initiatives, click here.

Important Terms:

Missouri General Assembly: this is the official name for what is perhaps more commonly known as the Missouri state legislature.

Constitutional Amendment: in order for an amendment to be changed, it must be voted on by the general public rather than the state legislature. This could impact your decision on these measures in different ways, which I’ll explain a bit more when we discuss Amendment 3.

Amendment 1: State Treasurer Investments

A YES vote authorizes the State Treasurer to invest in highly-rated municipal bonds AND authorizes the General Assembly to pass laws to allow the Treasurer to make prudent investments in the future.

A NO vote means that you do not want the State Treasurer to invest in municipal bonds and/or you do not want the General Assembly to pass laws concerning what the Treasurer can/cannot invest in.

What’s important to know:

This amendment was requested by the State Treasurer, and the legislature voted almost unanimously to put it on the ballot (only one dissenting vote). It is mostly unopposed elsewhere in the state. It is not projected to cost the taxpayers any extra money and is hoped to increase state revenue.

Amendment 3: Recreational Marijuana

This one is a bit more nuanced:

Your YES vote means:

You agree that marijuana should be legalized for recreational use for adults over the age of 21;
You agree that this should be done via constitutional amendment, meaning any reform would call for a vote from the general public;
You agree that persons convicted of non-violent marijuana-related charge can petition for their release and/or have their records expunged;
You are OK with the proposed system of issuing licenses to sell or produce marijuana. This includes a lottery-style system of issuing licenses and different classes of licensees (microbusinesses vs. wholesalers, etc).
You are OK with a 6% sales tax that will benefit the state of Missouri. This money will go into a fund titled “Veterans, Health, and Community Reinvestment Fund.”

Your NO vote might mean:

You are opposed to the legalization of recreational marijuana for health or other reasons;
You don’t want this to be an amendment and/or you don’t like the wording/length of this amendment (it is 35 pages, which is quite long). You would rather it be more easily reformed by the state legislature or other means;
You disagree with this system for licensing. Many opponents say that this will create monopolies and favor those who are already selling medical marijuana, rather than allowing a completely free market.
You might not agree with where the money is going. Some opponents are distrusting of this general label for the fund and would prefer something more specific.

What’s important to know:

In recent polls, two-thirds of Missourians are in favor of legalization of recreational marijuana use. If you are holding out because you don’t like the amendment structure, it is pretty unlikely that the MO legislature would pass a law for recreational marijuana legalization any time soon. This amendment might be the only shot, at least in the near future. However, that’s not always a great reason to vote yes. It’s important to weigh each of the issues above and decide what you think!

Groups that are advocating for YES on Amendment 3:

Missouri ACLU, NAACP Columbia, NAACP St. Louis City and County, Mizzou College Democrats, The Kansas City Star Editorial Board.

Groups that say NO to Amendment 3:

Missouri NAACP (note that the state organization is opposed, while some individual chapters are endorsing), Governor Mike Parson, the Republican Party, the Libertarian Party, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial Board.

Amendment 4: Police Funding

This one is confusing, because although the ballot language does not mention it, this only affects the police department of Kansas City, Missouri.

Your YES vote means that there will be a minimal funding requirement for certain police departments;

Your NO vote means that things will remain as they are, and the city council of Kansas City, Missouri, may decrease the funding of their police department.

What’s important to know:

Last year, the city council of Kansas City, MO wanted to reduce the funding of their police department. This amendment was proposed so that any police department that was founded in this specific way would have a minimum funding requirement—protecting KCMO PD from any defunding attempts in the future.

Amendment 5: Missouri National Guard

Your YES vote means that the Missouri National Guard will have its own department within the executive branch and will report directly to the governor’s office.

Your NO vote means that the National Guard will stay housed under the Missouri Department of Public Safety.

What’s important to know:

This is mostly an administrative change and, if passed, will allow the Missouri National Guard to be funded a little differently and will cut out a step between themselves and the governor. One of the advocates of this amendment points out that this would help if there was another state emergency, like the Joplin tornado.

This amendment has no documented opposing organizations and was voted to be placed on the ballot almost unanimously by the Missouri legislature (two dissenting votes).

Constitutional Convention Question

Your YES vote means that you would like a convention to be held to change the Missouri State Constitution;

Your NO vote means you do not think this is necessary.

What’s important to know:

This question is required to be on the ballot every 20 years. In 2002, it was voted down by quite a large margin. It was also defeated in 1982 and 1962. The current Missouri Constitution was adopted in 1945, but has been amended many times since then. Even if this question is rejected again this year, amendments can still be added to each ballot. Keep in mind that Missouri is overwhelmingly red (Republican) right now, so if a state convention is held, it will likely be influenced in that direction. This might be good news or bad news, depending on your political outlook!

A few thoughts on voting…

I don’t like to go through specific candidates here on The Civilian, especially as it can differ where you are in the state. However, there are two state-wide races on this ballot: the Senate race and the State Auditor race. All of the candidates in these two races seem to be pretty true to their party line, no political outliers here.
Feel free to leave bubbles blank on your ballot! If there is a race or issue you don’t feel confident voting on, leave it blank! Your ballot will still be counted.
Midterms are not as crowded as the general election, so your visit to the polls on November 8th should be quick and painless. This is such an important way to have your voice heard, and I really hope you’ll make the time to do so!

Questions/Comments?

I would love to hear from you and attempt to answer any questions you have! Simply respond to this email or comment on this post.

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I have been in complete and total conflict about what to talk about with you all over the past few months. I have worked very hard over these past few years to keep my own political feelings a “secret,” but that no longer serves. I think it’s time, more than ever, to talk more openly about why I’ve had no political home for the past 6 years.

After some absolutely shocking videos coming out of the Turning Point conference (a conservative youth conference started by Charlie Kirk), I’ve pulled back the curtain in a somewhat emotional and very nuanced conversation with Eric Bohl. Once again, we are in the messy middle. Listen above to hear:

where do Matt Gaetz and Eric Greitens fit into today’s GOP? Are they mainstream? Are they fringe?

how can we steer both parties back towards civility?

is a Trump endorsement still important for this year’s GOP candidates?

what direction Eric thinks is on the horizon

why The Middle needs to be the new loudest voice

and I give my suggestion for a primary voting strategy (spoiler alert: don’t play games, just vote for the person you would most like to see in office)

(You can toggle the playback speed in the box above, I usually listen to my podcasts at 1.5x)

After we recorded this conversation, I read David French’s fantastic column about the same sort of issues. I highly recommend reading, especially if you are from a Christian faith tradition as David is.

If you can stomach watching these videos from the Turning Point USA conference, I have linked them below.

As always, ALL are welcome here. No matter what political party you identify with, where you come from, or how much news you read.

Many humble thanks for listening/reading. See you soon!

Sarah

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President Biden and Senator Chris Murphy walking outside the White House. Image Credit

Nothing gets me more excited than 👏 BIPARTISANSHIP 👏

So you know my Sunday was cartwheels and rainbows when I heard that Senator Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) and his team of ten blue and ten red senators came together and decided the framework for a gun reform bill. You can listen above as my husband Eric and I discuss this, plus, well, what exactly IS the filibuster, anyway??… it’s just under 20 minutes. I’ve also outlined it below if reading is more your thing!

Note: in the recording, I was mistaken about the number of days the President has to sign a bill into law. It is ten days, not three.

If you are new here, welcome!

This past week has seen a big influx of new subscribers! All are welcome here… please head here to read more about The Civilian, and check out our Issue Index here. If anything here resonates with you, I would love for you to share with a friend.

What happens when 10 Republican Senators and 10 Democratic Senators walk in a room?

Well, apparently, we get some compromise on gun reform. After the Uvalde and Buffalo shootings, Congress has been determined to pass some sort of reform— the first in 30 years. Senator Chris Murphy (D) and Senator Tom Cornyn (R) led this discussion, and before I give you the main points, I want you to know an important caveat: we have not seen the actual bill language yet. With the framework set, Senate staffers will be working this week to write the actual bill. Sometimes, as they say, the devil is in the details. I’ll keep you updated if anything changes. Here’s the main framework for the bill:

Major funding to help states pass and implement crisis intervention orders (red flag laws) that will allow law enforcement to temporarily take dangerous weapons away from people who pose a danger to others or themselves.

Billions in new funding for mental health and school safety, including money for the national build out of community health clinics.

Close the “boyfriend loophole,” so that no domestic abuser—a spouse OR a serious dating partner— can buy a gun if they are convicted of abuse against their partner.

First ever federal law against gun trafficking and straw purchasing.

Enhanced background check for under 21 gun buyers and a short pause to conduct the check. Young buyers can get the gun only after the enhanced check is completed.

Clarification of the laws regarding who needs to register as a licensed gun dealer, to make sure all truly commercial sellers are doing background checks.

You may feel several things about this. You may think it’s not nearly enough, you may think it’s way too much, or any which way in between. I encourage you, no matter how you feel, to make your voice known to your representatives. You can go to senate.gov, find the numbers of your senators, and give them a call. Even if they are already doing the work you’d like them to do! The next couple of weeks will be crucial in this process.

On that note, the Senate has set a goal to vote on this bill by June 24th (before they go on recess for the July 4th holiday). Here’s what the process will look like from here:

Bill language will be formalized.

This bill is originating in the Senate, and each chamber has its own set of rules. In the Senate, bills are first discussed and debated. This is when you will see the filibuster come into play… a tactic that can be used by a minority party to extend discussion/debate indefinitely. The only way to overcome this is with 60 votes to overcome the filibuster. This is why it was crucial to have ten Republicans already on board for this legislation… they will, in theory, already have the 60 advocates they need to get this past the filibuster.

Once debate has ended, the Senate will vote on the bill. To pass the bill, they only need a simple majority.

If the bill passes the Senate, it moves on to the House. The House will also have a discussion/debate period, but in the House, it’s a set amount of time. This will predetermined and there is no filibuster.

Once the discussion time has ended, the House will vote on the bill. Only a simple majority is needed for it to pass.

If it passes the House, it will go to the President’s desk. He has ten days to sign the bill. President Biden has indicated that he will sign this bill, but that could change if the bill language ends up landing differently than outlined this weekend.

Lots coming in the days ahead! I once again encourage you to call your senators and let them know how you feel about this.

See you next time!

-Sarah

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Welcome to the Middle.

After last week’s post and Instagram reels, I received message after message echoing one lament:

I know. It’s a really big problem. And one that I will likely spend the rest of my life fighting. For today, I’m hoping that a discussion on gun control from the center will do a little bit to ease your pain and broaden your understanding.

In the recording above, I’m joined again by my husband, and this time, we are adopting two CENTER positions and having a discussion about gun control. Here are the things we cover:

our desire to stay in the messy middle, without being performative or utopian

definitions of the terms used in the gun control debate (you can also refer to this post from 2019)

what the second amendment says

status of stalled legislation in Congress and how the stage is set moving forward

discussion/debate of the common gun control reform suggestions, including:

a federal law raising the age that a person can own a firearm from 18 to 21?

banning AR-15s?

banning high-capacity magazines?

placing a tax on certain types of weapons?

arming teachers and/or placing armed officers at schools?

red flag laws?

a bigger push to enforce existing laws?

Remember, we are regular people (civilians, if you will), not experts, but we really wanted to bring this discussion to you.

If you would like to also listen to Sharon McMahon’s class on the history of gun control in America, you can find that here. I do not know how much longer it will be offered.

Congress Returns June 6 & 7

Congress is on a recess right now. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good time to call your representatives! I would, in fact, argue that it’s a great time so that they will have information to bring to the debates that are going to be happening as soon as they return from recess.

If you live in Missouri:

Senator Roy Blunt (R): 202-224-5721

Senator Josh Hawley (R): 202-224-6154

Go to house.gov, enter your zip code, and you can find out who your representative in the House is.

This is what I said when I called:

“Hi, my name is Sarah Bohl from zip code 65203. I do not need a response. I would like to let Senator ______ know that I would like: ___be succinct and specific___. My children attend Columbia Public Schools and I was terrified to drop them off this morning. Thank you and have a good day.”

Hit reply to this email and let me know if you have any questions or comments! I would love to hear from you.

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After Uvalde

Late last night, I sat down with my husband (former chief of staff for two members of Congress and an attorney) to discuss why your voice ABSOLUTELY matters, our perspective coming from a red state, and some (what I call) middle-of-the-road gun reform ideas that might move the needle toward change. No matter your opinion on the second amendment or what happens next in Congress, I encourage you to listen. I promise we have no other agenda other than to make sure you know that individuals can make a difference.

If you live in Missouri…

Senator Roy Blunt (R): 202-224-5721

Senator Josh Hawley (R): 202-224-6154

This is what I said when I called:

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Before we begin… a programming note:
Hi everyone! It’s so wonderful to see you all here. I just wanted to say a few words about some changes you are going to see here at The Civilian. You probably came here to read about politics, which is very near and dear to my heart. You will still find that here, sometimes. However, I’ve realized that the main thread that I research and write about is, of course, how we treat others. I’ve been doing a lot of work recently to treat myself with the same kindness, compassion, and respect that ask of others. This newsletter is going to continue with this thread, but some of the posts may hit quite differently. I welcome you, at any time, to unsubscribe. But for those of you who stay, I humbly thank you for walking in vulnerability with me.

For this post about body image, I thought it was important to record so you can hear it from a voice. You can hit play and hear that version above, or you can read below. I committed to reading it in one take, so you will hear my voice cracking and breaking and the emotion get the best of me. Thank you for your love and patience.

A Letter to Myself

Over the weekend, I had what I (not so creatively) call a “bad body image day.” I was trying on some summer clothes and, although I have tried so hard to improve my mind’s programming, I still have days that are extremely difficult. Maybe you can relate.

This day was particularly rough, and I went to bed feeling absolutely horrible about myself. In the morning, still feeling rotten, I decided to take it to my journal. I filled an entire page with absolute hatred for my body— the poison seemed endless. But then, enough. I thought… what if my dearest, dearest friend came to me and said all of these things about herself? What would I think? What would I say to her? Turning over a fresh page, I wrote a letter to Her. And this is what I would like to share with you now.

Oh, Friend,

Please, please stop being so hard on yourself. It wrecks me to hear you say these hateful things about your body. You are so loved. You are so beautiful. Every part of you is good. Your body is good. Look at what it has done! Your body has carried you safely and healthily to this age. It has taken you on many adventures. It has protected you from hurt, and it has protected you from yourself. It has never let you down.

Remember when you were twelve, at camp, and went on a backpacking trip for three days? Your body now is the same body that was there then. When you were small and were running, and biking, and skinning your knee? That was the same you, too. When you were fifteen and had your heart broken for the first time? Your body kept you standing tall— shoulders back and head held high.

Remember when you turned twenty-one and had way too much to drink (as newly minted twenty-one-year-olds are apt to do)? Even at this folly, your extraordinary body knew to be sick and remove the toxins from you.

Remember when you were a bit older, and you would have a project to get through—a clients’ wedding, or an event you were running— and you didn’t yet know how to take care of yourself? Your body did. Your body carried you, stress and all, across the finish line. And then, and only then, would your body say enough! and force you to rest.

Your body knew precisely what to do when it carried three children. Amazing, isn’t it? When you were twenty-three and had absolutely zero clue what to do, your body did. It knew how to hold a baby and comfort him. Your body knew—it knew!—how to make that sound and to sway just right so you could soothe your child to sleep.

Remember when you were pregnant with your last baby and were facing a cross-country move? Remember how your mind was not ready. It was not there, it was not functioning. But your body showed up for its job, safely and consistently, every minute and every hour and diligently did everything it was supposed to do.

And, friend, remember when wave after wave or horribleness happened two years ago, how your body took care of you? Your mind would not let you sleep. Your mind would not let you eat. The last thing your mind could do was to be strong. But your body was so resilient. Your body—those muscles, those bones, that blood, that flesh—carried you through your darkest days yet. Even when you were not quite able to care for her. Remember how surprised you were that it did not kill you? Your body rescued you.

Friend, remember when life is good and beautiful, it is your body that allows you to experience it. Your ears hear the notes. Your eyes see the light. Your fingers feel the touch, your muscles feel the ache. Your voice echoes the laugh! All of these things are you. Without your body, what would your life be? Who would keep the record?

There is no hour to waste here. Life is experienced with and through our bodies. We cannot spend another moment discounting that magic. So please, please. Be kind to yourself, friend! You need to experience this world. Do not hate the very thing that carries you. I know you and you think your mind is everything—you rely so much on her depth and strength. But please remember: to whom does your mind belong to?

Thank you so much for being here.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecivilian.substack.com

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Happy Saturday everyone! I always appreciate an audio format, so I’m releasing the issue on Critical Race Theory on audio PLUS some bonus content!

If you didn’t have a chance to read last week’s issue, here’s your chance to listen while you are running errands, doing chores, or mowing the lawn.

If you did read the issue last week, you can skip to the 11-minute mark and hear me answer some additional questions, address the Southlake TX controversy, and ponder a big issue in the 2022 midterm elections.

Pro tip: in the top right corner of the audio box, you can choose to listen to the audio at a higher speed. I highly recommend this.

Stay tuned next week when I’ll be talking about the supply chain problems!

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Volume 1, Issue 19

How to Stay Informed

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When Life Gets a Little Boring

2.5 MIN READ

It's been quiet over here at The Civilian, and that's honestly because news has been unusually boring to me. Yes, things have happened: the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was eliminated during a U.S. raid of his Syrian compound; The House of Representatives has continued to hold closed-door hearings in their impeachment inquiry; and Kentucky and Virginia got a little shaken up in their November elections. But for someone in the middle of the country, where these goings-on have not affected my day-to-day life, it's been pretty dang boring.

It's these times that we have to actively work to stay informed, even when it's much more tempting to turn away from news headlines and finish binge-watching Succession on HBO (ask me how I know).

Besides the flat-out not knowing, there's another reason why boring news times can be dangerous. When the news isn't actively capturing your attention, it can be easy to receive news only through social media. This can be a scary prospect... we don't need our news information to go through someone else's filter. When Aunt Sandy or co-worker Joe posts a news article, you are not only subjected to their filter of click-worthy material, but it's also been through the algorithms of what Facebook and Instagram think you want to see. When I get lazy and rely on social media, the only news I pick up is what the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are up to this week...which--let's face it-- is the news I want, but not the news I need.

So let's go straight to the source, please. I have a quick, easy guide for you to use so even the most time-strapped busy parent can stay informed with minimal effort.

If you have 5 minutes...

-I like to quickly scan the wire reports (AP, Reuters) and/or my local newspaper. These sources give me the best non-biased results and their headlines tend to be the least click-baity. I then pick an article or two to read, based on what interests me the most, and give them a thorough read-through.

If you have 10 minutes...

-After you have done that 5 minute catch-up, dedicate your next 5 minutes to picking one topic and reading articles from at least two other news sources. Reading across news sources is, in my opinion, the most important thing you can do. It helps you see the issue from different angles, gets yourself out of a an echo-chamber, and helps you recognize any media bias. Some of my favorite sources to read across: NPR, BBC, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Washington Post. I'm referring here to reporting their pieces, not opinion....we'll get in to that next.

If you have 30 minutes...

-Pick two or more opinion pieces from opposing sides. For example, you can look to the National Review (which tends to lean right) AND Huffington Post (which tends to lean left). Or you can head to more mainstream publications like New York Times and Washington Post, which will often post differing opinions on the same issue.

If you have an hour or more...

-Talk to willing friends, family, or associates that have experience or expertise in the topic at hand. Make sure you are approaching them in a friendly and open-minded manner, asking questions, and above all, listening to what they have to say.

On a daily or weekly basis...

-I don't like to rely on email newsletters, but they can be a good way to get a quick run-down of the news headlines. I like The Week and I also like Axios for just a quick picture of what's going on. But if I want to investigate a topic further, I usually do start with AP or Reuters.

Let's make a commitment to each other to stay informed, even when the news is boring. I doubt the boring snap will last long, we do have alllll the election coverage of 2020 to look forward to, after all.

Everyone is welcome here.

Regardless of your viewpoint or your political party, if you’ve never followed politics in your life, or if you read ten news outlets a day, I thank you for joining us here. I’d love to hear your feedback on this issue and all issues yet to come. Simply reply to this email or find The Civilian on Twitter.

With respect and civility,

Sarah Bohl

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Volume 1, Issue 18

Decoding the Turkey/Syria Conflict

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Turkey/Syria 101

5 MIN READ

I don’t know about you, but I have unfortunately struggled to understand the entirety of the conflict in the Middle East. With literally millennia of historical background, more groups than I can count on one hand, and new boundaries being drawn every few years, it seems like it takes a graduate degree to read the news.

When headlines announced that Turkey had invaded Syria after Trump had withdrawn U.S. troops, I tried to quickly catch up. I noticed quite a few holes in my knowledge of the situation and became determined to break my sad cycle of Middle-Eastern-affair illiteracy. As always, I wanted to share the results of my research in case you also feel confused and left behind by the national media.

I am going to give it to you in the most succinct way possible, but as always, I will provide links at the bottom so you can do further research (and I hope you will).

So what happened?

Earlier this week, Turkey's president announced his intention to launch an attack in Syria. President Trump then announced that he was withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria. On Wednesday, just days after Trump’s announcement, Turkey did, as promised, launch air and land strikes into the northeastern portion of Syria that borders Turkey.

Why the controversy?

The area that Turkey has invaded is, as I mentioned, part of the country of Syria. However, it is occupied by the Kurdish people. Trump pulled back the 50-100 American troops in the area for safety and announced his intention to withdraw all of the remaining troops in Syria in the near future. Since the Kurds are allies of the United States, many feel that this is abandoning our friends and perhaps losing that valuable relationship. A fear also is that the Turkish invasion could cause a humanitarian crisis, killing or displacing tens of thousands of people.

Who are the Kurds?

The Kurds are an indigenous people that occupy a contiguous area of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Armenia (see map above). Their race, culture, and language are what binds them, but their religious affiliations can vary.

Why does Turkey want to attack?

Turkey’s relationship with the Kurdish people is very complicated. While 15-20% of Turkey’s population is Kurdish, the Kurds have received harsh treatment from the Turkish government for a very long time. Their lands were taken; their names, clothing, and identity were banned. In response to this, the Kurds have been fighting back for autonomy. As you can imagine, this has caused many deaths and much turmoil, and the Turkish government views the main Kurdish political group as “terrorists.”

Turkey says that it has launched this most recent attack in order to create a 20-mile wide “terror buffer zone” and push Kurdish rebels away from the Syria/Turkey border. Turkey also wants to use this area to relocate the millions of Syrian refugees that are currently living in Turkey (These refugees have fled Syria since the Syrian Civil War began in 2011).

Why are the Kurds considered allies of the United States?

Basically because we have a common enemy—ISIS. The jihadist group has been fighting with the Kurdish people over the same area of land, and the U.S. has been helping the Kurds. We have launched air strikes, provided weapons, and helped train Kurdish fighters to defeat ISIS. The Kurds have essentially been our on-the-ground force. And the Kurds have been winning, too. They pushed ISIS back from their lands and have imprisoned many of them.

Why did Trump withdraw U.S. troops?

Withdrawing our troops from the Middle East was a campaign promise of Trump’s and was officially rolled out in December of 2018. This decision was against the advice of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Mattis resigned due to this disagreement.

While we have known that Trump’s overall goal was to withdraw from the area, the specific announcement he made on Monday night and the speed of action surprised almost everyone.

We can see Trump’s reasoning in the tweets he sent out on October 9th:

So did Trump endorse the attacks from Turkey?

No, Trump and the White House did not officially endorse the Turkish attack. But Trump’s messages have been a bit mixed.

Again, we can look to Trump’s tweets. On the Turkey side of things, he said “it is time now for others in the region ... to protect their own territory.” He mentioned that Turkey is an important trade ally to the U.S., that they are a member of NATO, and that they make parts of our F-35 fighter jets.

But he also seemed to flip to the Kurdish side, by threatening to “totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey” if its military action in Syria went too far. He also tweeted that the U.S. is providing and will continue to provide financial and weapon support to the Kurdish fighters.

What are the politicians saying?

Many, many people on both sides of the aisle oppose Trump’s quick withdrawal. This includes both Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi. To be honest with you, I'm having a very hard time finding national news opinions that support the President's actions. That being said, there have been many conservatives that have previously supported Trump’s intention to back out of Middle Eastern conflict. And, as I mentioned before, this was also a campaign promise.

Even supporters of the President’s overall strategy of getting out of the Middle East still registered shock that he abruptly pulled troops without more of a long-term strategy.

A writer for The Cato Institute, a Libertarian think tank, commented that this is not the first time that the U.S. has abandoned our Kurdish allies and we should not have been surprised by Trump’s actions. “Most great powers have sacrificed allies and clients whenever more central interests seemed to be at stake,” argued author Ted Galen Carpenter.

What will happen next?

As unsatisfactory as this answer is, we will just have to wait and see. As Commander in Chief, Trump was acting within his power when he pulled the troops home. There cannot be a court ruling or Congressional action to reverse it. However, Trump could bend to any political or diplomatic pressure. I’m sure that a lot will also depend on the actions of the Turkish government in the coming days. Time will tell.

I’m trying something new, and publishing a few thoughtful opinions from different sides. This is an effort for us to further understand each other and I will be rotating the types of viewpoints that I publish. Today’s opinion comes from a veteran that identifies as a Libertarian. I encourage you to check out what he says here (it might surprise you.)

If you have a thoughtful opinion that you would like to share, please reply to this email…I would love to hear from you!

Everyone is welcome here.

With respect and civility,

Sarah Bohl

Sources:

https://www.apnews.com/8a008ac28d704d5d8a0de26f70477571

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29702440

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49973218

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-20971100

https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/yes-donald-trump-dumped-kurds-we-should-not-be-shocked

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/with-turkish-offensive-looming-syrian-kurds-mobilize-civilian-defense/2019/10/09/4efca794-ea02-11e9-a329-7378fbfa1b63_story.html

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security-kurds-factbox/factbox-the-kurdish-struggle-for-rights-and-land-idUSKBN1WO19X

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security-turkey-usa/turkey-opens-ground-assault-on-syrias-kurds-u-s-republicans-turn-on-trump-idUSKBN1WO05Z

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/us/politics/letter-jim-mattis-trump.html?module=inline

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refugees_of_the_Syrian_Civil_War

https://nbcnews.com

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Hi friends! Today is the day I launch the companion podcast to The Civilian! Please join me for this SHORT (just 13 minute) episode to answer your questions about the Mueller investigation and talk a bit about how I started this endeavor. I’ll be on iTunes shortly, but for now you can listen right here, or through SoundCloud.

One note: at the time I recorded this, William Barr had not yet been sworn in as Attorney General. He is now officially our Attorney General.

Thanks for listening! As always, please reach out to me by replying to this email, or finidng me on Twitter @theciviliannews.

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