The past week has been busier than usual for me, between getting my car up and running again now that I'm cleared to drive, getting staples out of my arm, making appointments for other health checks, plus taking care of the Voices page. I'm sure I slept somewhere in there, though I can't guarantee that I ate healthily (I keep healthy-ish snacks around in case I can't stop to go heat up a meal).

All that busy-ness means that I haven't been all that communicative. I've responded to some emails, but left others for later. Today's column is in response to one of those emails from last week.

Carl Grimes of Benton wrote: "Brenda, You read like a fun person.

"Please enumerate the rights that are in danger for the group of marginalized groups you referenced in your column about celebrating our own day."

Thanks, Carl, for reading, and for writing! It would take a lot more space than I have to enumerate those rights, but I'll share some of the more pressing ones here. I apologize to those readers who'd prefer no politics from me (I'm with you!), but we're living in extraordinary times.

Attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) affect more than just women and people of color, but also those with disabilities. DEI, despite the propaganda that's spread about it, isn't about hiring an........

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