So tonight my daughter, after articulating to me how she explained cultural appropriation in class today (she's 8, and I have @tiffanymjewell's book to thank), asked me a mountain of questions about xenophobia, police murder, and the fact that "all of America is stolen land."

At this point my son came in and said, "can I listen?"

And I said sure.

And my daughter kept working her way through racism and immigration, and got to the ICE roundups that took place here last year and the conversations we had about our friends and neighbors.

Then she said, "WAIT. Didn't your mom's family came from Poland?"

"Yes."

"Where did Pop Pop's family come from?"

"Scotland, England, France."

"WAIT. So if you're white you get to come here, no problem, but if you're Black or Brown they try to keep you out or kill you?"

I nodded.

She threw her hands above her head and said "I'm so SICK OF THIS. It's SO AWFUL."

And I said: "and this is why we keep fighting, and keep fighting until it changes, no matter how long it takes."

Goddammit, I'm trying. I hope I'm getting somewhere.

"We have the worst president in history for this moment," she said.

Smart kid. Smart kids.

I hope there's a future left for them.