Mary Katharine Ham

“Trump doesn't care much about anyone's speech if it disagrees with him, and that's an extremely bad trait in a president making public pronouncements.”

“I always had overlapping social circles with different ideological groups and different activist groups.”

“We fought a war for the freedom to care about what we want to care about, and this is among the things we may choose as free Americans.”

“In the end, 'Darkest Hour' tells the story of the near destruction of Western Civilization. 'Dunkirk' allows you to feel it in all its uncomfortable, confusing horror. You'll remember 'Dunkirk,' but if you watch 'Darkest Hour,' the moment in history and the people who defined it will stick with you, too.”

“When you lose someone, you go through a lot of metaphors. Our vocabulary falters in the face of death.”

“Before 'trolling' was a phenomenon with a well-known name, PETA had perfected it.”

“I am a happy person, and I'm not prone to depression, and I've been thankful for that.”

“I know many good things about Durham. I also know that Durham is full of liberal white people who love to get yelled at by minorities and liberal minorities who are happy to oblige them.”

“When you come from the school of pat-on-the-head public policy for minorities - as Joe Biden does - I guess maybe it is astonishing that a black man could be outstripping you in your run for president.”

“A full life does not allow for a mom to be with every child in every conceivable moment. Some moms are there more often than others are, some have more children than others do.”

“Ask anyone the best part of the classic comedy, 'My Cousin Vinny,' and they'll likely say Mona Lisa Vito.”

“I love the idea of the divine spark. It crosses a lot of cultures and religions, the idea that you carry a bit of the Creator inside you, that it animates your life.”

“The high academic and social costs of remote learning and closed schools are now indisputable, but there was also a political cost. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia capitalized on it by appealing to frustrated parents in 2021.”

“In the past, it's been possible to say that calls for repeal of the Second Amendment or widespread gun bans and confiscation were crackpot calls outside the mainstream of American liberalism. But during the Parkland response, that has become progressively less plausible.”

“My husband died in a cycling accident in a race to benefit cancer research. I lost my partner, I lost his contribution to our household income, and I lost my idea of what kind of parent I was.”

“I'm not a fan of Dylan's music, per se, but I'm not a hater. I like the American folk music tradition, and I'll listen to 'Don't Think Twice, It's All Right' on repeat a couple times a year if the mood strikes. Beyond that, I'm sort of befuddled by the Dylan phenomenon.”

“The world has a rich tradition of leaders who fancy themselves smart enough to determine what the people should and shouldn't hear, and crack down on unpopular or minority positions or people for society's 'good.' This is not an innovation of modern college campuses.”

“I grew up in a cross-town newspaper battle - one of the few left in a news climate where chains had bought most major dailies and many markets had become monopolies. I learned early that two newspapers fighting for scoops and readers meant that readers got better news coverage than they would have gotten if they were served by one paper.”

“Protections of free speech are what makes inclusion and diversity possible.”

“It's important to the country for the gulf between many American voters and the people who cover them to get smaller.”